The Portuguese reached Timor ca 1512 and established a first settlement in 1533, a
separate administrator for the island - dependent of the Vice Roy in India - being
however appointed only in 1651. (1)
In 1844 the island was detached from the Indian jurisdiction to become a district
of Macau.
In 1896 this link was also terminated and Timor became a separate colony (2).
To prevent the Japanese from taking over Timor, the island was occupied by allied
forces in 1941.
A year later Japanese troops nevertheless attacked it. The last allied forces left
in 1943, leaving the Japanese in control until 1945
(1) During the following centuries Portuguese rule was contested by the Dutch who
also claimed Timor. An agreement dividing the island was finally reached in
1859 (confirmed in 1904 and again in 1914).
Portuguese Timor then included :
- the eastern part of Timor
- the minor islands of Ataúro-Pulo and Jaco
- the enclave of Ambeno-Ocússi in Netherlands West Timor
(2) At the same time the local organization of the island was also modified as
direct rule was imposed to the indigenous "Kingdoms" which, till then, had
enjoyed a large degree of independence.
This led to a major revolt (1895 - 1912), led by Dom Boaventura, King of
Manufai.
(There is no general agreement on the number and the names of the "Reinos"
which existed on the island :
A list of 1868 gives the following 47 names :
- Alas, Atsabe, Bibiluto, Bibico, Barique, Balibó, Boibau, Bibissuço,
- Cairuhi, Caimau, Cailaco, Cová, Cutubaba, Diribate, Dailor, Dóte,
- Funar, Failacor, Faturó, Fatumartó, Foulão, Hera, Hermera,
- Lacló, Laleia, Laicore, Lacluta, Limian, Liquiça, Laclubar, Luca,
- Manatuto, Motahel, Manufai, Mahubo, Maubara, Raimean,
- Sarau, Suai, Samoro, Saniri, Turiscáe, Tutuluro, Ulmera,
- Venilale, Viqueque and Vemasse.
These Kingdoms were headed by a Dato or Liurai, styled Rei or Régulo by the
Portuguese)
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ALLIED AND JAPANESE COMMANDERS
Commanding Officers of the Australian and Allied Forces ("Sparow Force")
1941 - 1942 LtCol. William Watt Leggatt, surrendered 1894 - 1968
1942 Brig. William Charles Douglas Veale 1895 -
Commander of the Netherlands Forces
1941 - 1942 LtCol. Nico Leonard Willem
van Straten 1897 - 1968
1942 LtCol. Alexander Spence 1906 -
1942 - 1943 LtCol. Bernard James Callinan 1913 - 1995
Commanders of the Japanese Forces
(in Japanese family names are given first)
Commander of the "Eastern Detachment"(3)
1942 MajGen. Ito Takeo
Senior Commanding Officers in East Timor
(subordinated to the 38th Division)
1942 Col. Doi Sadashichi, Commander of
the 228th Infantry Regiment 1889 - 1968
(subordinated to the 48th Division) (4)
1942 - 194. ...
194. - 1945 Col. Kaida Tatsuichi, Commander of
the 4th Tank Regiment
(3) The Eastern Detachment was a task force created from units of the 38th
Division - of which Ito also was the Commander at this moment - to occupy
the islands East of Java and to cut of the way to Australia.
It was part of the 16th Army operating in Dutch East India [Commander :
LtGen. Imamura Hitoshi (1886-1968)], itself subordinated to the Southern
Command of FieldMarsh. Count Terauchi Hisaichi (1879-1946)
(4) The division was in charge of the whole island of Timor.
Commanding Officers
1942 - 1943 Ltgen. Tsuchihashi Yûichi 1891 - ....
1943 - 1944 ...
1944 - 1945 LtGen. Yamada Kunitaro
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PORTUGUESE CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Governors
Governadores
(Subordinated to the Governors of Macau until 1896 - Not all military ranks were
traced)
1844 - 1848 Col. Julião José da Silva Vieira
1848 - 1851 LtCapt. António Olavo Monteiro Tôrres
1851 - 1852 Capt. José Joaquim Lopes de Lima
1852 - 1856 Capt. Manuel de Saldanha da Gama
1856 - 1859 LtCol. Luís Augusto de Almeida Macedo
1859 - 1863 Capt. Afonso de Castro
1863 - 1864 Capt. José Manuel Pereira de Almeida
1864 - 1866 José Eduardo da Costa Meneses
1866 - 1869 -Capt. Francisco Teixeira da Silva 1826 - 1894
-Capt. António Joaquim Garcia
1870 - 1871 -Capt. João Clímaco de Carvalho
-Capt. Manuel de Castro Sampaio
1872 - 1876 Maj. Hugo Goodair de Lacerda Castel-Branco
1876 - 1878 -Capt. Joaquim António da Silva Ferrão
-Capt. José Alves da Costa
1878 - 1880 Maj. Hugo Goodair de Lacerda Castel-Branco
(2x)
1880 - 1881 -Capt. Augusto César Cardoso de Carvalho 1836 - 1905
-Maj. José dos Santos Vaquinhas
1882 - 1883 -Capt. Bento da França Pinto de Oliveira
-Capt. Porfírio Zeferino de Sousa
-Maj. Francisco de Paula da Lua
1883 - 1885 -Capt. João Maria Pereira
-Capt. Cipriano Forjaz
1885 - 1887 -Capt. Alfredo Lacerda Maia
-Capt. Adriano Augusto do Rego
-Col. António Joaquim Garcia
1887 - 1888 Maj. António Francisco da Costa
1888 - 1889 Rafael Jácome Lopes de Andrade 1851 - 1900
1889 - 1890 Capt. Porfírio Zeferino de Sousa (2x)
1890 - 1894 Capt. Ciprino Forjaz (2x)
1894 Capt. Porfírio Zeferino de Sousa (3x)
1894 - 1908 Col. José Celestino da Silva
1908 Jaime Augusto Vieira da Rocha*
1908 - 1909 Capt. Eduardo Augusto Marques
1909 - 1910 Gonçalo Pereira Pimenta de Castro
1910 Alfredo Cardoso do Soveral Martins
1910 Anselmo Augusto Coelho de Carvalho*
1910 José Carrazeda aldas Viana e Andrade*
1911 - 1913 Lieut. Filomeno da Câmara Melo Cabral
1913 - 1914 Capt. Gonçalo Pereira Pimenta de Castro*
1914 - 1917 Lieut. Filomeno da Câmara Melo Cabral (2x)
1917 -César de Abreu*
-José Machado Duarte Júnior*
1917 - 1919 Luís Augusto de Oliveira Franco*
1919 - 1920 Manuel Paulo de Sousa Gentil 1870 - 1937
1920 - 1921 Luís Augusto de Oliveira Franco*
1921 José de Paiva Gomes
1921 Humberto dos Santos Leitão*
1921 - 1923 José de Paiva Gomes
1923 - 1924 Humberto dos Santos Leitão* (2x)
1924 - 1926 Raimundo Enes Meira
1926 - 1929 Teófilo Duarte 1898 - 1952
1929 - 1930 Cesário Augusto de Almeida Viana
1930 Abel Teixeira Costa Tavares*
1920 - 1934 António Baptista Justo
1934 - 1936 Raul de Antas Manso Preto Mendes Cruz
1936 Eduardo Bernardo Lápido Loureiro*
1937 - 1940 Álvaro Eugénio Neves da Fontoura 1891 -
1940 António Jacinto Magro*
1940 - 1945 Capt. Manuel de Abreu Ferreira de Carvalho (4) 1893 -
(4) In order not to endanger Portugal's neutrality he considered himself as a
prisoner during the allied occupation 1941 - 1942. During the Japanese
occupation he was confined to his residence.
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