Eddy Blondeel
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Edouard "Eddy" Blondeel | |
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1st Parachute Battalion | |
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Awards |
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Other work | Engineer |
Early life
Edouard Blondeel was born in Ghent on January 25, 1906. He initially studied at a German School in Ghent, but following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, his parents no longer wanted him to be educated at a German school, and he was enrolled in a bilingual Belgian school.
In his youth he excelled at
He fulfilled his
in under a year.After his time as a
World War II
In 1940 he received orders to report to
On 28 August 1944, Blondeel, then a Major, parachuted into the Ardennes forest. An advance party had sent a signal advising against anyone joining them, due to heavy enemy ground presence. However, Blondeel insisted on joining in order to gain a view of the pace at which the battle was moving. His leadership and courage inspired local Maquis as well as his own men. By a series of successful ambushes, Blondeel and his men were able to significantly delay and harass the withdrawal.[citation needed]
In 1944, it was decided that the Belgian SAS Paratroopers were to be kept in reserve. Blondeel believed this would be for operations in Belgium. His view changed when he was informed by Brigadier McLeod (Commanding officer of the SAS Brigade) that Belgian authorities did not want Belgian SAS to be the first into Belgium.[citation needed] Blondeel did not understand and visited Belgian authorities in London to find out why. Brigadier McLeod also believed the Belgian government's stance odd, but could only plan for Belgian drops in France, where it was decided a total of 14 squads of Belgian paratroopers would be dropped in France. Blondeel grew tired of the politics and ordered an officer, Lt. Renkin, the task to contact Belgian resistance. Renkin was dropped in France and crossed the border into Belgium. When Blondeel was informed, by radio, that he had crossed the border, he asked Brigadier McLeod if he could be dropped with some men to join Renkin. When Blondeel pointed out the drop zone on a map the following exchange occurred.
McLeod: "But, this drop zone is in Belgium."
Blondeel: "Oh. I hadn't noticed."
McLeod: "Ok. In that case, I didn't notice either."
Blondeel was dropped with some men in at Gedinne. His squad was almost immediately put in action with the resistance when he received a message from London stating that 'The Belgian government are not happy'. After the war, Blondeel explained that he believed the reasons were largely because of Jean-Baptiste Piron, a Belgian military commander, as he had desperately wished his Brigade to be the first into Belgium.[3]
Shortly after the Belgian operation, the squadron traveled to
Blondeel's squadron arrested numerous
Later life
Blondeel faced difficulties in Belgium, hindered by bureaucracy and politics, and it is said he never promoted to the rank of
In his later years, he continued to serve Belgium. He was appointed General Commissioner for Scouts, elected Governor of the Belgian Rotary club, and President of Mars and Mercure (a reserve officers association). He also accepted various visiting academic posts in Canada and the United States.
Personal life
Blondeel married in 1932 to Elza Francisca Van Gorp. They had two daughters. He died in 2000 in Brussels, aged 94.
Awards and decorations
- Commander of the order of the crown
- Commander of the order of the Leopold II with palm
- Officer of the order of Leopold with palm
- War cross WWII with palm
- Commemorative medal of WWII with crossed swords
- Officer of the legion of honor (France)
- Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom)
- War cross with palm (France)
- War cross (Luxembourg)
- Bronze Lion (Netherlands)[5]
- France and Germany star (United Kingdom)
- Defence medal (United Kingdom)
- War Medal 1939-1945
References
- ^ a b "Blondeel - Belgian SAS Parachutists 1942-45". Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
- ^ "Para-Cdo.be". Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
- ^ GENOT E., Rode Mutsen, Groene Mutsen.
- ^ DE PIERPONT G., Deel2: de geschiedenis van de SAS parachutisten van 1942 tot 1952
- ^ Koninklijk Besluit van 19 September 1950 (Royal Decree 19 September 1950)