| After the Military William Order
of 1815, the Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance, created in 1822,
is the oldest Dutch decoration for bravery and it has a rather special
nature. The Honorary Medal marks a voluntary act of bravery, with an
emphasis on charity. For more information about the Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance.
Until 1940, the Military William Order was the only
decoration for bravery in battle. However, due to the very high
requirements, it was very difficult to achieve. There was a great need
for other honours that could be conferred for special deeds. Since
then, a number of decorations for bravery have been created to meet
this need.
They are:
- The Bronze Lion
- The Bronze Cross
- The Cross of Merit
- The Airman's Cross
- The Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance
In order to be eligible for the first four decorations
for bravery, a recommendation for appointment must be submitted
hierarchically to the Minister of Defence. He receives advice from the
Bravery Decorations Commission. He then makes a recommendation for
appointment to Her Majesty the Queen or he turns down the
recommendation. The appointment is ratified by Her Majesty the Queen in
a Royal decree.
In the case of the Honorary Medal for Charitable
Assistance, the Civil Honours Advisory Comission studies the
nominations for conferral and advises the 'relevant minister', who in
turn submits a recommendation for appointment to Her Majesty the Queen.
Unlike the Civil Orders, decorations for bravery can be awarded posthumously.
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