Van de Nederlandse strijdkrachten telde de marine de meeste mensen.

Van de Nederlandse strijdkrachten telde de marine de meeste mensen. In tegenstelling tot de landmacht was de marine er begin mei 1940 in geslaagd een aanzienlijk deel van personeel en materieel uit Nederland te evacueren. Daarnaast bevond zich in de Indische wateren het marinesmaldeel dat belast was met de verdediging van de archipel. Naast het escorteren van konvooien hebben Nederlandse marineschepen deelgenomen aan belangrijke geallieerde acties en operaties op alle wereldzeeën. Hierbij kwamen 2900 marinemensen om, waarvan 900 bij de slag in de Javazee. Marine: Onderzeeboten. The Military Willems Order - the Dutch equivalent of the Victoria Cross - was awarded to the Commander of a submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy, by the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy in Australia, Rear-Admiral P. Koenraad. The name of this Dutch submarine Commander cannot be revealed yet, as his nearest relations are still in enemy hands. This Lieutenant-Commander, who already wears the Order of Oranje Nassau and the Netherlands Bronze Cross, received this very high decoration for his most outstanding courage, skill and determination during two patrols in the Southwest Pacific as Commanding Officer of a Netherlands submarine serving with a British flotilla operating under American command. He most successfully pressed home under heavy enemy opposition several attacks which resulted in the sinking of two combat vessels and several smaller crafts and the damaging of one enemy combat vessel. At the same time, the Dutch Order of the Bronze Lion was awarded to Lieut.Cmdr. Engineer A. de Vaal, the senior engineer of the Dutch submarine. A number of officers, petty officers and men, all members of the crew of the Dutch submarine received the Bronze Cross. The decoration took place at a Naval base in Australia on January 25, 1945. Present at the decorations was the Netherlands Minister for Australia, Baron van Aerssen Beyersen van Voshol, who is also the holder of the Military Willems Order. Lt. Commander H.A.W. Goossens, C.O.; Lt. Commander Engineer A. de Vaal; and an officer and ratings of a submarine after the presentation of the Military Willems Order to their Commander (Zwaardvisch).