The Oranje-Nassau — the Orde van Oranje Nassau, the Order of Orange-Nassau — was a Dutch royal order of chivalry, awarded to both military and civilian recipients for service to the Dutch state. In Oom Ambon van het K.N.I.L. the Oranje-Nassau is mentioned as a decoration awarded to Schmidt (before his M.W.O.) and to Dominee Thenu in 1901 — the latter an exceptional honour, since the Inlandse godsdienstleraar officially ranked only for a medaille.
Schmidt’s Oranje-Nassau
“De luitenant Schmidt had zijn sporen op Atjeh reeds behoorlijk verdiend. Eerst had hij de Oranje-Nassau gekregen en later de M.W.O.” Schmidt received the Oranje-Nassau before his M.W.O. — making him an unusually decorated luitenant. The Oranje-Nassau was therefore a recognition of Schmidt’s service before the colonne Schmidt that would earn him the M.W.O.
Thenu’s Oranje-Nassau (1901)
Dominee Thenu was made Ridder in de Orde van Oranje Nassau in 1901, at age 33 — “reeds in 1901, toen hij 33 jaar was, Ridder werd in de Orde van Oranje Nassau” — exceptional, since the Inlandse godsdienstleraar officially ranked only for a medaille. The decoration was Van Heutsz’s doing, and signalled that in Aceh the formal hierarchy of ranks and honours would be bent to recognise genuine geestelijk gezag.
Significance
The Oranje-Nassau is significant in Oom Ambon van het K.N.I.L. as a Dutch royal order awarded to both Schmidt (as a military decoration, before his M.W.O.) and Dominee Thenu (as an exceptional honour for an Inlands godsdienstleraar). The book’s argument is that the Oranje-Nassau was the decoration that recognised service before the M.W.O. — and that, in Thenu’s case, the decoration was an exceptional bending of the rulebook to recognise the geestelijk gezag of the Soldaten-Dominee.
The Orde van Oranje-Nassau in the Korps Maréchaussée (1890-1930)
The Overzicht van Onderscheidingen printed in the 1930 jubilee number of Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië records the following appointments in the Orde van Oranje-Nassau within the Korps Maréchaussée:
- 1903 — knight: Kapt. Mar. J. la Gordt Dillié
- 1906 — knight: 1ste Luit. Mar. H. J. Schmidt
- 1910 — Officer: Kapt. Mar. Jhr. J. J. Boreel
- 1914 — Officer: Majoor v/h Korps Mar. Th. J. Veltman
- 1914 — knight: Kapt. Mar. W. Muurling
- 1925 — Officer: Kapt. Mar. P. W. F. Kaniess
- 1928 — knight: Kapt. Mar. J. C. J. Bongers, since replaced with the arm of the Infantry
- 1928 — knight: 1ste Luit. Mar. H. Meijer
The order also appears in the later careers of members of the corps. The sergeant J. C. Heijnen received the knight’s cross of the Orde van Oranje-Nassau on his pensioning as adjunct-hoofdcommissaris of police; and W. V. Rhemrev was appointed Officer in the order with the swords for his suppression of the communist rising on Sumatra’s Westkust in 1926.
See Also
- Militaire Willemsorde (M.W.O.)
- Eresabel
- Eervolle Vermelding
- Medaille voor Moed en Trouw
- Schmidt
- Dominee Thenu
- Gouverneur-Generaal Van Heutsz
- 1901
- 1910
- Het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh (Jubileum-nummer 1930)
- Korps Maréchaussée te voet in Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden
- Overzicht van Onderscheidingen toegekend aan het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden (1890-1930)
- Eeresabel
Source
Oom Ambon van het K.N.I.L., by G. W. T. Dames, Maj. Inf. K.N.I.L. b.d. (‘s-Gravenhage: Koninklijke Bibliotheek, 1954), chapter “De colonne Schmidt” and chapter “Dominee Thenu.”
Het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh: De Atjehsche Garde, 1890 - 2 April 1930 (“The Corps of Maréchaussée in Atjeh: The Atjehnese Guard”), Extra Jubileum-nummer of Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië issued for the fortieth anniversary of the corps (1930), pp. 1-16. Offprint DLP-143, Bibliotheek KITLV, accession 621 116 794.