Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

May 12th, 1951

Recommendation:
For having distinguished himself in the performance of acts of an exceptionally courageous and tactful nature, in combat against the enemy in the period from September 18th, to mid October 1944, while accepting considerable risks after having tried shortly before to blow up railway lines and bridges.
In particular:
1) for having made his way, as a member of the KP (KnokPloeg, Dutch resistance organisation) in Kesteren, on September 18th, 1944, accompanied by other members of the resistance, to the Kelderense polder in order to contact some 20 Allied paratroops whose airplane had been shot down on its way to Arnhem. Although his group was initially fired upon by these parachutists, mistaking them for the enemy, he managed tactfully to establish contact and subsequently having sheltered them in Kesteren,
2) for having gathered military information daily about the enemey in Kesteren and near vicinity with the leader of the K.P. and the commander of the Allied paratroopers
3) for having reached the banks of the river Waal with this group in the night of September 21st to 22nd and having crossed to Leeuwen by boat, taking this group of parachutists to safety after it had become clear this group of Allied parachutists had to leave Kesteren as the enemy had started requisitioning houses in town;
4) for having gone, in the night of September 25th to 26th, by boat to the northbank of the river Waal on his own in order to re-establish contact with his resistance group in Kesteren and subsequently, with the help of other members of the resistance having gathered as much military information as possible;
5) for having boarded the enemy controlled ferry at Rhenen, disguised as a workman in order to achieve staff maps of the entire country of the Netherlands, having received those maps from the local resistance and having returned to Kesteren by canoe, crossing the heavily guarded river Rhine.
6) for having crossed the German lines again in the early morning of September 29th by swimming acroos the river Waal near Leeuwen, despite not being a good swimmer, and having taken the military information and the staff maps, tied to an inflated inner car tire, in order to hand them over to the commander of the Allied paratroops at Nijmegen;
7) for having assisted together with three other members of the resistance, after he had been stationed in Leeuwen, in ferrying spies across the river Waal to and from enemy occupied territory, having passed on changes in military deployment and having assisted the civilian population whenever enemy units crossed the river Waal in order to raise fires.
For having rendered valuable services to the Allied conduct of the war and the interests of the Netherlands by these excepionally brave and tactful actions.

Royal Decree No. 29 dated May 12th, 1951.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)