Gerard Hendrik Bendien 10IA Commando .......info Help Please!

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 14/01/2013 14:15:06

Can any one help please?

Ben Bendian writes in:

I have tried for many years to research my father's role and activities without success. He was an "Original" 25 - a Dutchman (Inter Allied|) and trained at Achnacarry and died in uniform in Holland in 1945.

Probably 6 years ago - I suddenly discovered a website that gave a revolving roll of honour with my father's name whilst in the background there played magnificent bagpipe music - I think the music was called Lovat's march.

Sadly this website disappeared. However - despite numerous attempts to find out more - including the Dutch Veterans Association and Dutch Government - the information has been scant and basic.

It would be most appreciated if you could assist me, to know what happened to the website and learn something more about my father. I attach the only photo I have of him in uniform - I believe the gentleman on the left is Prince Bernhardt of the Netherlands. (My father is in the middle)

My father's name is Gerard Hendrik Bendien 1916 - 1945

--
Best wishes
Ben Bendien

Hi Ben,
In his book Commandos in Exile Nick van der Bijl writes:

In Sept 1944, as the two exhausted French Troops were returning from Normandy, 2 (Dutch) Troop were mobilized. On 5th Sept., the South African 2nd Lieutenant, Ruysch van Dugteren, left Eastbourne with three commandos to be bodyguards to Prince Bernhard.
Corporal van Woerden was later sent to the Princess Irene Brigade in Europe where he ferried members of the Eindhoven Resistance to and from the Brigade HQ in Grave.
On 6th Sept, Lt Knottenbelt, Sgt van der Veer, Cpls Michels and Westerling and Ptes Bendien, Blatt, de Konig and van Lieden left to train for Bureau voor Byzondere Opdrachten (BBO) support to the resistance...

Hope this is a new bit of info for you.

Nick

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 14/01/2013 16:33:09

Hi Ben

In addition to what Nick says, hopefully Jack Bakker will see this message and respond. He is our No.10(IA) 2 troop contact in Holland and a member of the CVA. In the meantime I have seen a Gerard Bendien attended Charterhouse School and is on their Roll of Honour:

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Surrey/GodalmingCharthouseSchoolWW2.html

I have found reference below but I note there is an initial F, which does not correspond with the above, so this might be different:

http://www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma/collection/k-o/li30-001/lh2-general-correspondance/li02ac

LIDDELL HART: LH2B/85/1-6
1941 Aug 14-1942 Aug 1
Gerard H F Bendien: correspondence with LIDDELL HART

Regards

Pete

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/01/2013 17:07:39

Gerard Hendrik Joan BENDIEN 12-06-1916 25-11-1945
Plaats van overlijden Apeldoorn

Nieuwe Begraafplaats
Woudenbergseweg 48 3707 HX Zeist

Zerk id-nummer 197019
Begraafplaatsnr. 283
(Plaats)aanduiding z3965

I have been in contact with Ben Bendien some time ago and I have sent him scans of all the documents we have in our museum about his father. I have also sent him a form with which he can apply for his father's service record. I assume he has done that.

Regarding the photo. Ben is mistaken by saying that the man on the left is Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The man on the left is Jack van Roosendaal. He was of No 2 Dutch troop and was active as an instructor to the Interior Forces of the Dutch Resistance in the liberated South of Holland. He was killed by the explosian of a V1 rocket near a place called Princenhage. The man on the right is not known to me.

Regarding the quote from the book Commandos in Excile. Lt Knottenbelt, Sgt Van der Veer, Cpl Michels, Pvts Blatt and De Koning were all parachuted into the then still occupied North of Holland with the task to organise and train the resistance forces. It was intended that this would also be done by Westerling, Bendien and Van Lienden. However this was cancelled and they went to the South of Holland instead to train units the newly raised Dutch Army. See the links below to the site of the Dutch Institute for Military History. In the links are photos of both Bendien and Westerling training the above mentioned troops.

http://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/nl/alle-afbeeldingen/weergave/search/layout/result/thema/6b80357c-3e79-ac8c-cc86-9202aafd790b-het-korps-commandotroepen/indeling/detail/start/122

http://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/nl/alle-afbeeldingen/weergave/search/layout/result/thema/6b80357c-3e79-ac8c-cc86-9202aafd790b-het-korps-commandotroepen/indeling/detail/start/123

The website Ben is referring to was most probably the website called The Green Beret if I am not mistaken. This website was taken off the net as the owner didn't pay his subscribtion to the server. One or my collegues in the Dutch Commando Assocaition has been very busy to try and get everything on that site, but that has all gone wrong. So I am afraid that all the info on that site is now lost.

I am afraid that I can't help Ben any further with his search for information on his father as I have already sent him all we have on him, which wasn't much. Apperently the service record of his father doesn't say much about his days in the Commandos as well.

Ben can of course always contact me if he wishes to do so.

Thanks Nick, Pete and Jack
Ben has seen the responses and will no doubt get in touch again ..........soon.

Best regards

John M

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 17/01/2013 01:16:13

Dear Jack

Many thanks for your most helpful email. Yes I did recieve the form and obtained his service records. However - forgive me but I do not recall recieving any information attached as you mention.

My apologies for thinking that the gentleman was Prince Bernhard.

The link showing my father teaching the use of a sten gun - and teaching unarmed combat - they are precious to me and my children, granchildren - and this week I expect a great granchild :>
Yes the Site was the Green Beret - I thought it was excellent - Jack I read that you feel it is lost - Do you have the details of the author of the site for me to contact directly JIC something can be salvaged. Also was there a copy of the music - was it Lovat's Lament - do you recall?
I am grateful and overwhelmed - I will write some more later - many thanks Ben Bendien
Jack I very much appreciate your studied reponse and am always hopeful more information will write more soon

Dear Ben,

I will send you the information about your father again. Concerning the site I mentioned: the name was www.soldatenvanoranje.com. Within that site was a part about the Dutch Commandos and there you could see the words The Green Beret. I will get in contact with my friend in the Dutch Commando Association and ask him about what can be done.

Regards,

Jack

This message was edited 10 times. Last update was at 17/01/2013 02:18:59

Pete and Nick - please excuse the cramptness of this letter. Regards Charterhouse - thank you. Yes in fact I sent my son Gerard to the school and he was in the Davies house where my father once was.

Re The Book - Commandos in Exile - we were evacuated/moved 4 times during the war - Torquay,Wolverhapton,Portmadog and Eastbourne. Can I assume one of the three bodyguards was my father?

Regards Capt Liddell Hart - I should mention my full name is Johann Liddell Joan Bendien ( at the local state school in Eastbourne) they preferred to call me Ben and it stuck. The Liddell does indeed connect with Liddell Hart and many thanks for finding this - I did obtain copies just in the past 8 years of the the letters between them. However my fathers' relationship with Hart was as a sudent of warfare and to promote the art of surprise and he apparently lectured on this with Hart and a French General (sorry cant recall his name) Now the Joan is pure conjecture but may well have been by his association with C Day Lewis who I believe knew George Orwell and Cecil Beaton. All were connected by their prep school St Cyprians Eastbourne and with WH Auden. They were men of letters, had interests in military journalism and in particular the Spanish Civil War wherein my father was a volunteer. Joan Miro was an activist against Franco and I could easily imagine my father adopting Miro's first name and thereafter calling himself Joan-Bendien just as he so honoured his relationship with Capt. Liddell-Hart and my middle name.

My Father spoke 6 languages fluently and I was told these skills were employed behind enemy lines. Some of my fathers school books reveal a strong interest in journalism.

On his gravestone in Zeist is recorded action in France,Burma, Belgium and Holland. When he died he was buried with full military honours and gun salute and attended by government officials. My brother also has a Dutch book which mentions him in India. BTW I have attached an exerpt from C Day Lewis's poetry ref Bendien

Somehow I am still hoping there maybe more to know and with all your incredibly kind and compassionate help I hope to piece by piece create something more comprehensive than the two pages I have yet to date. I have asked Charterhouse School if I may add to the one line about him on Charterhouse's roll of honour. I am sure he would have shunned recognition in life but we wish him to be recognised and honoured as an amazing role model for his 32 progeny.

Again my heartfelt thanks. Please lets stay in touch.

Best wishes
Ben Bendien

Jack - I am most grateful - regards the site and the other information. Ben

John

This day - since we first communicated just a few hours ago - has been as if a light has at last been turned on. Words cannot express sufficiently my thanks.

All your and the forum member's efforts are as noble and compassionate as it gets

Best wishes

Ben

Thank you Ben for your kind words.

I am very pleased we could help you in your quest.

good luck for the future.

Best regards

John M

Ben,

Regarding your question about the bodyguards. When Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands went into the South of Holland in September 1944, he had a bodyguard of five Commandos. They were Lt Ruys van Dugteren, Cpl Steengracht van Moyland, Cpl Van Woerden (who later as a lieutenant-colonel became one of the Commanding Officers of the Dutch Commandos), Pvt Van Creveld and Pvt Hagelaars. The latter was killed whilst on his way to pay his parents a visit after not seeing them for years.

Your father has been in India together with No 2 Dutch Troop who were there on the special request of Mountbatten.

Regards,

Jack

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/01/2013 11:14:44

Dear Jack

I'll look for my father's service record and send you a copy. I fear it is in storage. A lot of my hardcopy is in storage becuase I came to Swansea for month on a research project 2 years ago and am still here.

I guess the secretive nature of commando work meant very little evidence by default is available for posterity. However - certainly I feel I am no longer on my own now that I am connected with you and your brilliantly knowledgeable colleagues on the CVA I am hopeful we shall be able to add a little more meat on the bone.

Yesterday - David Muir - curator of the Achnacarry Museum sent me a list of commando books which I have attached JIC you dont have it. Also I spoke with my brother Jacques
and he has a book in Dutch on the commandos which has pictures or reference which I'll pass to you.

Now I recall there exists a photo of my father talking into a microphone - my mother told us he was on the Dutch National Radio telling people that the first convoy of food had arrived with the help of the commandos. Is this a something you might know about?

Thanks very much for the information and documents you sent.

Best wishes

Ben

Hi Ben,

Many thanks for all your replies, posts and your kind words.

I am impressed that your father was mentioned in a Cecil Day Lewis poem - and one of my favourites as well!

As you are in Swansea, you may want to have a look at Haverfordwest, in Pembrokeshire, where many of the Dutch forces were 'billeted' in a tented camp in the days before the formation of Koninklijke Nederlands Brigade Prinses Irene...

Regards,
Nick