Michel Wilhelm Nuboer (1916-1980) left Paramaribo in 1941/42 as an Assistant in the engine’s department of a freight ship bound to Curaçao during the Second World War. The ship may have likely been carrying aluminum aggregates for making fighter planes in the U.S. as cargo. Upon arrival, he probably was a gunner first, but then became a Medical Assistant stationed on Bonaire. During the 1960s - 1974+ he was a First Aid Medical Trainer in the Volunteer Corps Curaçao (VKC). On August 21st , 1969, Michel Wilhelm Nuboer received the Order of Orange-Nassau (no. 122) from Her Majesty the Queen.
World War II in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao in 100 Photos
October 2, 2020
On Friday 2 October, the exhibition ‘World War II in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao in 100 Photos’ was opened at the National Archives. A number of the photos have never been shown before. The exhibition WW2@ABC shows how we look at World War II, 75 years after the liberation.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. One of the projects, World War II in 100 Photos, was aimed at collecting and exhibiting a number of striking photos for each of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands and the overseas territories of the Kingdom, which at the time included Indonesia and Suriname. In the Netherlands, the selection of 100 photos can be seen in the Resistance Museum in Amsterdam and in the building of the House of Representatives in The Hague.
The Representation of the Netherlands and the National Archives decided to organize an exhibition of war photos on Curaçao as well, but with 100 photos of the ABC islands. This exhibition is called WW2@ABC for short. The public was called upon to submit photos that give an impression of the war on the former Antillean islands.
The Caribbean exhibition shows that the war had a great impact on the unoccupied islands of the Kingdom. According to Erwin Arkenbout, representative of the Netherlands, it may not be clear to everyone that the Caribbean islands and Suriname were the only parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands that were not occupied during the war. Nevertheless, the war on the ACB islands was certainly tangible and visible to its inhabitants. Where the Dutch photos mainly show destruction and hardship, the Caribbean photos provide a glimpse of ships and aircraft and of the Dutch, Indonesian, British and American troops that were stationed here. Bonaire had an internment camp for German and Austrian citizens. And there were soldiers stationed on Aruba and Curaçao to protect the refineries from attacks by Nazi submarines.
This exhibition is important and educational to pay attention to. These are special photos. It is the story of the Second World War and the Caribbean islands. It is told so that we become aware of this part of the past so that we can learn from it for the future.
The WW2@ABC exhibition is accessible to everyone, young and old, from schoolchildren to board members. From Monday 5 October, the exhibition will be open to the public at the National Archives at Scharlooweg 77. Opening hours: Monday 13:30 – 16:30. Tuesday to Thursday 8:00 – 11:30 13:30 – 16:30. Friday 8:00 – 11:30 13:30 – 16:00. Due to the Covid-19 measures, you must register in advance via the email address: [email protected]. We request that you wear a face mask when visiting the exhibition.
This exhibition was made possible thanks to the cooperation of the National Archives, Mongui Maduro Library, the National Library of Aruba, the Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund, Maduro & Curiel's Bank, Friends of the Archives and the Representation of the Netherlands in Willemstad.
Note: The Dutch exhibition was commissioned by the Platform WO2 and carried out by the NIOD, the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
