The Airman's Cross () is a
military decoration
Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion.
Civil decorations award ...
of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands (, ;, , ), commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The re ...
created in 1941. The cross is awarded to members of the Dutch military who display initiative, courage, and perseverance against the enemy or during hostile actions during one or more flights. The cross is also awarded to allied pilots whose actions were of high importance to the Netherlands.
A total of 735 Airman's Crosses have been awarded, most recently in 2007 to
Royal Netherlands Air Force
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF; , "Royal Air Force") is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was created in 1953 to succeed its predecessor, the ''Luchtvaartafdeling'' () of the Dutch Army, which was founded ...
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
M. Duivesteijn, an
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
pilot. Major Duivesteijn received the award because of his "exceptional courage and perseverance" during a 1999 flight that was part of the
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Serbia and Montenegro, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombing ...
. Other well-known recipients include
Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema
Siebren Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (3 April 1917 – 26 September 2007) was a Dutch writer who became a resistance fighter and RAF pilot during the Second World War. Near the end of the war he was adjudant (assistant) to Wilhelmina of the Netherl ...
(the "
Soldier of Orange"),
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands; 29 June 1911 – 1 December 2004) was Prince of the Netherlands from 6 September 1948 to 30 April 1980 as the husband of Queen Juliana. They had four daughters to ...
, and
Ida Veldhuyzen van Zanten.
The Airman's Cross is the fifth-highest Dutch military decoration still being awarded for bravery (after the
Cross of Merit).
Description
The Airman's Cross resembles the Dutch
Bronze Cross but is worn on a diagonally-striped orange and white ribbon inspired by those of the British
Distinguished Flying Cross and
Air Force Cross.
The cross is silver with four arms. There is a crowned central medallion bearing an
albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Paci ...
in flight with the words "INITIATIEF MOED VOLHARDING" (INITIATIVE COURAGE PERSEVERANCE) around the edge of the medallion. The date 1941 appears above the body of the albatross. The reverse is plain.
External links
The Airman's Cross- Official site of the Chancellery of the Netherlands Orders (English)
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222174054/http://www.veteranen-online.nl/brons/verbrons.htm , date=2012-02-22 - Website of the organization of veterans that have been awarded the Airman's Cross (Dutch)
Awards established in 1941
Military awards and decorations of the Netherlands