List of Tenko Characters - The Dutch

The Dutch

Domenica Van Meyer Mrs Van Meyer was a resident of Kampong Getah who was captured in 1942. She was transferred with other Dutch prisoners to the camp in Kampong Getah in February 1942. Nouveau-Riche, selfish, vain and very extravagant, she was arrested at her home and arrived at the camp with various luxurious possessions, most of which were later destroyed by the camp guards. Although causing many arguments with her fellow internees, she showed a lighter side by performing magic tricks at a camp Christmas concert. For a time, she employed Dorothy to carry out her chores in return for money which Dorothy used to buy milk for Violet from local traders. Van Meyer soon became the resident sycophant, favouring those with colonialist backgrounds. She especially took a liking to Joss Holbrook when she discovered she was titled and even became a maid to Verna Johnson in Camp 2 to gain influence. Van Meyer faced claims of being a collaborator after she became a hairdresser to Miss Hassan but these claims were not taken seriously. She suffered twice from beri-beri but survived, being liberated in 1945. Her fellow internees called her 'Metro Goldwyn'.

After the war, Mrs Van Meyer presumed her husband Jan dead (indeed, she hoped he hadn't survived). She gave interviews to Dutch newspapers in which she painted herself as a hero, much to the anger of Beatrice Mason. Domenica began spending from her personal account but couldn't access her inheritance until she could prove Mr Van Meyer's demise. She pawned her jewellery in order to buy lavish dresses to keep up appearances but her world came crashing down when her husband was found to be alive. It became evident that the Van Meyer family of which she had been so proud was less than friendly to her and she finally revealed that her husband (15 years her senior) had very little love for her as she'd failed to give him a son. Her family had forced her to marry him for the wealth and position associated with the Van Meyer name. However, in the 1985 Tenko Reunion, we learned that Mr Van Meyer had died and Domenica had remarried a man called Edward Forster-Brown with whom she was much happier than she had ever been before. After communists attacked their home, they moved to England. Domenica was played by Elizabeth Chambers.

Sister Ulrica Sister Ulrica, a Dominican nun of the St Therese Mission, was interned at the Kampong Getah camp in 1942. She became spokeswoman for the Dutch prisoners and became close to the other prisoners after a period of initial arguments. Sister Ulrica helped in the sick bay and became close to the British prisoners, especially Dorothy Bennett. When Sally Markham committed suicide in the second camp, Sister Ulrica conducted a funeral for her, for which she received the admonishment of a visiting priest. Her penance was not to talk to the other women but she broke this when Dorothy became pregnant and had an abortion. She was sent away to a convent to care for the elderly, sick and mentally disturbed but returned to Singapore to be reunited with her friends after their liberation. She refused to testify against Major Yamauchi. Ulrica was injured in a Communist rebel attack in 1950 but recovered and was last seen helping Kate at the Foundation at Christmas. Sister Ulrica was played by Patricia Lawrence.