Cpl. Hans Cramer

No. 10(IA) Commando 2 troop. Photos courtesy of his daughter Inge Cramer who adds the following detail about her father from the Dutch Commando Museum provided by Jack Bakker:

Cramer, H. born 6-8-1920;died 16 May 1971 England. Decorated with the Dutch Bronze Cross and the Dutch Cross of Merit.
Drafted into the Army on 27th of June 1942 in Curacao (Dutch West Indies);Commando training at Achnacarry in 1942; with No 2 Dutch Troop to India in 1943; he did not go into action there. Operation Market Garden - went into action near Nijmegen; attached to the Medical Detachment of the 505 US Parachute Infantry; he took wounded out of the front line with disregard for his own safety and was recommended for the US Bronze Star; he never received the decoration. Walcheren - went into action during the landings at Westkapelle; he was wounded during an attack on the last German position near Flushing. Hollands Diep - went into action on the front line at the Hollands Diep in April/May 1945.

nb: During Market Garden he was no doubt on board a US glider which took him to the surroundings of Nijmegen. The fighting in and around Nijmegen was fierce. The last German position on Walcheren and near the town called Flushing (Vlissingen) was a big bunker code named Whisky 11. The Dutch Commandos were at that time attached to 47 Commando Royal Marines. At the moment the attack went in a German mortar bomb landed amongst them wounding about 7 or 8 of them, one of them severely. He nearly lost his life but one of the Commandos saved it by using the rope on his pocket knife as a tourniquet. The Hollands Diep is a big waterway in the South of Holland.