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578:) that Belgian authorities did not want Belgian SAS to be the first into Belgium. 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
586:. 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.
657:
in
Germany when he was ordered to undertake an operation in which heavy casualties were possible. However, as the patrol was setting out, the order was received to cease all hostilities. Blondeel gathered his squadron together for a celebration feast, and played piano classics and popular war
674:
due to some politicians' dislike of him. To ensure his wartime unit would not be disbanded, Blondeel established the
Belgian SAS Regimental Association, of which he was elected president. In 1947, Blondeel again pursued engineering working for a paper company. The company was taken over by
613:
where
Blondeel visited home, where he saw his wife and two daughters for the first time in five years. He would later recall this to be his best memory of the war. From 20 to 23 December 1944, a detachment of armed jeeps under Blondeel's command reconnoitered in the
562:
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
602:. 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
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with marked success. It was due to
Blondeel's organization and training the unit adapted to the new role and integrated effectively with British troops. He believed his squadron should successfully accomplish any task offered to it.
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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
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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
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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.
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Blondeel faced difficulties in
Belgium, hindered by bureaucracy and politics, and it is said he never promoted to the rank of
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Blondeel married in 1932 to Elza
Francisca Van Gorp. They had two daughters. He died in 2000 in Brussels, aged 94.
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in 1914, his parents no longer wanted him to be educated at a German school, and he was enrolled in a
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in 1974, but
Blondeel remained there and eventually retired in 1981 at the age of 75.
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by
Belgian SAS Sergeant Jacques Goffinet), and assisted in the arrest of the
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and developed his linguistic abilities from the varied environments there.
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Koninklijk Besluit van 19 September 1950 (Royal Decree 19 September 1950)
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370:(25 January 1906 – 23 May 2000) was the wartime commander of the Belgian
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In his later years, he continued to serve Belgium. He was appointed
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Deel2: de geschiedenis van de SAS parachutisten van 1942 tot 1952
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on January 25, 1906. He initially studied at a German School in
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On 28 August 1944, Blondeel, then a Major, parachuted into the
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Shortly after the Belgian operation, the squadron traveled to
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378:. Following the war he was first Commanding Office of the
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Belgian people in the United Kingdom during World War II
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Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)
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McLeod: "Ok. In that case, I didn't notice either."
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and completed their training in Scotland with other
535:. In 1943, the Belgians underwent a course based at
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
827:Commander of the order of the Leopold II with palm
519:. The men trained at various locations, including
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900:
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842:Commemorative medal of WWII with crossed swords
437:he was appointed Commissioner of Scouts in the
1043:Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
1003:Free University of Brussels (1834–1969) alumni
301:Order of Leopold II, Commander grade with palm
1058:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
906:"Blondeel - Belgian SAS Parachutists 1942-45"
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589:McLeod: "But, this drop zone is in Belgium."
1078:Northwestern University Dental School alumni
852:Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom)
618:area of Italy, under the general use of the
1038:Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)
316:French Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with palm
133:
832:Officer of the order of Leopold with palm
701:
598:Blondeel was dropped with some men in at
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
873:France and Germany star (United Kingdom)
503:In 1940 he received orders to report to
847:Officer of the legion of honor (France)
998:British Army personnel of World War II
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630:Blondeel's squadron arrested numerous
306:Leopold Order, Officer Grade with palm
272:Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine
1048:Commanders of the Order of Leopold II
517:Belgian Independent Parachute Company
460:Regiment, where he was promoted from
311:Belgian War Cross 1940-1945 with palm
441:region of Belgium. He later studied
386:in 1947 to work as an engineer with
47:adding citations to reliable sources
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822:Commander of the order of the crown
688:Governor of the Belgian Rotary club
551:, as well as 1st and 2nd (British)
296:Order of the Crown, Commander grade
13:
1013:Feinberg School of Medicine alumni
592:Blondeel: "Oh. I hadn't noticed."
574:McLeod (Commanding officer of the
429:, and at the age of 13 he took up
282:Western Allied invasion of Germany
14:
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1053:Officers of the Legion of Honour
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684:General Commissioner for Scouts
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321:Legion d'honneur, Officer Grade
34:needs additional citations for
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878:Defence medal (United Kingdom)
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1068:Recipients of the Bronze Lion
1033:Military personnel from Ghent
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398:Edouard Blondeel was born in
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1083:Special Air Service officers
857:War cross with palm (France)
417:In his youth he excelled at
380:1st Regiment of Parachutists
267:Western Front (World War II)
7:
336:Distinguished Service Order
10:
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958:Rode Mutsen, Groene Mutsen
543:units. These included the
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491:near Chicago. He earned a
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837:War cross WWII with palm
1008:Ghent University alumni
489:Northwestern University
363:Edouard "Eddy" Blondeel
255:1st Parachute Battalion
127:Edouard "Eddy" Blondeel
862:War cross (Luxembourg)
702:Awards and decorations
658:melodies, ending with
639:Joachim von Ribbentrop
485:University of Brussels
382:. He retired from the
16:Belgian Army commander
1088:Belgian Army officers
624:6th Airborne Division
620:29th Armoured Brigade
227:Years of service
471:After his time as a
326:Luxembourg War Cross
43:improve this article
938:on 6 September 2012
883:War Medal 1939-1945
604:Jean-Baptiste Piron
331:Dutch Bronzen Leeuw
217:Free Belgian Forces
912:on 8 December 2010
479:and specialize in
357:Lieutenant-Colonel
277:Ardennes offensive
241:Lieutenant-Colonel
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537:Inverlochy Castle
468:in under a year.
452:He fulfilled his
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969:DE PIERPONT G.,
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694:Personal life
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388:Wiggins Teape
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60: –
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54:Find sources:
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38:
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32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
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952:
940:. Retrieved
936:the original
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914:. Retrieved
910:the original
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637:, including
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533:Brize Norton
502:
499:World War II
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376:World War II
362:
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261:Battles/wars
221:Belgian Army
178:(2000-05-23)
120:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1028:2000 deaths
1023:1906 births
867:Bronze Lion
576:SAS Brigade
541:paratrooper
443:engineering
408:World War I
360:Dr. (Dent.)
176:23 May 2000
142:Nickname(s)
992:Categories
956:GENOT E.,
942:4 December
916:4 December
889:References
686:, elected
666:Later life
655:Godensholt
584:resistance
525:Manchester
419:basketball
394:Early life
193:Allegiance
156:1906-01-25
99:March 2010
69:newspapers
651:Flensburg
572:Brigadier
493:doctorate
481:dentistry
473:conscript
458:Artillery
412:bilingual
232:1940-1947
230:1929-1930
611:Brussels
560:Ardennes
529:Hardwick
505:Joliette
477:medicine
466:sergeant
439:Flanders
431:scouting
349:Engineer
211:Service/
183:Brussels
672:General
643:Hanover
600:Gedinne
513:Britain
462:private
423:fencing
374:during
372:5th SAS
251:5th SAS
205:Belgium
187:Belgium
167:Belgium
83:scholar
647:Dönitz
616:Marche
580:squads
565:Maquis
523:(near
509:Quebec
456:in an
427:rowing
425:, and
290:Awards
213:branch
202:
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
404:Ghent
400:Ghent
163:Ghent
90:JSTOR
76:books
944:2009
918:2009
641:(in
632:Nazi
547:and
384:army
247:Unit
237:Rank
173:Died
150:Born
62:news
553:SAS
545:3rd
507:in
464:to
445:at
367:DSO
45:by
994::
897:^
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960:.
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154:(
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106:(
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97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
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