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The Military Williams Order Advisory Commission and its role in conferring the Military Williams Order on the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade.
The role of the Military Williams Order Advisory Commission and its role in the conferral of the Military Williams Order on 31 May 2006.
Assignment
On 15 February 2005, the Minister of Defence Henk Kamp requested advice from the Military Williams Order Advisory Commission regarding the conferral of the Military Williams Order on Polish Major General S.F. Sosabowski. The Commission was also asked to give a technical assessment of the actions of the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. At the same time, the Minister asked about the implications of a positive advice with respect to the cabinet decree of 1 July 1952. This cabinet decree stated that nominations based on courageous behaviour during war operations in the Second World War or the hostilities in former Dutch East Indies and submitted after 1 July 1952 would no longer be considered.
The request by Minister Kamp was a result of a motion (Van Baalen/Timmermans) supported by the entire chamber requesting the posthumous decoration of the Polish general as well as honouring all servicemen under his command.
Implementation
To reach an assessment and advice on the actions of the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade during Operation Market Garden in September 1944, the Commission took the following approach.
Thorough investigations lasting a total of 8 months were held in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. These investigations focused initially on gathering information from the scientifically sound military historical publications, the archives, and where necessary supplemented by interviews. After the conclusion was drawn from these investigations that the actions could be considered just, an assessment was made of the importance of the actions for Operation Market Garden, the risks taken and the degree of exceptional courage, leadership and loyalty.
In these assessments account was taken of the considerations used at the time of the actions, i.e. for decoration at the end of the war. Finally, an investigation was held into the existing regulations regarding the conferral of decorations for bravery for actions carried out in the Second World War and the liberty available for this late conferral.
The investigation covered military historic publications, the archives of the National Archive in The Hague, the National Archive in London, the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London and documents obtained from the Corporate Memory and Analysis Branch of the British Ministry of Defence, the Wojtec Boxtel Foundation, the Airborne Museum, the producer of the EO documentary G. Lassche and the Chancellery of the Netherlands Orders.
Advice
The Military Williams Order Advisory Commission presented its advice to the Minister of Defence in November. The advice means that the Military Williams Order fourth class will be conferred on the 1st Independent Polish Parachute brigade and that the Bronze Lion should be conferred posthumously on Major General Sosabowksi. The Minister accepted the advice of the Commission in its entirety. Her Majesty the Queen conferred both honours at the Binnenhof on 31 May.
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