Albert Eduard Stoové Albert Eduard Stoové ( Yogyakarta ( Netherlands East Indies ) , 26 December 1920 - Delft ( Netherlands ) , 23 September 2010 ) was a Sergeant in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force at the start of World War II . For several actions with the 2 - VLG - V squadron under command of Capt . Jacob Pieter van Helsdingen he received the " Vliegerkruis " on 24 February 1942 . Before The War . Childhood . Albert Eduard ( Ed ) Stoové was born on 26 December 1920 in Yogyakarta in the Netherlands East Indies . He was the third from in total eight children of Jozeph Leophinus Gaillard Stoové and Louise Caroline Françoise Manz . His father was from Dutch and German descent , and his mother was from Swiss descent . His father owned a dairy farm named " Louise " in Djetis . Also he trained racehorses and jockeys and delivered racehorses to Sultan Hamengkubuwana VIII of Yogyakarta . Because of this Ed had a relatively easy childhood . Start Of Service . Because Stoové celebrated his 18th birthday in December 1938 he had to report for duty in januari 1939 . After his basic training he got added to the Navy . However he didn ' t feel like being months away at sea and asked for a transfer to the air force , which was granted . Because of his good descent he was allowed to start a pilot training at Kalidjati airfield in Bandoeng - Java . Here he trained several months in a Koolhoven FK 51 and in December 1939 Stoové received his wings . At first he flew Glenn Martin 139 bombers , but within 6 months he made a transfer to fighter planes . After a re - organisation of all the squadrons Stoové was added on 1 July 1941 to the newly formed second squadron of aircraft group five ( short 2 - VLG - V ) . There he received a ' personal ' aircraft , a Brewster Buffalo with serial number B - 3117 . World War II . Battle of Malaya . The Dutch support for the British army in Singapore was already agreed before the war broke out in the pacific . From October 1940 the Dutch and British agreed to share military information , and one month later the British , Dutch and Australians decided to defend the pacific area together . On 9 December 1941 several squadrons from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force , including 2 - VLG - V , the squadron of Stoové , were send to Kallang Airfield for the defense of British Singapore . In total the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force stationed 27 Glenn Martin 139 bombers and 12 Brewster Buffalo fighters at Kallang Airfield for the defense of Singapore . From this airfield Stoové flew several missions to defend Singapore , during one of this missions his squadron successfully torpedoed a Japanese destroyer , also his squadron shot down 4 Japanese fighterplanes . During the defense of Singapore one Dutch pilot ( Sgt . Groot ) lost his life . On 18 January 1942 his squadron headed back to Java for the defense of the islands of the Dutch East Indies . Stoové , together with 7 other Brewster Buffalo pilots flew to Semplak , while all other pilots went to Andir and Tjilitian . Because the Dutch retreated on the 18th for the defense of Java , they just missed the Battle of Singapore . Battle of Balikpapan . On 23 January 1942 Stoové took part in an air - raid against the Japanese navy fleet in the Makassar Strait . A total of 9 Glenn Martin 139 bombers were escorted by 20 Brewster Buffalo ' s , from 1 - VLG - V and 2 - VLG - V . Each Brewster also carried 2 bombs from 110 lbs ( 50 kg ) . The damage done by the Brewsters were 8 hits on 4 Japanese ships . During the bombing of the ships the wingman of Stoové , Ensign Robert Adolf Rothkrans was shot down and died . For this air - raid Stoové was awarded with the " Vliegerkruis " . Battle of Java . On 1 March 1942 Capt . van Helsdingen decided to do an attack on Japanese infantry who were landing on the beached of Eretan Wetan , he chose Stoové as his wingman . Around 05 . 30 am , seven brewster buffalo ' s ( 5 from 1 - VLG - V eand 2 from 2 - VLG - V ) started their engines . An eight aircraft ( one from 2 - VLG - V ) couldn ' t participate because the engine caught on fire during a test - run . The participating pilots from 1 - VLG - V were : Capt . van Rest , 1st Lt . Tideman , 1st Lt . Benjamins , Sgt . Adam and Sgt . van Kempen . While under heavy enemy fire the pilots dropped their bombs on several Japanese battle ships and gunned the landing crafts during three runs . Van Rest ' s aircraft ( B - 3131 ) got hit multiple times and after return had to stay on the ground . In almost the same garrison as the first attack ( except for Capt . van Rest and Sgt . van Kempen who got replaced with Sgt . Compaan ) the brewsters took off for a second attack wave at 07 : 45 . During this run 1st Lt . Benjamins and Sgt . Stoové were instructed to shoot as much as possible Japanese infantry which was landing on the beach . In three runs they gunned and killed tens of dozens Japanese soldiers . On the way back Stoové had to deal with some engine problems but returned safely . Prisoner Of War . After the capitulation of the Dutch East Indies on 8 March 1942 , Stoové was imprisoned in several Japanese POW camps . His longest stay in one camp was in a Japanese POW camp on the island Flores . On this island he and other POWs had to build landing strips for the Japanese airforce . After The War . Emigration . After the war had ended , and Stoové was liberated from the Japanese POW camp on Flores , he out - served his army contract until January 1947 . When the Netherlands gave up the Dutch East Indies in 1949 , and it changed into Indonesia , it became very dangerous for citizens with European descent . A lot of civilians from European descent were hunted , attacked and even killed . Specially ex - military and indigenous civilians who for many years helped the Dutch were the victims . After Stoové heard from a friend that people were looking for him , to kill him , he decided to flee the country . In 1954 , Stoové together with his wife , Janet Edith van Handenhove , emigrated to the Netherlands . Started on the 12th of May , they sailed for three weeks on the MS Willem Ruys from Yogyakarta to Rotterdam . After a short time in pensions they settled in Bloemendaal . Back In Service . From an old friend from the Dutch East Indies , Stoové heard that the Royal Netherlands Air Force were looking for ex - pilots from the ML - KNIL for jobs in the Royal Netherlands Air Force . He sollicitated was accepted and got stationed at Soesterberg airfield flying for the 334th Squadron . Because of this the family moved to Delft . Stoové only flew transport aircraft , and transported goods and personal of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and goods and members of the Royal Dutch Family . At the end of 1975 Stoové had to go with pension , because of his 55th birthday . After this he worked for 15 years in an Opel garage as a mechanic . He died in a nursing home in Delft , Netherlands , on 23 September 2010 . He was 89 years old . G . B . no . 1z from 24 February 1942 Awards . Sergeant - kortverband - vlieger der Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands - Indisch Leger