On 20 February 1941, the Dutch government in exile in London instituted several new awards for bravery. The new way that wars were fought, with civilian resistance and the merchant navy in great peril, made this necessary. Amongst the new decorations was the "Cross of Merit", ( nl, Kruis van Verdienste) an award for "working in the interest of the Netherlands while faced with enemy actions and distinguishing oneself through valor and resolute behavior". One did not have to be on the front line to win this award.
The cross has often been awarded to those who managed to flee to England and to the armed resistance. It was rarely awarded after the
Korean War, but since the
fighting of the Netherlands army in Afghanistan,
Uruzgan, this
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
decoration has been awarded again on a regular basis with the latest on 7 October 2009 to eleven Dutch soldiers.
Bravery award for Afghanistan veterans
– Website Netherlands Ministry of Defence
During the World War II in the Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The t ...
this cross was awarded to several people employed by the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (K.P.M.) as some of their merchant navy ships had been commissioned by the Dutch Navy during the Battle of the Java Sea.
In case of repeated awards a large "2" or "3" is pinned to the ribbon.
The Cross of Merit is the fourth-highest military decoration still being awarded for bravery and has precedence after the Bronze Cross.
References
External links
The Cross of Merit
- Official site of the Chancellery of the Netherlands Orders
- Website of the organization of veterans with the Cross of Merit {{in lang, nl
Merit, Cross
Awards established in 1941