On Friday June 28th 2002, His Royal Highness Prins Bernhard of the Netherlands attached a Band to the Standard of the Regiment Stoottroepen.
On the porch of the Soestdijk palace, Lieutenant-colonel N. Geerts presented the Prins with the Standard who then attached the Band to the Standard. On the long side of the Band were the words
REGIMENT STOOTTROEPEN PRINS BERNHARD, whereas on the short side it carried the date 29-6-2002.
Regiment Stoottroepen is the youngest regiment of the Royal Army. The regiment originated from the underground movement who had been active during the Second World War. In September 1944, Prins Bernhard personally ordered the formation of a military unit from all groups and personnel who had been actively involved in armed resistance.
After the Second World War several battalions of the Stoottroepen were deployed in the former Dutch East Indies.
The 41st infantry-battalion Regiment Stoottroepen was sent to New Guinea in 1962.
Since 1963 the Stoottroepen as the 41st Armored/Infantry-battalion became part of the 11th Armored/Infantry-Brigade and Mechanized Brigade. The Staff Coy of the 41st Armored Brigade, based in Seedorf, Germany, as well as the Army-unit of the erstwhile Group Light Aircraft all were Stoottroepers. (Stoot-troopers).
In 1995 the Regiment became 13 Battalion Airborne Infantry and 11 Mortar Airborne Company "Margriet".
This Battalion served twice in Bosnia (UNPROFOR and SFOR7) Units of the Regiment also served in Kosovo, Cypress, and more recently in Afghanistan (ISAF-I).
In our own country the Stoottroepen also provided help during the 1953 Flood-disaster, as well as the water disaster in the north of the Netherlands in Dec. 1998, and the calamity of the pig pest-crisis and the mad cow decease in 2001, where they assisted the Customs with border-control.
|
