Officers' Cross

The Decoration for Honourable Long Service as an Officer [Onderscheidingsteken voor Eervolle Langdurige Dienst als officier], commonly called the Officer’s Cross, is a military decoration awarded to officers in the Dutch armed forces who have served as active officers for at least 15 years.

The decoration was instituted on 19 November 1844 by King William II and has been awarded ever since on his birthday, 6 December. It was instituted because officers often had to wait a very long time for promotion after the Napoleonic Wars. The decoration was intended to make up for that somewhat. Even more of a recompense was the 100 guilders awarded with the decoration. Unfortunately, the recipient was expected to treat all his colleagues in the officers’ mess to those 100 guilders. For this reason, the decoration is also called the Jenever Cross.

The King decrees in the Royal Decree “that the decoration is specifically intended to reward honourable long Dutch effective service by officers and persons of equivalent rank belonging to the army”.

Until 30 December 1866, the decoration was a gilt-silver clasp worn on a colourful silk ribbon.