Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Colonel Van Horen at the first Belgian Grenadiers regiment


    Recommended Posts

    Very glad to have been able to lay hand on some  stuff of the former Belgian colonel Van Horen.

    The guy joined the grenadiers as volunteer during WWI and participated at the battle of Steenstraat and Tervate.

    He ended the war as a first lieutenant.

    Taken POW during the second WW, he manged to escape and joined the Belgian Forces in the UK.

    He liberated (as a major)Belgium and fought along in Holland and Germany.

    From 1947 until 1956 he was head of the mission of the Belgians army detached at the UN in Palestina.

    A strange medal in the pack is the one I all ready posted at;

     

    RIMG9298.JPG

    RIMG9299 (2).JPG

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Stuka,

    Congratulations on acquiring a wonderful and what appears to be a complete Group to a Man who obviously saw more than his fair share of fighting for his Country.

    Would he have qualified for any WW2 British campaign stars or did Service in the Belgian Forces in the UK not entitle him to that?

    Regards Simon.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Hello Kris,

    I think he would have been entitled to both the 1939-45 Star and the France & Germany Star. Depending on the date of his arrival in Britain, he may have been entitled to the Defence Medal as well. Brigade Piron members usually qualified for those.

    Dewaele-1stMed.jpg.81e3e1a40a8aa464c7783807ab1e94e8.jpg

    Regards,

    Hendrik

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Hendrik,

    Many thanks for clearing that up, learnt a lot about Brigade Piron yesterday whilst trying to find out about his medal entitlement.

    Am I right in thinking that his British medals would be worn after his Belgian awards and were they permitted to be worn in uniform whilst on duty?

    Regards Simon.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Thanks both, for your contribution.

    The books on my first picture shows several pictures (and notes) of him, and one with our man wearing his medals, some where in the late '80 ties....

     

    RIMG9369.JPG

    RIMG9371.JPG

    Sorry!!

    Just realized that colonel Van Horen , must be the man not facing the camera!!!

    The only pictures I got so far, are these;

     

     

    RIMG9375.JPG

    RIMG9377.JPG

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Nice lot. But I think not al the medals of that colonel

    Normally, according to his years of service, a colonel should also have Commendeur in the Order of the Crown and officer in the order of Leopold. I also do not see a military cross in the lot.

     

    I also find

    1938/1939

    Capt Commandant Van Horen M. L. F.  ° 25-8-1895

    1 regiment Grenadiers

    Stamnummer 21480

    In 1939 he  already got the following medals

    Off Orde Crown with  palm

    off orde leopold

    War cross 14-18

    medal war volunteer 14 - 18

    Ysermedal

    Victory medal

     

    Commemorative medal 14-18

    medal 1830-1930

    Van Horen (brigade Piron)

    with picture

    Maj  Bde staf coy

    http://www.brigade-piron.be/noms_v_nl.html

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    22 hours ago, coldstream said:

    Am I right in thinking that his British medals would be worn after his Belgian awards and were they permitted to be worn in uniform whilst on duty?

    Hello Simon,

    Quite correct. The only exception, AFAIK, would have been the British War Medal 1939-45 : permission to wear it was refused by the Belgian authorities as the recipient would also have received its Belgian counterpart, the 1940-45 Commemorative Medal, for the same services rendered.

    Regards,

    Hendrik

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I got the family photo albums and two nice desk top grenadier related items.

    Not sure what the albums hold no time to check, I hope they contain army related pic's...

    Got a lot to do today, but I 'll show you asap.

    cheers

    Kris 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Just had a quick look, and saw some very interesting things!

    But it will take me some time to go thru it all

    A lot of private, but never the less interesting things, but not military related

    All ready found out he didn't received any British medals! 

    And found his WWI diary!! :thumbup:

    Strangely very little about WWII.....

    Again lot's to do, I'll post some stuff asap.

    chers

    Kris

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Nomaly it is Dekempeneer (this is the name in his miltary file)

    I have a copy of a handwritten lettre and also signed Dekempeneer

    But in many times it also De Kempeneer written, after he became Baron it was written de Kempeneer de Steenstraete (where he was wounded on 8/4/1915)

    Guy

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    On 12/5/2017 at 12:51, Guy said:

    Top !!

    Kris,

    Iff you will find some info in the  diary concerning commandant / Major (1915) Dekempeneer (also 1ste grenadiers) I like to hear it.

    Thanks

    Guy

    Hey Guy the name you asked for  is mentioned two times in my man's diary.

    He only started his diary in 1916 but lost a big part, so is mentioned in handwriting above the 1917/18 (machine written) part.

     

     

    RIMG9499.JPG

    RIMG9501.JPG

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.