Author: ECKERT, E[DWIN],
Title: Erlebnisse eines Deserteurs der holländischen Kolonial-Armee in Ost-Indien. 3. unveränderte Auflage [third unchanged edition].
Description: Weinfelden, Neuenschwander'sche Buchhandlung, 1912. Small 8°., private batik cloth, original printed limp wrappers bound-up. black/white illustration featuring a group of Dutch East Indian Army soldiers pasted on front wrapper, gilded morocco title-label on spine. 61pp. Decorative head-pieces to each chapter. Supplementary note with information on Swiss citizens in the Dutch East Indies printed on verso of page 61, table of contents, publ. list on last unnumbered leave and on both sides of lower outer wrapper. German language recollections of a Swiss national, recruited by a [dutch] Agent in Luxemburg on behalf of the Dutch East Indian Colonial Army,the departure from Amsterdam with fellow mercenaries; his account of the sea-voyage and arrival in the Dutch East Indies; period of drilling, barrack-boredom; his first military detention for drinking; the [low] social status of soldiers; health and medicaid; transfer to Sabang (Pulu Weh, North Sumatra); desertion and on the road to Siam; a visit to the Swiss consulate; further to China, back to Sabang and in danger; finally back home. Still of great importance to the knowledge of daily life of foreign mercenaries serving in the Dutch East Indian Colonial Army, K.N.I.L. Very fine copy in a fine private batik cloth binding, with original wrappers bound-up. Rare.

Keywords: recruitment mercenary swiss recruitment army militaria events recollections desertion deserter java sabang sumatra puoelo weh pulu siam china history colonialism indonesia southeast asia militaria