Eighty years ago this week the British blunder deeper into the fight for Indonesian independence

 

The British blundered ever deeper into the fight for Indonesian independence. In breach of a local agreement, leaflets were dropped on the city of Surabaya demanding that arms be surrendered. Surabya was a stronghold of anti-colonialism, partly inspired by the radio broadcasts of "Surabaya Sue," a Glasgow-born hotelier. The leaflets provoked violence against British troops in the city who were there to repatriate internees rather than to restore Dutch colonial rule. Brigadier Mallaby, their commander, made a fatal error by driving into the centre with no escort and almost unarmed. Outside a bank, where some of his troops were besieged, he was killed in confused circumstances. More in reprisal than anything else, the British unleashed a division strength attack on the Indonesian forces with air and tank support. The city was almost destroyed and 10,000 or more people were killed. Mallaby's wrecked Lincoln became an image of the fight for independence.

The Norwegian Fascist leader and head of the puppet government set up by the German occupiers, Vidkun Quisling, was executed by firing squad after being  convicted of treason. His name had already become a synonym for a collaborationist who betrays his own people on behalf of foreign invaders for dishonourable ideological reasons. The term became an insult soon after he had been brought to power in 1940: Sir Horace Wilson, Neville Chamberlain's right hand man and committed appeaser, was swiftly christened Sir Horace Quisling.

De Gaulle signalled an end to the full punishment of Vichy leaders when the death sentence on General Dentz was commuted. As Vichy chief in Syria the forces under his command had fought Free French troops participating in the British led invasion; the only occasion when regular troops from the two sides of the political divide had come into military conflict.