Heroes’ Day is observed on November 10th.

Heroes’ Day which is celebrated every November 10 is one of the great historical events of the Indonesian nation. This battle took place in the city of Surabaya after independence. The incident began when British troops under the command of Brigadier General Aubertin Walter Sothern (A.W.S) Mallaby landed in Surabaya on October 25, 1945. They were assigned by the Allied Forces Netherlands East Indies (AFNEI) to disarm the Japanese soldiers and rescue prisoners of war. The Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) also took a ride and arrived in Surabaya. Initially, the arrival of British troops was welcomed by the Indonesian government and people. In fact, a meeting between representatives of the Indonesian government and Brigadier General A.W.S Mallaby resulted in a number of agreements.

Indonesian Government Agreement with Brigadier General Mallaby

Launching from the book History for SMP and MTs written by Dr. Nana Nurliana Soeyono, MA and Dra Sudarini Suhartono, MA, the government allowed the British to enter the city of Surabaya after a number of agreements were made, namely: (1) The British promised that among their soldiers there would be no Forces Dutch war; (2) Both parties agree to maintain mutual security and peace; (3) A Contact Bureau will be established to ensure that the cooperation can be carried out properly; (4) Britain will only disarm the Japanese army.

Unfortunately, the British rejected the agreement’s outcome. On October 26-27, 1945, a platoon from the Field Security Section led by Captain Shaw stormed the Kalifigur prison to liberate Dutch detainees. They then took over Tanjung Perak Harbor, the Great Post Office, the International Bank Building, and several other buildings. As a result, the people of Surabaya became enraged and attacked allied posts. On October 27, 1945, British planes dropped leaflets containing orders for the people of Surabaya and East Java to hand over Japan’s spoils of war. Brigadier General Mallaby admitted that he knew nothing about the distribution of the pamphlet, further inflaming the situation.

The British Army and Surabaya Youth Have Their First Arms Contact

The first gun battle took place on October 27, 1945, at 14.00, between the youth of Surabaya and the British army. After that, the fighting escalated into a two-day general assault on British positions throughout Surabaya. The Indonesian government in Surabaya and the United Kingdom then formed a Contact Bureau to jointly protect the area. The Bureau’s Contact Members then went to the sites of the fighting to put an end to it. The Bureau of Contact arrived at the International Bank Building on Jembatan Merah. British troops occupied the building, which was surrounded by Surabaya youths. They pleaded with the British troops to surrender, but Mallaby refused, resulting in an unexpected incident. The incident began with a shootout between British soldiers inside the bank. The Bureau of Contact then sought refuge. Brigadier General Mallaby was killed in the incident. (Lia)

Reference: detik.com

Author : Safrilia Hilda Rosyida
The librarian of the Polinema Library