Hendrik Seyffardt's awards

[OvBacon]

I was kinda looking through some footage from occupied netherlands during WWII and I found this photo and got really interested in the man standing jolly with the Germans behind Mussert (speaking and who was the leading Dutch collaborator of WWII) and who is proudly wearing his Grand Officer breast star of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Now I'm kinda understanding that the germans kept their pre NAZI medals and awards but for a Dutch officer to proudly wear his medals that were awarded to him by a king/queen he has clearly denounced seemed odd to me.

So I was like who is this man and what awards/medals is he wearing while clearly supporting the NAZI occupation. 

 

 

 

Here another image showing his breast star even better.

He's sending off the first Dutch SS soldiers to the eastern front... bet they stopped smiling once they got there ;/

So I clearly found out this man is Hendrik Alexander Seyffardt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendrik_Seyffardt).

Interesting to see how someone who has served his country his whole life and retired with full honors can then turn around and betray his country so explicitly.

[OvBacon]

Here is a photo of him with all his awards/medals and so I was curious as to which he is wearing..

Pretty much anything written about the man, including articles from right after the war, do not mention his orders/awards/medals...

[Great Dane]

I can identify the Danish Order of Dannebrog (Commander) and the Swedish Order of the Sword (Commander). The rest are a little blurry...

[OvBacon]

So here I see a Knight of  the Order of the Netherlands Lion (The Netherlands),
Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (The Netherlands), Officer's Long Service Cross (The Netherlands) and a Mobilization Cross 1914-1918 (The Netherlands)??

Edited April 9, 2020 by OvBacon

[OvBacon]

58 minutes ago, Great Dane said:

I can identify the Danish Order of Dannebrog (Commander) and the Swedish Order of the Sword (Commander). The rest are a little blurry...

Thanks for that input

[Great Dane]

Dannebrog Commander awarded 16. Nov. 1924.

Sword Commander awarded 1924.

[OvBacon]

2 minutes ago, Great Dane said:

Dannebrog Commander awarded 16. Nov. 1924.

Sword Commander awarded 1924.

Nice.... thanks

So we have 

? - Knight of  the Order of the Netherlands Lion (The Netherlands) 
   - Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (The Netherlands)
   - Commander 2nd class in The Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark)
   - Commander 2nd class in The Order of the Sword (Sweden)
??- Officer's Long Service Cross (The Netherlands) 
??- Mobilization Cross 1914-1918 (The Netherlands) 
 

[JohanH]

45 minutes ago, Great Dane said:

Dannebrog Commander awarded 16. Nov. 1924.

Sword Commander awarded 1924.

He got the Sword commander 2nd class on 5 november 1924 to be precise.

 

[Herman]

From the Dutch officers list of 1929. He was at the time Major General and commander of the 1st Division.

 

Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau 

Officers Cross with numeral XXXV

Mobilisation cross  1914 - 1918

Commander 2nd class Sword Order of Sweden

Commander 2nd class Danebrog Order of Denmark

Officer Legion of Honor of France

Officer in the Order of the Crown of Belgium 

 

His rank and date of promotion:

2lt Artillery 21st July 1892

1Lt  19th November 1898

Captain  1st of May 1911

Major  1st of November 1920

Lieutenant Colonel 2nd of May 1924

Colonel 2nd of May 1926

Major General  2nd of May 1928

 

So after 1929 he gained his two highest Dutch orders.

 

Regards 

Herman 

[Herman]

If he survived WW2, which he did not, his Dutch orders would have been rescinded by Royal Decree.

This happened to several collaborators after the war. One retired general escaped this shame by committing suicide.

Seijffardt, if he had survived the war, would have been convicted in court, probably the death sentence.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Herman

[OvBacon]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

From the Dutch officers list of 1929. He was at the time Major General and commander of the 1st Division.

 

Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau 

Officers Cross with numeral XXXV

Mobilisation cross  1914 - 1918

Commander 2nd class Sword Order of Sweden

Commander 2nd class Danebrog Order of Denmark

Officer Legion of Honor of France

Officer in the Order of the Crown of Belgium 

 

His rank and date of promotion:

2lt Artillery 21st July 1892

1Lt  19th November 1898

Captain  1st of May 1911

Major  1st of November 1920

Lieutenant Colonel 2nd of May 1924

Colonel 2nd of May 1926

Major General  2nd of May 1928

 

So after 1929 he gained his two highest Dutch orders.

 

Regards 

Herman 

It also looks like he might have been bumped up to "Grand Officer" of the Legion of Honour

I found this in a publication from 1938

1 hour ago, Herman said:

If he survived WW2, which he did not, his Dutch orders would have been rescinded by Royal Decree.

This happened to several collaborators after the war. One retired general escaped this shame by committing suicide.

Seijffardt, if he had survived the war, would have been convicted in court, probably the death sentence.

There is no doubt he would have been stripped and executed... 

I was really surprised that people who backed an invading force, and thus pretty much saying that the previous government and power structure was invalid, were still wearing the decorations of their denounced leaders.  

[Herman]

23 hours ago, OvBacon said:

It also looks like he might have been bumped up to "Grand Officer" of the Legion of Honour 

Indeed that is the case.

I presume you deciphered the Dutch text, but to be complete:

 

Lieutenant General 2nd May 1930

Retired 1st May 1934.

 

Promoted in 1934 to Grandofficer in the Order of Orange-Nassau with the swords  (Military Division)

Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion 

Numeral XL to the Officers Cross

Promoted to Grand Officer in the Legion Of Honor of France.

 

Best regards 

Herman 

[OvBacon]

2 hours ago, Herman said:

Indeed that is the case.

I presume you deciphered the Dutch text, but to be complete:

 

Lieutenant General 2nd May 1930

Retired 1st May 1934.

 

Promoted in 1934 to Grandofficer in the Order of Orange-Nassau with the swords  (Military Division)

Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion 

Numeral XL to the Officers Cross

Promoted to Grand Officer in the Legion Of Honor of France.

 

Best regards 

Herman 

Thank you Herman for all the additional info/research ......

I have the feeling I'll call on you more often for similar information, seems like you have some good literature on the subject.