Erik at home in
Hawai'i Erik at home in
Hawai'iErik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (April 3rd, 1917, Surabaya, Netherlands East Indies - present), is the writer of the book Soldaat van Oranje (Dutch for Soldier of Orange) in which he describes his experiences in World War II.
Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema managed to escape from Nazi-occupied the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. There he worked as a secret agent. Later he joined the Royal Air Force. In April 1945 he was appointed adjutant (assistant) to queen Wilhelmina.
After his arrival in London, Hazelhoff Roelfzema, with the help of general François van 't Sant, director of the Dutch CID (Central Intelligence Service) and colonel Euan Rabagliatti (Secret Intelligence Service) set up a secret service group known as the Mews, after Chester Square Mews where they lived in Londen. The goal was to establish a contact with the resistance in the Netherlands. Several agents were parachuted, others were put ashore at the beaches of Noordwijk and Scheveningen.
Roelfzema did not receive much cooperation of the Dutch government. Van 't Sant was forced to transfer control over the CID to kolonel De Bruyne of the Dutch Marine Corps.
De Bruyne did not do a good job of his work. He failed to recognise the fact that his agents were arrested and continued to broadcast messages - for the Germans. The usual procedure for transmitting messages was to include small errors. If an agent was forced to work for the Germans, he would leave out the errors. The result was that contact was aborted immediately.
However, De Bruyne concluded that the agents simply forgot to use the security-checks and even sent messages to remind them. Other intelligence blunders were the maps he had attached to the wall in his London office, showing the landing sites of Noordwijk, Scheveningen and Walcheren in full detail.
De Bruyne threatened to court-martial Hazelhoff Roelfzema for ignoring an order - at the same time Hazelhoff Roelfzema was proposed for the Willemsorde (the highest decoration in the Netherlands). He got his Willemsorde - the court-martial was cancelled after a meeting with Dutch Navy minister Furstner.
Nonetheless, Hazelhoff Roelfzema got sick of the counterproductive attitude and decided to join the Royal Air Force.
Hazelhoff Roelfzema went to training in Canada, where he became the best pilot cadet of his group. Back in England in 1944, he joined the elite Pathfinder Force, a department of the RAF with the task to indicate the important bombing targets with flares to the RAF bombers. In all he made 72 sorties, of which 25 to Berlin.
In April 1945, Hazelhoff Roelfzema was appointed adjudant to the Queen. He accompanied her back to the Netherlands.
Hazelhoff Roelfzema led a fairly restless life after the war, including a stint in Hollywood and possibly subversive activity in Indonesia. His book, published in 1970, relates his adventures during the war and the political turmoil of the Dutch government in exile. It attracted a lot of attention, even more so when it was made into a film by Paul Verhoeven in 1977, starring Rutger Hauer as Hazelhoff Roelfzema.
He was close to Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the father of present Queen Beatrix (shown below), whom he entertained frequently at his home in Hawai'i where he lives with his wife of over 30 years, Karin.
As King of Arms (left) at Queen Beatrix' s Coronation |
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDALS 1940-1944
Ridder vierde klasse der Militaire Willems
Orde (MWO.4)
) |
 Netherlands
Recipients A-ZNumber of awards in the database: 170 Total presented in WWII: 168 |
| The Order was instituted by King William I in 1815 and is the highest military Order in the Netherlands. It is awarded to military personnel of all ranks and services as well as to civilians for 'most conspicious acts of bravery, leadership and extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy'. The badge is an eight-pointed Maltese cross of white enamel, each point being tipped by a golden pearl. On the arms, the words 'Voor moed, beleid en trouw' (For Courage, Conduct and Loyalty). The cross rests on a saltire of laurels. The reverse shows a medaillion of blue enamel with the letter 'W' on it and a laurel wreath. The badge is suspended from the Royal Crown with a ring on top through which the ribbon passes. The ribbon is yellow with two broad stripes of purple. The Knight Fourth Class is the lowest class of the Order; the recipient wears a badge in silver and enamel. | |
Distinguished Flying Cross
) |
 Great-Britain
Recipients A-Z
| |||||||||
| The DFC was established on June 3rd, 1918, the birthday of King George V, and is awarded to Officers and Warrant officers for "an act or acts of valour and courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operations against the enemey". A straight silver bar is a further enhancement of the DFC, awarded for additional acts under the same terms as the cross. The award has the shape of a silver cross. On the obverse aeroplane propellers are superimposed upon the vertical arms of the cross. Within a central winged roundel, encircled by a wreath of laurels and surmounted by a Imperial Crown, appear the letters RAF. In the central circle on the reverse the Royal Cyphers, GV, GVI, EIIR, appear above the date 1918. The year of issue is engraved on the lower arm of the award. The DFC is issued unnamed. The ribbon is 1.25 inches wide, and consists of alternating violet and white stripes, each 0.125 inches wide, leaning at 45 degrees from the vertical. Until 1919, the stripes were horizontal. | ||||||||||
Air Crew Europe Star
) |
Great-Britain
Recipients
A-Z Number of awards in the database: 15 Total presented in WWII: unknown |
| This star was awarded for operational flying from UK bases over Europe and the UK for a period of two months from September 3rd 1939 to June 4th 1944 and was reserved for RAF personell only. The Star was always awarded to airmen who were injured in action, irrespective of time served. Prisoners of war qualified for this star only when the 1939-1945 Campaign Star had been awarded previously. Service by air crews in maritime operations was not a qualification, POW's who managed to escape and return to the UK within the required two-months period after joining did not qualify either. The badge is a six-pointed star with the Royal Cipher GRI-VI in the centre surmounted by a crown above the inscription: Air Crew Europe Star. The reverse side is blank and the Star is issued unnamed. Those qualifying for the Atlantic Star or the France and Germany Star received a bar to be worn on the ribbon of whichever of these three stars was earned first. The ribbon, 1.25" wide is pale blue with black edges and a vertical narrow yellow stripe on either side, black and blue representing the continuous night and day operations and yellow representing the searchlights. Conferment of this Star was suspended after D-day. | |
War Medal 1939-1945
) |
Great-Britain
Recipients A-Z Number of awards in the database: 61 Total presented in WWII: unknown |
| The War
Medal 1939-1945 was established on August 16th 1945 and was awarded to all
personnel of the armed forces of the British Commonwealth (excluding the
Home Guard) and Merchant Navies for having served at least 28 days,
operational or non-operational, between September 3rd 1939 and September
2nd 1945. For members of the Merchant Navy the 28 days had to be served at
sea. The medal was granted in addition to the other campaign stars and the Defence Medal. A few categories of civilians, such as war correspondents and civil air transport crews also qualified. A single oak leaf emblem is worn to signify a "Mention-in-Despatches" and the silver oak leaf signifying a "King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct" is worn on the medal. There are no bars or clasps other than these emblems. The circular medal is made of cupro-nickel, except the Canadian issue, which is silver, It is 1.42 inches in diameter. The obverse shows the crowned coinage effigy of King George VI, facing left, and the legend GEORGIVS VI D : BR : OMN : REX ET INDIAE IMP :. The reverse of the medal shows a lion standing on the body of a dragon. This dragon is double-headed, one of an eagle and one of a dragon to signify the principal occidental and oriental enemies. At the top are the dates 1939/1945. The ribbon is 1.25 inches wide and red, white and blue with a narrow red stripe in the centre with a narrow white stripe on either side, broad red stripes at either edge with two intervening stripes of blue. The medal was issued unnamed, except those awarded to personnel of the Canadian Merchant Navy and RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), and the Australian and South-African issues, which were named on the rim. A total of 700,000 awards were issued, including 4,450 to the Canadian Merchant Navy. | |
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