The Defenders of the Homeland (; , PETA) was a volunteer army established on 3 October 1943 in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by the occupying Japanese. The Japanese intended PETA to assist their forces in opposing a possible invasion by the Allies. By the end of World War II, there were a total of 69 battalions () in Java, Madura, and Bali (around 37,000 men) and Sumatra (approximately 20,000 men). On 17 August 1945, the day after the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, the Japanese ordered the PETA to surrender and hand over their weapons, which most of them did. Indonesia's inaugural President, Sukarno, supported the dissolution rather than turning the organisation into a national army as he feared allegations of collaboration had he allowed a Japanese-created militia to continue to exist.Ricklefs (1981), p. 194Sunhaussen (1982), pp. 2–4Bachtiar(1988), p. 12

During the Indonesian War of Independence, former PETA officers and troops, such as Suharto and Sudirman, formed the core of the fledgling Indonesian National Armed Forces.

PETA units in Java and Bali Battalion Battalion commander() Notes Officers of other ranks(, ) I Labuan, Banten Muslim cleric Suhadisastra II Malingping, Banten E. Ojong Temaja Muslim cleric M.B. Sutman III Serang, Banten Syam'un Muslim cleric Zainul Falah IV Pandeglang, Banten Uding Sujatmadja Mustaram I Harmoni, Djakarta Kasman Singodimedjo Graduate of RHSFormer leader of JIB and MIAI II Purwakarta, Djakarta Surjodipuro Mursid I Djampang Kulon, Bogor Muslim cleric Husen Aleksah II Pelabuan Ratu, Bogor M. Basuni Muslim cleric Mulja III Sukabumi, Bogor Kafrawi Machmud IV Tjibeber, Tjiandjur, Bogor R. Gunawan Resmiputro I Tasikmalaja, Priangan K.H. Sutalaksana Muslim cleric Abdullah Saleh II Pangandaran, Priangan K.H. Pardjaman Muslim cleric K. Hamid III Bandung, Priangan Iljas Sasmita PermanaUmar Wirahadikusumah IV Tjimahi, Priangan Arudji Kartawinata Graduate of MULOFormer executive of PSII Soeparjadi V Garut, Priangan R. Sofjan Iskandar Katamsi Sutisna I Tjirebon Abdulgani Surjokusumo Rukman II Madjalengka, Tjirebon R. Zaenal Asikin Judibrata Suarman I Pekalongan Iskandar Idris Muslim cleric Ajub II Tegal, Pekalongan K.H. Durjatman Muslim cleric Sumardjono I Tjilatjap, Banjumas R. Sutirto R. Hartojo II Sumpiuh, Banjumas Zaelan Asikin III Kroja, Banjumas Sudirman Graduate of Muhammadiyah teachers' training schoolMuhammadiyah schoolteacher Supardjo Rustam IV Banjumas Isdiman SuryokusumoGatot Subroto Sarengat I Gombong, Kedu Bambang Sugeng R. Sutrisno II Magelang, Kedu Muhammad Susman SugiardjoSupangkat III Gombong, Kedu Djoko Kusumo SlametAhmad YaniSarwo Edhie Wibowo IV Purworedjo, Kedu Mukahar Ronohadikusumo Tjiptoroso I Mrican, Semarang R. UsmanSutrisno Sudomo Sujadi II Weleri, Kendal, Semarang R. Sudijono Taruno Kusumo Suparman Sumahamidjaja I Pati Kusmoro Hadidewo II Rembang, Pati Holan Iskandar Sukardi III Djepara, Pati Prawiro Atmodjo Sukardji I Wates, Jogjakarta D. Martojomeno Sudjiono II Bantul, Jogjakarta Mohammed Saleh Graduate of higher teachers' training schoolMuhammadiyah schoolteacher Sugiono III Pingit, Jogjakarta Sundjojo Purbokusumo DaryatmoSuharto IV Wonosari, Jogjakarta Muridan Noto Nudi I Manahan, Surakarta R.M. Muljadi Djojomartono Muslim cleric Suprapto SukawatiDjatikoesoemo II Wonogiri, Surakarta K.H. Idris Muslim cleric Budiman I Babat, Bodjonegoro K.H. MasjkurSudirman Muslim cleric Utojo Utomo II Bodjonegoro Masri R. Rachmat III Tuban-Bodjonegoro Sumadi Sastroatmodjo Sumardjo I Madiun Agus Tojib Mumardjo II Patjitan, Madiun Akub Gulangge R. Subagijo III Ponorogo, Madiun M. Sudjono Sudijat I Tulungagung, Kediri Sudiro Tulus II Blitar, Kediri SukandarSuprijadi III Kediri A. Judodiprodjo Sujoto Djojopurnomo Mashudi Sudjono I Gunung Sari, Surabaja Mustopo Graduate of STOVITDentist Masduki Abudardja II Sidoardjo, Surabaja R. Muhammad Mangundiprodjo Bambang Juwono III Modjokerto, Surabaja Katamhadi Usman IV Gresik, Surabaja K.H. Cholik Hasjim Muslim cleric Jondat Modjo I Gondanglegi, Malang K. Iskandar Sulaeman Muslim cleric Sumarto II Lumadjang, Malang M. Sujo Adikusumo S. Hardjo Hudojo III Pasuruan, Malang Arsjid Kromodihardjo Slamet IV Malang Imam Sudja'i Sukardani V Probolinggo, Malang Sudarsono Sumitro I Kentjong, Djember, Besuki SuwitoSudiro Sukarto II Bondowoso, Besuki K.H. Tahirruddin Tjokro Atmodjo Muslim cleric Rosadi III Bentjuluk, Banjuwangi, Besuki Sukotjo Imam Sukarto IV Rambipundji, Djember-Besuki SurodjoAstiklah Subandi V Sukowidi, Banjuwangi, Besuki R. Usman Sumodinoto Sudarmin I Pamekasan, Madura K.H. R. Amin Dja'far Muslim cleric R. Mohammad Saleh II Bangkalan, Madura Ruslan Tjakraningrat Hafiludin III Batang-batang, Madura Abdul Madjid Achmad Basuni IV Ambunten, Sumenep, Madura Abdul Hamid Mudhari Muslim cleric Suroso V Ketapang, Madura Trunodjojo Mochamad Sabirin I Negara, Bali I Made Putu I Wayan Mudana II Tabanan, Bali I Gusti Ngurah Gede Pugeng Ida Bagus Tongka III Klungkung, Bali Anak Agung Made Agung I Made Geria

Malayan Volunteer Army

By April 1944, a Malayan Defenders of the Homeland Association (), formally the Malayan Volunteer Army (), was stationed in Johor Bahru in Japanese-occupied Malaya. It was staffed by some 2,000 Malays and Indians and modeled on the organization of the Indonesian PETA, intending to create a local pro-Japanese reserve force for the defense of Malaya and Singapore. It was reinforced by the part-time Malayan Volunteer Corps () and recruitment of local started in January 1945.

The commander of the Malayan PETA was Ibrahim Yaacob, who had been the founder and leader of the pro-independence Young Malays Union, which the Japanese had shut down over its ties to the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army. In his post-war autobiography, Yaacob claimed to have secretly continued communications with the CPM during the Japanese occupation.

After the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945, the Malayan Volunteer Army began marching towards Kuala Lumpur before disbanding in northern Johor.

Notable members

R. Bintoro Daryatmo Djatikoesoemo Muljadi Djojomartono Djamin Ginting Daan Jahja Arudji Kartawinata Soetardjo Kartohadikusumo Zulkifli Lubis Amir Machmud Gatot Mangkoepradja Muhammad Mangundiprojo Masjkur Moestopo Daan Mogot Imam Munandar Maraden Panggabean Basuki Rahmat Soekotjo Sastrodinoto Kasman Singodimedjo Gatot Soebroto Bambang Soegeng Widjojo Soejono G. M. Soeparmin Soetran Sudirman Suharto Sumitro Supriyadi Syam'un Tjokropranolo Wahono Sarwo Edhie Wibowo Umar Wirahadikusumah Ibrahim Yaacob Ahmad Yani

See also Collaboration with the Empire of Japan Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies 1945 PETA revolt in Blitar Pembela Tanah Air Museum

References Bachtiar, Harsja W. (1988), Siapa Dia?: Perwira Tinggi Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (Who is S/He?: Senior Officers of the Indonesian Army), Penerbit Djambatan, Jakarta, Sunhaussen, Ulf (1982) The Road to Power: Indonesian Military Politics 1945-1967 Oxford University Press, Ricklefs, M.C. (1981) A History of Modern Indonesia, c. 1300 to the present. MacMillan,

Notes