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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 215

The General Service Medal and M.I.D. certificate attributed to Lieutenant C. G. Antonissen, Royal Netherlands Army and Special Operations Executive, who earned his 'mention' for his remarkable part in leading the in the legendary Hotel Oranje Incident at Surabaya, Indonesia, 19 September 1945

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S. E. Asia 1945-46, with M.I.D. oak leaf, neatly erased, together with his Mention in Despatches Certificate, this dated 4 April 1946, good very fine

Christian Gregorius Antonissen was first drafted in the the Royal Natherlands Army in January 1939, aged 17, but was dismissed due to 'defaults' in April 1939. He clearly managed to escape to England, for he was part of Draft 145 of the Dutch Forces in England in March 1945, being made Lieutenant in May 1945. Antonissen was thence put at the disposal of the Anglo-Dutch Section of the Special Operations Executive. He was parachuted into Gunugsari, Surabaya to lead the 'Mastiff Carbolic' mission on 18 September 1945. Landing on Darmo Airfield, the Japanese gave them a good reception and were taken to the Oranje Hotel. The following day the 'flag incident' took place.

At that time the call for Indonesian independance, after some 300 years of rule, was coming to boiling point. A party climbed the Hotel and tore down the Dutch flag. Antonissen climbed the roof and saw that Dutch pride was restored, thus he raised a much larger flag in its place. This act was observed by a large crowd of supporters of the Indonesian People's Party, with a huge clash following. In the battle, four Indonesian's and one of the Dutch party were killed. As the locals swarmed the hotel, they again climbed the roof and tore the blue section from the Dutch flag, creating what is today recognised as the Indonesian flag.

Antonissen, for his part in the action, was 'mentioned' before being discharged in August 1946; sold together with research from the Dutch National Archives, besides other extracts.

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Sold for
£850

Starting price
£140