The Biggest Pro-Japanese Force in Asia that NEVER Fought Against the Allies During WW2

During their occupation of Indonesia the Japanese recruited many Indonesians into militias. The Hei-Ho served as auxiliaries, raised from mid-1943. This attracted some 25,000 former indigenous KNIL personnel as large numbers of Ambonese and Manadonese POWs were released. They had to take an oath of loyalty to Japan and were sent wherever needed: New Guinea and the distant South Pacific islands of New Britain and Bougainville. Those serving under the navy were sent to the Pacific islands, the Philippines, and even Burma. They served as laborers and mostly wore their old KNIL uniform albeit with new insignia and Japanese caps. They only were armed when serving for propaganda purposes.

Java was the most populous and developed island. The Japanese had only 8,500 troops there and thus they had to rely on a paramilitary force from the Indonesian population. This force became known as PETA (or “Defenders of the Homeland”). Recruited near the end of 1943 on Java and nearby Bali. These forces were supposed to be fully armed, yet shortage of small arms made this hard to realize as there were 'only' some 17,000 rifles, 700 heavy machine guns, and 90 mortars recorded. Late 1944 the Japanese also raised a new armed militia among the majority Muslim population of Java, known as the “Army of God” or... Hezbollah.

Yet, these men didn't see any military action against the Allies during the war as Japan surrendered in August 1945. Their experience would be used in the fight against the British and later the Dutch who landed on the islands after Japan had surrendered.