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| The Karyadi bunker, newly discovered from the excavation on 2012 |
Accompanying my Dad's doing his healthcare on Karyadi's hospital, remind me about the newly discovered bunker in the parking lots of Karyadi Hospital. Its made me so curious, since there was a lots of story about bunker. Peoples in Semarang city, most of them must heard about the story of bunker that connecting, Lawang Sewu to HBS Mugas (Now SMA Negeri 1 Semarang) or the story of bunker that connecting from the Willhelmina Zikenhuis (Now RS Bakti Wira Tamtana) to Lawang Sewu also, and another story that still until now there's no evidence to proof all of that stories.
I curious then I walked to find out where is the bunker is, then I found it, its situated near the parking lot in the backyard of the hospital. Its still in the construction area of a project to build the new building inside the hospital. After asking for permission to the wokers, then I could enter and exploring the bunkers. But unfortunately, its under my expectation, the bunker itself only have a length less than 4 meters. Hmmph, is it any further extension behind the wall, could be, but I belive there's an extensions behind it.
As we know, post World War I [1914-1918], the government of Netherlands Indies prepared the breezing of Pacific War, as the Japanese threaten. They prepared their militaries in the colonies well, they strengthen their armies, their armouries, radars, also the shelters. We could see the examples in Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, etc, in the major cities of Indonesia they have thier own bunkers, as shelters to the Japanese air raid.
But its couldnt have any significant role while Japanese commanded by Admiral Takeo Takagi with their quick invasion capturing Philippines then Tarakan and finally crush the Naval of Western power coalition( Dutch, British, French, US) well known as Allied force on Java Sea, 27th of February 1942, one's of a major naval battle of the Pacific theatre of Second World War. Then, the Japanese landed their military in Java, and forced the General Ter Poorten, as the commander of Allied force in Java to surrender. Then the Japanese occupation of Dutch Indies begin.
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| The bunkers as seen from the west side. |
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| Inside the bunker, I believe, there was an extension behind it. |
