Peter Graaff
Peter Jan Graaff (born January 21, 1936 in Bandung , Dutch East Indies ; † March 24, 2014 in Emmen , province of Drenthe ) was a Dutch general who was in command of the army between 1985 and 1988 ( Bevelhebber der Landstrijdkrachten ) and subsequently between 1988 and 1992 Chief of the General Staff ( Chief Defensiestaf ) and thus the highest officer in the Dutch armed forces ( Nederlandse Krijgsmacht ).
Life
After finishing school, Graaff began his military career in 1952 when he entered the Koninklijke Militaire Academie (KMA) as a cadet . After completing his training, he became a lieutenant ( Tweede Lieutenant ) of the pioneers in 1955 and subsequently took on various posts in this unit. From 1968 to 1970 he completed the general staff course at the Higher Military School ( Hogere Krijgsschool ) in The Hague and in 1975 became commander of the 41st Engineer Battalion ( 41 Geniebataljon ) in Seedorf .
This was followed by various uses such as chief of staff of the then National Territorial Command ( Nationaal Territoriaal Commando ) in Gouda and also studying at the US Army War College in Carlisle , before 1981 brigadier general and commander of the 11th Mechanized Infantry Brigade ( 11 Pantserinfanteriebrigade ) in Schaarsbergen has been. He then became Deputy Chief of the Army Staff for Planning in 1983 and, in 1984, after being promoted to Major General, Deputy Commander of the Army ( Plaatsvervangend Bevelhebber der Landstrijdkrachten ).
Graaff was promoted to Lieutenant General on October 31, 1985 and appointed Commander of the Land Forces to succeed Lieutenant General Han Roos . He held this position until December 16, 1988 when he succeeded General Govert Huijser . At the same time he was promoted to General of the Pioneers , he became Chief of the Defense Staff and thus assumed the highest military function within the Dutch armed forces. His own successor as commander of the land forces was then Lieutenant General Rien Wilmink .
After almost four years in office, Graaff was retired in May 1992 and replaced as chief of the defense staff and by the general of the telecommunications force Arie van der Vlis , who had previously been the commanding general of the 1st Army Corps.
Awards
Graaff has received several awards for his many years of service and was, among other things, Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau and Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion . For his military services he received the four-day cross for participating in the Nijmegen March four times , the badge for long service as an officer and the medal of skill of the sports federation NOC * NSF for five times participation.
He was also commander of the Legion of Merit and an officer of the Legion of Honor .
Web links
- Oud-CDS Peter Graaff overleden obituary of the Ministry of Defense of March 25, 2014
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Graaff, Peter |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Graaff, Peter Jan (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dutch general, former supreme commander of the Dutch armed forces |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 21, 1936 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bandung , Dutch East Indies |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 24, 2014 |
| Place of death | Emmen , Province of Drenthe |