The Honorary Sabre is one of the highest military awards for bravery in the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...

. Only knights of the Military William Order are eligible to receive this sabre. The queen awards this highly decorated sabre to a military officer who will wear this together with his uniform.

History of the Honorary Sabre

The Netherlands had honorary sabres of equivalent for centuries. During the Dutch Republic

Dutch Republic

The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...

, the Batavian Republic

Batavian Republic

The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....

 and the Kingdom of Holland

Kingdom of Holland

The Kingdom of Holland 1806–1810 was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, in order to better control the Netherlands. The name of the leading province, Holland, was now taken for the whole country...

 such sabres already existed, and were awarded by grateful subordinates to their officer, or were awarded by a government, city, or ruler to a military officer.

Sabres awarded by military officers and soldiers to their commanders during the Ten days campaign

Ten days campaign

The Ten Days' Campaign was a failed attempt to suppress the Belgian revolution by the Dutch king William I.- Prelude :...

 didn't have an official status yet.

The honorary sabres made in 1855 were destined primarily for officers of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army who already were knighted in the Military William Order and again showed deeds of exceptional bravery.

After the royal decree in 1865 Honorary Sabres were also awarded to officers of the Royal Netherlands Army

Royal Netherlands Army

The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.-Short history:The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised...

 and the Schutterij

Schutterij

Schutterij refers to a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modern Netherlands, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire. Their training grounds were often on open spaces within the city, near the city walls, but, when the...

.

An honorary sabre was always a nicely decorated workmanship of the weapon and its hilt

Hilt

The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard,grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A ricasso may also be present, but this is rarely the case...

; the scabbard

Scabbard

A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. Scabbards have been made of many materials over the millennia, including leather, wood, and metals such as brass or steel.-Types of scabbards:...

 and blade

Blade

A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...

 were decorated and engraved, and the material of the sword was gold and silver, or during more difficult times made of cheaper Nickel silver

Nickel silver

Nickel silver, also known as German silver, Argentann, new silver, nickel brass, albata,, or alpacca, is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver...

, horn

Horn (anatomy)

A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...

 and gold-plated copper.

Shape of the Honorary Sabre

During the history several types of the sabre existed:

• The 1st Dutch East Indies model of 1855:

At the hilt is engraved "KONINKLIJK EEREBLIJK VOOR BETOONDE DAPPERHEID" (Royal Honorary Token for Displayed Bravery)

• The 1st Royal Netherlands Navy Model of 1859:

The inscription of this sabre was the same as the one of 1855, however the shape is the same used by the Royal Netherlands Navy

Royal Netherlands Navy

The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...

 since 1843. At the blade also a crowned anchor

Anchor

An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...

 is shown without a cable.

• The 2nd Dutch East Indies model of 1861:

On the hilt is engraved "KONING WILLEM III VOOR BETOONDE DAPPERHEID" (English: King William III for Displayed Bravery), and on the blade the name and ranking of the awarded officer and cause for awarding the sabre

• The 2nd Royal Netherlands Navy Model of 1864:

The hilt was made of ivory

Ivory

Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...

 and the anchor displayed at the blade is now uncrowned.

• The model for the Royal Netherlands Army and the Schutterij of 1867

• The 3rd Dutch East Indies model of 1891:

On the hilt is engraved "NAMENS KONINGIN WILHELMINA VOOR BETOONDE DAPPERHEID" (English: on behalf of Queen Wilhelmina for Displayed Bravery)

• The 4th Dutch East Indies model of 1895:

This sabre was very highly decorated (Queen Wilhelmina for Displayed Bravery)

• The 3rd Royal Netherlands Navy Model of 1907

• The Honorary Sabre of General Eisenhower in 1947:

General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

 received an Honorary Sabre in 1947 from the Netherlands government. This sabre is orientally shaped, and made of gold and silver, together with embedded gemstone

Gemstone

A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...

s. Engraved on the sabre is "Queen Wilhelmina to General DD Eisenhower" and "Grateful memory of the glorious liberation". At the pommel the Coat of arms of the Netherlands

Coat of arms of the Netherlands

The Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm, , is the personal coat of arms of the monarch of the Netherlands . The government of the Netherlands uses a smaller version without the mantle or the pavilion or sometimes even only uses the shield and crown...

is put on.

The Dutch kings or queens awarded in total 106 Honorary Sabres in the Dutch East Indies. The last sabre awarded to a Dutch officer was in 1911 to First Lieutenant of the Royal Marines H.J.Schmidt. General Eisenhower was the last person to be awarded with this honour.