Date of birth:

November 20th, 1873 (Haarlem, The Netherlands)

Date of death:

November 15th, 1958 (The Hague, The Netherlands)

Nationality:

Dutch

Squire Willem Roëll's father was Squire Jacob Alexander Roëll, Vice-Admiral and Commander Dutch East Indies Navy. From 1898 until 1901 he was First Lord of Admiralty in the Pierson cabinet.

Following his secondary school, Willem Roëll took artillery training in Delft and was appointed in 1885 as 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Regiment Field Artillery. Going throught the ranks he became Commander of the Dutch Field Army from 1932-1937, Commander of Stronghold Holland and Governor of The Hague. He retired in 1937.
During the German occupation, being one of the leaders of the Dutch resistance Organisation Ordedienst, he was convicted to death for sabotage. Subsequently he spent 3 years imprisoned in 18 prisons and 1 penitiary institute. Lastly he was liberated by French forces when serving time in Konstanz pow camp.
Appointed chairman of the purification committee in 1946, he was comprimised when publicly he called for rebellion against the Governments' plan to agree on the Linggardjati Agreement which basically entailed the recognition of an independant Indonesia. For this he was reprimanded.

He chaired several societies being for instance president of the Dutch Alliance Française before the war.

Career:
1926-1929: Commanding Officer 1st Artillery Brigade
1929-1932: General Officer Commanding 1st Detachment
1929-1932: General Officer Commanding 1st Division
1932-1937 Commander in Chief of the Field Army
1937: Retired
1940: Head of Resistance Organisation Ordedienst
1940-1945: In hostage by the Germans as PoW

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  - Dagblad van Noord-Brabant 16-09-1910
  - Nieuwe Apeldoornsche courant 30-08-1930
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  - Provinciale Noordbrabantsche en 's Hertogenbossche courant 29-06-1937
  - Nieuwe Haarlemsche courant 18-04-1940
  - Veritas 09-05-1945
  - Leidsch Dagblad | 1958 | 17 november 1958
  - Emmer courant 18-11-1958
  - Generals of World War II
  - Open Archieven - doorzoek de genealogische gegevens van Nederlandse en Belgische archieven en verenigingen » Open Archieven
  - 2.21.315 Inventaris van het archief van de familie Röell, 1658-1974 | Nationaal Archief