Appendix C: The Samethini Band in Bangkok (1945-1946)

Dutch ex-POWs sightseeing in Bangkok (circa 1946)

Behind them is the Democracy Monument

Netherlands Institute for War Documentation

Following Han Samethini's departure for Singapore in December 1945, the Samethini Dance and Show Orchestra continued in Bangkok for another eight months, under the leadership of Alex Koot. This section provides additional information on the band and its members, and will be expanded as new information becomes available.

Three excellent photos have been provided by Hugh Brinkman, the son of saxophonist Alie Brinkman. Two of these, taken at the Phya Thai Road Transit Camp and the Holland Club, were developed from negatives discovered in November 2009. Mr. Brinkman also contributed a scan of sheet music for the song "Love Letters".

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The Band

The Samethini Band touring on a flatbed truck in a Dutch refugee camp. The sign on the sideboard advertises the musical show "O.K. For Light?", staged at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce on June 27-28, 1946. The woman sitting on the truck cab is jazz and boogie pianist Wieke Liefveld, wife of Samethini Band trumpeter Jan Liefveld.
Top Photo: Han Samethini Collection
Bottom Photo: Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

"O.K. For Light?" show program
Moesson

Rehearsal in an empty barrack at the Transit Camp on Phya Thai Road (July 1946) 
Photo courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

At the Holland Club on Suriwong Road (August 1946)

Photo courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

Sheet music for "Love Letters", a song performed in Bangkok
Dated May 28, 1946
Composer unknown
Image Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

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"The Boys"

Hans Arriens

Accordion

1946
Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical Details: Probably a member of the Chungkai Theater Orchestra. The name Arriens appears in the credits for "Rhumba and Tango" in the POW musical show "On Your Toes", October 6-7, 1944.

Click image to enlarge
Het Geheugen van Nederland

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Aloysius "Lou" Bloemhard

Saxophone

1946
Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

1986
Han Samethini Collection

POW Index Card

Japanse Interneringskaarten KNIL en Marine, Nationaal Archief

Born: January 10, 1905 in Medan, Sumatra
Died: August 4, 1991 in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
Biographical details: In the early 1970s he lived on Hoefbladlaan in The Hague.
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Bollen [First name unknown]

Saxophone

1946
Han Samethini Collection

Could this be Bollen? Unmarked photo in Han Samethini's POW scrapbook
1970s or early 1980s
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: Unknown at this time.

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Hugo "Alie" Brinkman

Saxophone

1946
Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

1981
Alie Brinkman with his wife on his 75th birthday
Almelo, the Netherlands

Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

POW Index Card

Japanse Interneringskaarten KNIL en Marine, Nationaal Archief

Born: October 3, 1906 in Djocja (Yogyakarta), Central Java
Died: November 2, 1982 in Almelo, the Netherlands

Biographical details by Hugh Brinkman, Alie's son:

Concerning my father's nickname: according to what my grandmother once told me, "Alie" was an abbreviation from "Aller lieveling." It stuck for the rest of his life. However, in the Kanchanaburi barracks he was called "Huey" by his Aussie mates. The keyboard instrument on which my father played in the photo was a piano. He was taught piano playing by his father at an early age and under a rather strict regime as I was told.

Other instruments he played were violin and saxophone and a "singing saw." With the latter (a huge steel saw borrowed from his father's tool shed) he seems to have made a rather impressive appearance at one of his high school parties with their Dixie school band sometime in the early 30's. Clamping the wooden handle between his knees and bending and tapping on the steel with a vibraphone baton, he used the thing to play his solo part. Years later, after the war, he showed it to me once, and the sound it emanated reminded me of a steel guitar. With that same Dixie school band they used to tour, during weekends, the different plantations in the outback of Java to play at parties, and by doing so increase their pocket money. Another early source of pocket money income for him was playing the piano in a cinema in Semarang, during its showing of then still soundless movies. Which was, as he used to tell, sometimes quite hazardous as he often had to avoid objects thrown at the screen.

After the war and the Samethini Band period he never played in a band again, but continued to practise on piano, violin and saxophone, and wrote a view of things, most of which became lost. He had to sell his "Bangkok sax" when we left Indonesia in 1950. Your grandfather's letter with the invitation to form a band and tour the island had been very tempting, but in the end he opted for a normal family life. [1] 

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Henk [van den] Eikel

Trumpet

1946
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: Performed with the ensemble Ken Wilson & His Band in the Chungkai POW concert "Sweet and Swing", May 1944.
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Charles Hercules
(Ferdinand Charles Hercules)

Saxophone

1946
Han Samethini Collection

 POW Index Card

Japanse Interneringskaarten KNIL en Marine, Nationaal Archief

Born: January 12, 1906
Died: ?
Biographical details: Seems to have repatriated from Java to the Netherlands in 1952. The passenger list of the liner Willem Ruys shows F. Ch. Hercules departing Tanjong Priok on April 30 and arriving in Amsterdam on May 21 (see Passagierslijsten 1945-1964). In the early 1970s he lived on Hendersonlaan in Rijswijk, the Netherlands.
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Dick Jansen
Guitar

1946
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: In the early 1970s he lived on Wilhelminastraat in The Hague.
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Bram Koot

String Bass

1946
Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: A member of the Chungkai Theater Orchestra. Performed in the POW show "Eddietainment", July 14-15, 1944.

Click image to enlarge
Image reversed so that names on the back side can be read
Het Geheugen van Nederland

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Alex "Lex" Koot
Band leader/Violin

1946
Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

1986
Han Samethini Collection

Born: January 24, 1913 in Oosterbeek, The Netherlands
Died: February 25, 1998 in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
Biographical details: Performed with the ensemble Ken Wilson & His Band in the Chungkai POW concert "Sweet and Swing", May 1944. Took over leadership of the Samethini band after Han left Bangkok.

 POW Index Card

Japanse Interneringskaarten KNIL en Marine, Nationaal Archief

The following additional information is provided by Eric Koot, son of Alex Koot:

Thanks for the interesting and moving story.  My father never spoke much about his Burma Railway experiences.  By reading your blog I learned a lot about this period though.  Just wanted to complete some details about Alex Lex Koot:  Born 24 January 1913 in Oosterbeek, The Netherlands.  Died 25 February 1998 in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.  Very happy and thankful that this chapter of life is now documented.  

Thank you.

Eric Koot (son of Alex Koot) [2]
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Jan Liefveld

Trumpet

1946
Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

1986
Han Samethini Collection

Born: December 25, 1914 in Semarang, Central Java
Died: November 5, 2005 in Deventer, the Netherlands
Biographical details: In the early 1970s he lived on Van Hetenstraat in Deventer.

Birth and death dates provided by Marlies Liefveld, daughter of Jan Liefveld. See her message in the Reader Comments section.
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Alfons "Fons" Ockerse
Hawaiian guitar

1945
Han Samethini Collection

Late 1940s or early 1950s
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: Fons was part of the Ockerse Trio at Tamarkan POW camp, Thailand. See the entry for his brother, John Ockerse, below.
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John "Siki" OckerseGuitar/Trumpet/Vocals

July 1946
Courtesy of Hugh Brinkman

Excerpt from Maj. James Jacob's POW memoir, mentioning a conversation
with John Ockerse at Tamarkan camp.
(Click image to enlarge)
Source: The Burma Railway: One Man's Story

1986
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: John Ockerse (nicknamed "Siki") led the Ockerse Trio, a vocal and instrumental team at Tamarkan POW camp in 1943-44. In the early 1970s he lived on Adelheidstraat in The Hague. From photographs in the Han Samethini Collection, he is known to have attended ex-POW reunions in 1983 (Utrecht) and 1986.
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Harry Reinders
Guitar

1946
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: Unknown at this time.
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Henk Spoor
Drums

1946
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: Unknown at this time.
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Les Voogel [a.k.a. Lex Voogel]

Violin

1946
Han Samethini Collection

Late 1970s or early 1980s

Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: In the early 1970s he lived on Rotgansplein in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Voogel visited Thailand in 1974 to see the Burma Railway again, and to pay respects to his fallen comrades at the Chungkai and Kanchanaburi cemeteries. He went with a group of Dutch ex-POWs that included Joop Postma, Philip Brugman, Puck Jonkmans, and Huib van Laar.
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Tjalie Wagenaar
Guitar

1946
Han Samethini Collection

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: Unknown at this time.
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Other Known Members or Associates of the Samethini Band
As shown on the address list of the Dutch ex-POW group
Oud Mederwerkers "Postma Showgroep/Chungkai"
"Samethiniband" - "O & O - Sportclub/Bangkok"
Organizers: Joop Postma, Philip Brugman, Uilke (Puck) Jonkmans
(List date unknown, but probably created in the early 1970s)
Han Samethini Collection

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A. Bakker

(No photo available)

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: In the early 1970s he lived on Molenstraat in Lienden, the Netherlands.
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Paul Stolk
Property Master

Circa early 1950s
Stolk (2nd from left) with his family
Han Samethini Collection

1986
Han Samethini Collection

Born: June 16, 1916 in Kutoarjo, Central Java
Died: January 29, 1997 in The Hague
Biographical details: Credited as Property Master for the Bangkok show "O.K. For Light?". He seems to have repatriated from Java to the Netherlands in 1952. The passenger list of the liner Sibajak shows P. Stolk departing Surabaya on February 23 and arriving in Rotterdam on March 21 (see Passagierslijsten 1945-1964). In the early 1970s, he lived on Loosduinsekade in The Hague.

Obituary
Moesson (February 15, 1997)

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Other Dutch ex-POW Musicians in Bangkok, 1945-1946


"The Zoo" Trio


Frans de Haan

(No photo available)

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details:

Hans van Leeuwen

(No photo available)

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details:

Jaap Schaap

(No photo available)

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details:

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Piet Bruyn van Rozenburg
Band Leader of The Atomic Boys
Saxophone

Moesson

Born: ?
Died: ?
Biographical details: One of the pioneering jazz musicians of the East Indies, Piet Bruyn van Rozenburg and his brother Wim got their start with the Batavia Jazzband in 1922, going on to play with the Royal Jazzband in 1923. In the early 1930s Piet played saxophone with Brown's Sugar Babies. He was a POW on the Burma Railway. After liberation he led his own band in Bangkok, the Atomic Boys.

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"The Atomic Boys"(No information at this time)

[ ]

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Footnotes

[1] Personal e-mail from Hugh Brinkman, September 10, 2010. Hugh refers to a letter his father received from Samethini in the late 1940s, offering to reform the Bangkok band and tour the Indies.

[2] Blog comment posted by Eric Koot on May 5, 2015.