Dutch East Indies

I was fortunate enough to find a good oral history site on the Web the other day. It is the Dutch East Indies. It is the account of Elizabeth van Kampen. She is the daughter of a Dutch plantation manager in Sumatra in the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). She describes her childhood and experiences during World War Two.

I hope Elizabeth van Kampen publishes her story in a book. The Web is a good way to share her account with the world. However, I fear it may not be a good long-term storage mechanism. I would hate to see her tale lost after she dies and then something goes bad with her site.

From the site:

After a wonderful youth in the Dutch East Indies, today Indonesia, my family and I went through three and a half years Japanese occupation. I lost my father, I lost the country I loved, I lost everything, but I kept my memories.

My son advised me to start a website and write all those memories down. So here I am, 79 years old, sitting behind my computer, going back to the Dutch East Indies.