![Heiho uniform on mannequin, Monjali](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Heiho_uniform_on_mannequin%2C_Monjali.jpg)
were
native Indonesian
Native Indonesians, also known as ''Pribumi'' (), are Indonesians whose ancestral roots lie mainly in the archipelago, distinguished from Indonesians of known (partial) foreign descent, like Chinese Indonesians (Tionghoa), Arab Indonesians, Indi ...
units raised by the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
during its
occupation of the Dutch East Indies in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Alongside the ''Heiho'', the Japanese organized ''Giyūgun'' (義勇軍, "Volunteer army"), such as the
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
-based "
Defenders of the Homeland
''Pembela Tanah Air'' (abbreviated PETA; ) or was an Indonesian volunteer army established on 3 October 1943 in Indonesia by the occupying Japanese. The Japanese intended PETA to assist their forces in opposing a possible invasion by the Allies ...
" (PETA; id, Pembela Tanah Air, ja, 郷土防衛義勇軍, Kyōdo Bōei Giyūgun). Indonesian youths who joined the ''Heiho'' were never given high ranks or positions, contrasted by the young people who were members of PETA or other ''Giyūgun'' and often received appointments and promotions. This discrimination carried over into public life, where ''Heiho'' members had to salute any
Japanese citizen, both civilians and military.
In addition, there was also a difference in salary, accommodation, and food with the ''heitai'' (兵隊, "soldiers") of the ''Giyūgun'', which were adjusted according to the
social status of the individual ''Heiho'' soldier. The monthly salary of a ''Heiho'' was only 30
rupiah
The rupiah (symbol: Rp; currency code: IDR) is the official currency of Indonesia. It is issued and controlled by Bank Indonesia. The name " rupiah" is derived from the Sanskrit word for silver, (). Sometimes, Indonesians also informally use ...
for bachelors and 35 rupiah for married members. Still, many youths hoped that recruitment into ''Heiho'' would serve as a stepping stone for a military career to improve their social standing, receive Japanese salaries, and avoid the ''
rōmusha'' forced labor system.
History
The auxiliary force was formed by order of the army section of the
Imperial General Headquarters on 2 September 1942 and began recruiting members on 22 April 1943.
[ The Japanese ''Sendenbu'' (宣伝部, "Publicity Department") propagated that ''Heiho'' was an opportunity for young people to serve their homeland and people. The requirements to become a member of ''Heiho'' were to be between 18–25 years old, have a minimum height of , an average weight of , be physically and mentally healthy, be well-behaved, and have completed at least primary education. The selected youths were promised to become members of the Imperial Army or ]Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
.
In practice, however, ''Heiho'' were mostly put to work performing menial labor for the Japanese Army; constructing fortifications, digging trenches, and guarding prisoners. As a result, ''Heiho'' quickly became a lightly-armed labor force as the only weapons handed out to the auxiliaries were ''taiken'' (隊剣, "corps sword"). Later, the ''Heiho'' members were given firearms when the Japanese were being pushed back by the Allies. They would also be sent to the front lines with Japanese forces and became involved in combat on several battlefields of the Pacific War, including in the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, Morotai (in present-day Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
), Rabaul (Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
), Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated ...
(Indonesia), and Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
.[
Due to lack of training, they were more often than not used as ]cannon fodder
Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated by government or military command as expendable in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where combatants are forced to deliberatel ...
or "martyred" as suicide bombers
A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...
when a Japanese defeat seemed imminent. After receiving several months of training, the ''Heiho'' troops were considered to have better military capabilities than PETA troops. On that basis, ''Heiho'' members were reassigned to air defence
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
, field artillery, armor
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...
, mortar, and logistics
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
units. The recruitment of ''Heiho'' into the Japanese army was followed by their recruitment as ''Kenpeihō'' (憲兵法, "Auxiliary military police") for the ''Kenpeitai
The , also known as Kempeitai, was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945 that also served as a secret police force. In addition, in Japanese-occupied territories, the Kenpeitai arrested or killed those suspecte ...
'' and ''Kaigun Heiho'' (海軍兵補, "Navy auxiliaries") for the Japanese navy. ''Heiho'' were not led by ethnic Indonesian commanders, but were under the command of Japanese officers. The training given was not related to organizational or military theory, but solely to physical fitness, the concept of ''seishin'' (精神, "spirit"), and the fostering of death-defying courage. By the end of the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, the number of ''Heiho'' troops was estimated to be 42,000 men (24,873 on Java, 2,504 on Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...
, and 15,000 in other areas). The ''Heiho'' was dissolved by the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI; id, Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia, ja, 独立準備委員会, Dokuritsu Junbi Iinkai) after the surrender of Japan and a number of auxiliaries went on to become members of the People's Security Agency
The People's Security Agency ( id, Badan Keamanan Rakyat), or commonly abbreviated as BKR, was an Indonesian government agency established to undertake the task of maintaining security together with the people and the state offices. The BKR was fo ...
(BKR; id, Badan Keamanan Rakyat).
See also
* Collaboration with the Axis powers
* Defenders of the Homeland
''Pembela Tanah Air'' (abbreviated PETA; ) or was an Indonesian volunteer army established on 3 October 1943 in Indonesia by the occupying Japanese. The Japanese intended PETA to assist their forces in opposing a possible invasion by the Allies ...
* Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
The Empire of Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of the war in September 1945. It was one of the most crucial and important periods in modern Indonesian history.
In May ...
References
{{Reflist
Indonesian collaborators with Imperial Japan
Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
Military units and formations of Imperial Japan