The Resistance Memorial Cross or Resistance Commemorative Cross () is a medal awarded in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

to members of the

Dutch resistance The Dutch resistance () to the History of the Netherlands (1939–1945), German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent. The primary organizers were the Communist Party of the Netherlands, C ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The medal was instituted by Royal Decree (No. 104) on 29 December 1980, after the 35th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. It is worn after the

War Memorial Cross The War Commemorative Cross () is a military award of the Netherlands. The medal was established to commemorate service to the Kingdom of the Netherlands during World War II. The medal was established on 16 March 1944 by royal decree of Queen Wilh ...

and before the Medal for Order and Peace. The cross is only awarded at the request of a person eligible to receive it. Approximately 15,000 have been awarded, recorded in the ''Gedenkenboek verzetsherdenkingskruis''. In 1982, the following US Army Divisions were awarded the Resistance Memorial Cross for their actions in the

.: * 2nd Armored Division * 7th Armored Division *

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...

* 30th Infantry Division * 104th Infantry Division

Criteria

The Resistance Memorial Cross may be awarded to: *Members of resistance groups recognised in the Royal Decree dated 5 September 1944 or to any resistance group known to the Council on Extraordinary Pensions or the 1940–1945 Foundation. *Anyone recognised by the Council on Extraordinary Pension as a participant in the resistance, regardless of whether they were awarded a pension. *Individuals defined by the Law on the Improvement of the Legal Status of Resistance Fighters (law of 1/20/76, Stb. 19) adjudged as having spent time in service to the resistance. *Soldiers of the Dutch Internal Armed Forces in occupied territory. *Those who participated in actions during World War II in Japanese or Japanese-occupied territory, which after the war, were designated as resistance of the enemy by the committee. *Anyone who does not meet any preceding provisions, may still be considered a participant in the resistance in the judgement of the committee.

Appearance

The medal comprises a silver cross hung from a striped ribbon. The

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

of the cross bears a vertical flaming sword, surmounted by the Dutch royal crown. Below the sword are the dates ''1940'' above ''1945''. The horizontal arms of the cross are inscribed with the words ''DE TYRANNY VERDRYVEN'' (Dutch: "to expel tyranny"), a line in the Dutch national anthem. The reverse bears a Dutch lion, and the date of institution, 1980. The cross is suspended by a ring from a ribbon coloured with asymmetric stripes: the left half is red-white-blue (for the

Dutch flag The national flag of the Netherlands () is a horizontal tricolour of red, white, and blue. The current design originates as a variant of the late 16th century orange-white-blue '' Prinsenvlag'' ("Prince's Flag"), evolving in the early 17th ...

) and the right half orange (the national color of the Netherlands) with a black border on each edge.

Notable recipients

Aart Alblas Aart Hendrik Alblas, aka Klaas de Waard (20 September 1918, in Middelharnis – 7 September 1944, in Mauthausen concentration camp), was a Dutch navy officer, resistance member and Engelandvaarder. He participated in several resistance operation ...

Willem Arondeus Willem Johan Cornelis Arondéus (22 August 1894 – 1 July 1943) was a Dutch artist and author who joined the Dutch resistance, Dutch anti-Nazi resistance movement during World War II. He participated in 1943 bombing of the Amsterdam civil regis ...

Coosje Ayal Costavina Aya "Coosje" Ayal (15 April 1926 – 28 March 2015) was a resistance fighter in Western New Guinea during World War II. She gained fame as the sole female survivor of the only guerrilla group in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indones ...

* Tex Banwell *

Ina Boekbinder Catharina Aaltjen Boekbinder (September 5, 1915 – December 13, 1987) was a member of the Dutch Resistance during World War II. Known to family and friends as "Ina Boekbinder," she used the alias, "Catharina Weesing," during her resistance work. ...

* Titus Brandsma *

Jan van Borssum Buisman Jan Hendrik van Borssum Buisman (1919, Haarlem – 23 February 2012, Haarlem), was a 20th-century painter from the Netherlands. Biography According to the RKD he was the son of Hendrik van Borssum Buisman.Jaap Burger Jacobus Albertus Wilhelmus "Jaap" Burger (20 August 1904 – 19 August 1986) was a Dutch politician of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands), Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later co-founder of the Labour Party (Netherl ...

Boy Ecury Boy Ecury (23 April 1922 – 6 November 1944) was a member of the Dutch resistance in World War II. Biography He was born in Oranjestad, Aruba, an island of the Dutch Antilles in a large family. Ecury was born the seventh of thirteen children. ...

Joke Folmer Johanna Maria "Joke" Folmer (9 July 1923 – 11 December 2022) was a Dutch resistance member during World War II. Life Shortly after her birth, Folmer moved with her parents to the Dutch East Indies where she lived until the age of 16. At the t ...

Hendrika Gerritsen Hendrika Jacoba "Kiky" Gerritsen-Heinsius (12 April 1921 – 27 December 1990) was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations on 15 September 1989, and was also awarded the Verzetsherdenkingskruis (Resistance Memorial Cross) by the ...

Sietje Gravendaal-Tammens Sietje Gravendeel-Tammens (29 July 1914 – 27 September 2014) was a Dutch resistance leader and teacher. In 1944, she was sentenced to death, but survived because the sentence needed approval from Berlin. Biography Sietje Tammens was born on a f ...

Karl Gröger Karl Gröger (; 7 February 1918 - 1 July 1943) was a member of a Dutch resistance group executed in 1943. In collaboration with a Dutch resistance group, he destroyed the registration of address office of Amsterdam, thereby destroying file car ...

Bert Haanstra Albert Haanstra (; 31 May 1916 – 23 October 1997) was a Dutch director of films and documentaries. His documentary ''Glass'' (1958) won the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject in 1959. His feature film '' Fanfare'' (1958) was the ...

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 ...

Cornelis Pieter van den Hoek Cornelis Pieter "Piet" van den Hoek (7 June 1921 – 12 February 2015) was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. Van den Hoek was one of the few knights of the Dutch Military William Order. Resistance fighter In 1942 Van den Hoek was ...

* Adrian Hoekstra *

Hans Hoets Pieter Johannes Hoets (April 24, 1921 – August 28, 2014) was a Dutch Engelandvaarder, an active Dutch resistance fighter against the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in WW-II. World War II After a failed attempt to sail to England on Ju ...

* Ernst de Jonge * Patrick Edward de Josselin de Jong * Ingeborg Kahlenberg * Pieter Koenraad *

Anton de Kom Cornelis Gerhard Anton de Kom (22 February 1898 – 24 April 1945) was a Surinamese resistance fighter and anti-colonialist author. He was arrested in Surinam and the protest against his arrest resulted in two deaths. De Kom was subsequently exile ...

* Jan de Koning *

Hans de Koster Henri Johan "Hans" de Koster (5 November 1914 – 24 November 1992) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman. De Koster attended a Gymnasium in Leiden from May 1927 until June 19 ...

Hannie van Leeuwen Johanna (Hannie) van Leeuwen (18 January 1926 – 1 August 2018) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (until 1980) and its successor, the Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal ( , CDA) is a Christian ...

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands; 29 June 1911 – 1 December 2004) was Prince consort of the Netherlands, Prince of the Netherlands from 6 September 1948 to 30 April 1980 as the husband of Queen J ...

Caecilia Loots Caecilia Antonia Maria "Cilia" Loots (known as " Tante Ciel"; 27 December 1903 – 13 May 1988) was a Dutch teacher and antifascist resistance member, known for saving Jewish children during World War II. She is recognized as Righteous Among the N ...

George Maduro George John Lionel Maduro (15 July 1916 – 8 February 1945) was a Dutch law student who served as an officer in the 1940 Battle of the Netherlands and distinguished himself in repelling the German attack on The Hague. He was posthumously award ...

Sicco Mansholt Sicco Leendert Mansholt (; 13 September 1908 – 29 June 1995) was a Dutch farmer, politician and diplomat of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later the Labour Party (PvdA), who served as the fourth president of the European Com ...

* Selma van de Perre *

Johannes Post Johannes Post (4 October 1906 – 16 July 1944) was a Dutch resistance leader during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. He helped lead part of the Landelijke Knokploegen and hid Jews in his village, Nieuwlande. Post was recognized as Righte ...

* Atie Ridder-Visser *

Hannie Schaft Jannetje Johanna (Jo) Schaft (16 September 1920 – 17 April 1945) was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. She became known as "the girl with the red hair" (, ). Her secret name in the resistance movement was "Hannie". Early ...

* Norbert Schmelzer * Pieter Meindert Schreuder * Pierre Schunck *

Bram van der Stok Abraham Lamertus "Bram" van der Stok, (13 October 1915 – 8 February 1993), also known as Bob van der Stok, was a World War II fighter pilot and flying ace, and is the most decorated aviator in Dutch history. In March 1944, he broke out of Sta ...

* Peter Tazelaar *

Christiaan Tonnet Christiaan Tonnet (23 February 1902 – 14 November 1946) was a Dutch equestrian and modern pentathlete. He competed in the pentathlon at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics and in the equestrian events at the 1936 Summer Olympics The 19 ...

Marten Toonder Marten Toonder (2 May 1912 – 27 July 2005) was a Dutch comic strip creator. He was probably the most successful comic artist in the Netherlands and had a great influence on the Dutch language by introducing new words and expressions. He is most ...

Gerrit van der Veen Gerrit van der Veen (26 November 1902 – 10 June 1944) was a Dutch sculptor. He was a member of the Dutch underground, which resisted the German occupation of Amsterdam during World War II. The historian Robert-Jan van Pelt wrote: In 1940, ...

* Ida Veldhuyzen van Zanten * Johan Hendrik Weidner * Leonard Willmott * Petrus Wijtse Winkel *

Francien de Zeeuw Sub-lieutenant, Luitenant ter zee der 2de klasse Francien de Zeeuw (Terneuzen, 19 May 1922 – Middenbeemster, 8 September 2015) was a Dutch resistance fighter during the Second World War and the first female member of the Dutch armed forces. ...

Dutch Cross of Resistance

It should not be confused with the rarer and more prestigious

Dutch Cross of Resistance The Verzetskruis 1940–1945 (English: ''Cross of Resistance 1940–1945'') is a decoration for valour in the Netherlands. Instituted on May 3, 1946, it was awarded in recognition of the individual courage shown in resistance against the ...

(Dutch: ''Verzetskruis''), the second highest decoration for valour in the Netherlands, which was instituted in 1946 and awarded to only 95 people. There was a belief after the War that awarding medals would make distinctions between different acts of resistance, all of which would have been punishable by death. After a first round of awards were made of the Dutch Cross of Resistance in 1946, it became politically difficult to agree a list of further recipients.

References

External links

''The legacy of Nazi occupation: patriotic memory and national recovery in Western Europe, 1945-1965''
Pieter Lagrou, Cambridge University Press, 2000, {{ISBN, 0-521-65180-8, p. 74-77

tracesofwar.com
Orders, decorations, and medals of the Netherlands Awards established in 1980 Dutch resistance