Bronze cross pattée with concave ends to the arms, an oak wreath between the arms, with integral loop for ribbon suspension; the face with a central oval medallion with the head of Queen Wilhelmina facing left encircled by a garter inscribed ‘VOOR KRIJGSVERRIGTINGEN’ (For War Actions), each arm of the cross with the initial ‘W’; the reverse plain with maker’s mark ‘KON.-BEGEER VOORSCHOTEN’ and signed ‘F.S.INV.’ for the noted military designer François Jules Henri Theodoor (Frans) Smits (1915-2006); on original ribbon mounted for wear in the Dutch style by Firma A. Tack of Breda with bronze ‘NEDERLANDSCHE-INDIË 1941-1942 (Dutch East Indies 1940-1942) bar.
The Cross was instituted on 16 March 1944 for those who had served a minimum of 6 months after 10 May 1940 in the Dutch armed forces, merchant marine or civil air service and ‘had performed well and shown good conduct’.
The bar on this example was awarded for participation in the campaign resisting the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) between 17 December 1941 and 9 March 1942.
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