Cpl. Albert Bloemink

No 10(IA) Commando 2 'Dutch' troop. Photos courtesy of his nephew Scott Draycott who provides the detail below.

*25th February 1942 joined the Royal Netherlands Army in Canada under the London Resolutions. Regimental no. 697.
*12th May 1942 arrived in England and was posted to the Netherland troops in England.
*30th October 1942 attached to No.10 Inter Allied Commando, 2 Dutch Troop. nb. of the original 48 Dutchmen from the Royal Brigade Princess Irene who began Commando training in Achnacarry, Scotland, he was one of twenty-five to obtain the Green Beret.
*11th December 1943 Dutch Troop left England for India.
*16th August 1944 returned to England to prepare for Operation Market Garden (Arnhem). nb. one of the 11 Dutch Commandos assigned to the American 82nd Airborne Division who were to capture the Nijmegen Bridge on September 17th, 1944. He parachuted into Groesbeek and was wounded during the fighting at Nijmegen.
*3rd November 1944 he and the Dutch troop were attached to No. 47 RM Commando and landed at Westkapelle as part of Operation Infatuate II.

Albert was wounded by a grenade in the extremely heavy fighting in an attack on an enemy machine gun position. He was awarded a Bronze Cross for his action at Nijmegen (Order In Council No. 21 dated April 19th, 1945) and a second Bronze Cross for his valour at Walcheren (Order In Council No. 29 dated May 12, 1951). Also awarded the War Commemoration Cross with the clasp 'Krijg te Land 1940-1945' and the clasp 'Arnhem Nijmegen Walcheren.'

In Memory of Albert Bloemink 29th January 1911 - 10th September 1991.