Voor het eerst wordt er aandacht besteed aan een ‘vergeten’ groep vliegers van

de Marine Luchtvaartdienst (MLD). Op 1 juli 1942 werd het MLD-detachement

omgevormd tot ‘321 (Dutch) squadron’ en overgeplaatst naar China Bay.

De Nederlanders waren gestationeerd op de Cocoseilanden, een eenzame

eilandengroep in de Indische Oceaan, ongeveer 700 kilometer ten zuidwesten

van Java.

The CW-21 was designed during the late 1930s. It combined light weight construction with a powerful engine, which resulted in an excellent rate of climb and manoeuvrability, allowing the fighter to quickly reach the height of attacking enemy aircraft, and attack them. The prototype was sent to China as a demonstration copy and an order for three aircraft, plus a further 32 as kits, followed. These would be assembled locally. Only the three production machines arrived in the chaos of war and w...

The sturdy Fokker C.XIw was designed and built for service in the Royal Netherlands Navy. Development started in early 1934. The biplane scout was the first Dutch aircraft which could be catapult launched. At that time, a new flagship for the Netherlands East Indies Squadron was under construction and would receive a Heinkel K 8 catapult. Fifteen aircraft were ordered and served as long-range reconnaissance for the fleet from 1936 to 1942.

It was mainly operated in the Netherlands Indies and...