Halim Perdanakusuma
Air Vice-Marshal Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma (18 November 1922 – 14 December 1947), better known as Halim Perdanakusuma, was an Indonesian airman and National Hero of Indonesia.
Halim Perdanakusuma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 18 November 1922 Sampang, Madura, Dutch East Indies |
| Died | 14 December 1947 (aged 25) Tanjung Hantu, Perak, Malayan Union |
| Buried | 6°15′26″S 106°50′47″E |
| Allegiance | Dutch East Indies United Kingdom Indonesia |
| Service/ | Netherlands Indies Navy Royal Air Force Indonesian Air Force |
| Years of service | c. 1940–1947 |
| Rank | Air Vice-Marshal |
| Awards | National Hero of Indonesia |
| Spouse(s) |
Koesdalina (m. 1947) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relations | Indriati Iskak (sister-in-law) |
Biography
Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma was born on 18 November 1922 in Sampang, Madura, as the third child of the five children of Abdulgani Wongsotaruno, a prime minister and writer, and Raden Ayu Aisah.[1][2] His maternal grandfather, Raden Ngabeki Notosubroto, was a wedana in Gresik.[3] His younger brother, Makki, followed his footsteps as an airman and later was married to actress Indriati Iskak.[4] After attending elementary and middle school at schools for native Indonesians,[5] he attended the Opleidingschool voor Inlandsche Ambtenaren (a school for the training of native officials) in Magelang.[6] However, he dropped out in his second year and joined the Naval Academy of Surabaya to answer the Dutch colonial government's call for a militia.[7][8] After finishing the academy, he spent some time in the Dutch Colonial Navy's information department.[7]
At the time of the Japanese invasion of the Indies in 1942, against which he had been trained to fight, Perdanakusuma was in Britain, training in navigation with the Royal Canadian Air Force; as part of his training, he flew on 44 missions throughout Europe, including flying Avro Lancasters in bombing missions over Nazi Germany.[6][7][8]
After the end of World War II, Perdanakusuma returned to newly independent Indonesia.[6] He joined the nascent military (then called the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat; People Security Army) under Commodore Suryadi Suryadarma; together with Agustinus Adisucipto and Abdul Rahman Saleh, he was tasked with organizing the Indonesian Air Force.[9]
In 1947, Perdanakusuma was promoted to air commodore and tasked with establishing a branch of the air force in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra; to complete his task he penetrated the Dutch blockade of the island.[5][9][10] Air Officer Iswahyudi was also tasked to assist with managing the base.[7] At the time, the various air units in Sumatra were managed individually and under the command of the army; Perdanakusuma and Iswahyudi proceeded to unite them into their own branch.[11]
On 17 August 1947, he led paratroops into Borneo. He was married to Koesdalina in Madiun, on 24 August 1947, and later moved to Sumatra to continued the task of building the air force there.[2] That December, Perdanakusuma was ordered to fly to Thailand with Iswahyudi to pick up medical supplies. On their return trip on 14 December, the Avro Anson they were flying stalled, leading it to crash outside of Tanjung Hantu, Malaysia, killing both of them.[10] Perdanakusuma's body was originally buried in Lumut, Malaysia, but later relocated to Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in 1975. His only child, Ian Santoso, was born after his death and named after his deceased friend during the World War II in Europe.[3] Santoso later went to became a pilot and joined Indonesian Air Force, following his father footsteps.[3]
Legacy
Perdanakusuma was declared a National Hero of Indonesia on 9 August 1975 with Presidential Decree Number 063/TK/Year 1975.[9][12] With this declaration came a posthumous promotion to air vice marshal.[11]
Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta is named after him.[12] Two upcoming railway stations near the airport (Halim LRT station of Greater Jakarta LRT and Halim railway station of Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail is also named after him.
References
- Footnotes
- Sudarmanto 1996, p. 245.
- Rosa 2023.
- Humaniora 2023.
- Media 2014.
- Komandoko 2006, p. 1.
- Sudarmanto 1996, p. 246.
- Komandoko 2006, p. 2.
- Ajisaka & Damayanti 2010, p. 121.
- Ajisaka & Damayanti 2010, p. 122.
- Sudarmanto 1996, p. 247.
- Jakarta City Government, Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma.
- Komandoko 2006, p. 3.
- Online sources
- Media, Kompas Cyber (27 July 2014). "Makki Perdanakusuma Meninggal Dunia". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- Humaniora (9 April 2023). "Hari Ini HUT ke-77 AU: Mengenang Halim Perdanakusuma, Putra Sampang Penembus Blokade Udara Musuh". KOMPAS.tv (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- Rosa, Nikita (9 April 2023). "Halim Perdanakusuma, Tokoh Penting TNI AU yang Gugur karena Pesawatnya Jatuh". detikedu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- Bibliography
- Ajisaka, Arya; Damayanti, Dewi (2010). Mengenal Pahlawan Indonesia [Knowing Indonesian Heroes] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Kawan Pustaka. ISBN 978-979-757-430-7.
- "Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma". Encyclopedia of Jakarta (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Jakarta City Government. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- Komandoko, Gamal (2006). Kisah 124 Pahlawan & Pejuang Nusantara [Stories of 124 Indonesian Heroes and Fighters] (in Indonesian). Sleman: Pustaka Widyatama. ISBN 978-979-661-090-7.
- Sudarmanto, Y.B. (1996). Jejak-Jejak Pahlawan dari Sultan Agung hingga Syekh Yusuf [The Footsteps of Heroes from Sultan Agung to Syekh Yusuf] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Grasindo. ISBN 978-979-553-111-1.