WWII Era Dutch Lanyards; What is Original?

[Kadet]

What do people consider an original WWII early occupation/early post war example of this award? The most common type seen is the version with the small gold clip on one end. The airborne uniforms that I have gotten out of the woodwork seem to have different versions though. I have one with para cord dyed orange, and others made from a thicker orange cord with no clip. I also have one that appears to be dyed para cord with a ferrule on it, and yet another with a white fourragere that was obviously dyed orange because the areas inside the knots are still white. I'm trying to ascertain the vintage of the lanyards with clips. Were these made in large numbers right after the war, but issued for many years out of old stock? I've seen reference to them being issued in the 60s/70s...but then again, so were WWII-made medals. These are often listed as awards on separation documents, and I'm curious to know if the Army sent replacement lanyards to veterans when they applied for their CIB Bronze Stars after the war? Is this the origin of the gold clip versions? Thoughts appreciated!

 

ps-I would love to see uniforms or groups with the clip lanyards, especially those with tight provenance.

[Kadet]

Here is the clip version. The cord is thin compared to my others (with the exception of the first made of para cord):

[Kadet]

Dyed parachute cord:

[Kadet]

This was originally a white fourragere that was dyed orange:

[Kadet]

Dyed orange cord with a pot metal ferrule:

[Kadet]

Very thick orange cord, no clip:

[Kadet]

Thick orange cord, no clip:

[Kadet]

Thick orange cord no clip:

[Hermanus]

Hi kadet,

 

The cord in posting #2 is the one issued by my goverment in 1945. This is the original one.

In the early 80ties the Dutch government widened the eligibility and included all pilots and glider pilots of the former AAF. I don't know which version was issued then, but I assume the same one as in post #2 as there were enough in stock. (The Dutch Royal Marines have a unit which also wears the same lanyard. I don't know what the criteria are.)

 

The one in posting #4 and #5 are not Dutch at all. Number 4 looks like a French Legion d'Honneur type but then in the color orange iso red.

The others posted above without the copper clip look like they lost the clip and/or are local US official/unofficial products.

 

In the Dutch forces nowadays we know several more colored lanyards. The ones with a single cord all have no copper clip.

 

This is all I know.

 

Regards

Herman

[Kadet]

Thank you! Other sources (well one person in particular) will say that the #2 examples are post war US made items, issued well in to the modern period. I was never sure of that statement, so am happy to hear your input. I must admit that the plating on the clip of these types always looks very "modern" to me. I think the key would knowing how long the Dutch government produced the version with the clip, because they are so readily available. Are there 1945 versions and 1975 versions with gold clips? I'm solid on the provenance on all of these jackets, which is why I used them as examples. Some original uniforms have the official style, and others have home made examples. You are right, the last three may have the clips removed, but they are noticeably thicker than the example in post #2. They may also be unit or individually made. The others are period items pressed in to service to represent the award and/or made by the veteran. #4 was definitely white, then dyed orange. This is on a late war 82nd Airborne jacket named to Alvin Held. He would have served in the early occupation in Germany, and I believe the 82nd used white, red and blue fourrageres to represent different locations..at least I have had white fourrageres in other 82nd groups in the past.

[Hermanus]

I have in my collection a jacket from around 1954 of Col Charles Billingslea, former CO of 325 GIR. It has the orange lanyard with the copper clip. This jacket is 100% from the fifties.

 

The fact that the copper end is always tucked in the pocket helps a lot to keep it fresh, new and shiny.

 

Regards

Herman

[Kadet]

Herman, yes this is my point on the apparently Dutch-issued versions with clips. I think at least some of them date from long after the war.

[doyler]

I have a couple from veterans with clips.

 

One is a glider pilot who flew the second drop for Market Garden then the assault at Varsity.He retied from the reserves asamaintennce Colone in 1964H stll worethe orange cord on hs blue af uniform wll a his Glider pilots wings.

 

I also recall a vendor off ebay back in 1998 or so selling these with clips.He said they were new old stock from the Philidelphia QM and were sourced when they were throwing things out.

[Kadet]

Thanks, yes the version with the gold clip is readily available and exist in large numbers. The question is whether the glider pilot received his clip lanyard in 1945 or in 1960 from pqmd. Although these are the "official" version I feel that most of them out there date from long after the war

[gliderman1]

The story as I know it:

The lanyard in the first posted image with the Snap Swivel (Clip) looks to me to be the same as was presented by Col Herman Tummers of the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Washington, DC in Sept 1982 to US glider pilots who flew a glider in Market. I do not have one of these lanyards in front of me so there may be differences I am not recalling. This presentation was to US glider pilots only. No Troop Carrier power pilots were included, and the award was the result of the work by a US GP to correct an error that occurred in 1945-46. The error was a misunderstanding of the US organization of US Airborne units by the Dutch Government. The Order of William was presented to British and US Airborne Divisions thinking the organization was the same. This allowed the individual soldier of those divisions to receive and wear the Orange Lanyard, IF they put a boot on the ground in the Netherlands during the Market mission; the Orange Lanyard being the highest award to an individual soldier. This 1982 presentation included US glider pilots but did not include US Troop Carrier power pilots who flew tugs or jumpers as they did not put foot on the ground.

 

The problem was the Dutch assumed the US GP were organized the same as Brit GP, being part of the Airborne. However, the US GP were assigned to Troop Carrier units and not Airborne units, and thus not included in the 1945-46 award. This was corrected by the presentation in 1982. Again, this did not include Troop Carrier power pilots of the tugs and jumpers. It was to US glider pilots who flew Market mission in a glider. Regardless of the TCS or TCG, if they did not fly glider and put foot on Dutch soil, they did not qualify for the OL.

 

Herman, we need your help you can verify this or find Government paperwork to the contrary, we would appreciate having copies.

 

Charles Day, National Secretary, National WWII Glider Pilots Association, Inc., USA.

[Kadet]

Thank you. The clip version I posted is very modern in my opinion. The clip is plated with a "sta brite" sort of finish over an alloy material and is not from the WWII era. Just my opinion. Although homemade or unit made, I think my other examples are original from the late '45 early '46 era and I consider clip versions like post 2 to be collector or veteran added long after the war.

[Dijkhuizen]

My opinion is that the orange lanyard in post #2 is issued not before the 80s.

The thick ones are in my opinion the lanyards issued in the 1945/1946 timeframe.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Christian

[Hermanus]

Gliderman, Kadet and others,

 

I will check the records here in the Netherlands. It will take me a few days. I'll post my findings in this topic.

 

Regards

Herman

[Kadet]

Here is some additional info from my end. The article is from the October 20 1945 edition of the "Devil's Digest". This was an occupation era newspaper published in Germany by the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. This is the official announcement of the award to the regiment. Also included is an illustration of the lanyard from the 1945 508th PIR unit history. This is either a drawing or a colorized photo. To my eye, the illustration matches the "thick/clip less" lanyards shown in posts 6-8 above. The versions with shiny brass clips are made of noticeably thinner cord.

[Kadet]

2

[Kadet]

3

[Kadet]

4

[Kadet]

Here is the loop on one of the "thick" lanyards for comparison...it is on a later war/early occupation era 82nd airborne uniform from the same era as the documents I posted.

[Kadet]

One small correction: The 508th unit history with the picture of the lanyard was published in 1948.

[Hermanus]

Okay, so far my findings.

 

1. I want to state (again) that the Orange Lanyard has NOTHING to do with the Military Order of William. Because the lanyard was awarded simultaniously with the MWO4 to the 82nd ABN division a lot of militaria collectors in the USA beleive that it is, but in fact it is not.

Some facts; The MWO was instituted in 1815, the lanyard in 1940. The 101st ABN division and the Glider riders never got a MWO as a group but they did got a lanyard.

 

2. This are some official regulations I found on the Orange lanyard:

An orange cotton lanyard of 5 mm thick, with a loop of 3 cm on both ends was instituted by Ministrial Decree, nr 17 of June 19, 1940. On one end of the lanyard, with a total length of 90 cm (including both loops) a brass clip (messing musketonhaak) was attached. The lanyard shall be worn only on the service dress by Dutch Officers, Warrant Officers and Officers apprentices on the left shoulder. The end of the lanyard will be tucked in the left breast pocket.

By ministrial Decree number 56 of february 17, 1947 the orange lanyard was abolished and wearing of it was forbidden.

 

3. Why this orange lanyard? On May 10, 1940 the Netherlands was invaded by the Germans. The Netherlands surrendered on May 15. A lot of troops, a large part of the Navy and the Royal family including Queen Wilhelmina escaped to the U.K. To distinguish the Dutch officers, all wearing British uniforms, from the rest of all troop in the UK, the lanyard was instituted.

 

4. In 1945 and 1946 the lanyard was, erroniously, given to the troop of the 82nd and 101st US Airborne Division. To the 82nd US Airborne Division it was done by Ministrial Decree of October 8th, 1945. The lanyard was given to the US 101st Airborne division on September 20th, 1946.

 

5. By order of May 9th, 1982 by the Secretary General of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, Drs G.H.J.M. Peijnenburg, the lanyard was given again as a decoration to the 'forgotten' US Glider pilots active during Ops. Market Garden.

 

That's all official legislation I found.

 

Above implicates that the lanyards with the copper clip are the original issued ones. The rest is of US origin or home made varieties.

 

Regards

Herman