Stormschool Bloemendaal/Roosendaal 1945-1950

From 1945 to 1950 the war in Indonesia was the central point for the Royal Netherlands Army. After World War II conscripts were not available. Therefore army command had to rely on volunteers from World War II and professional soldiers who had just returned from captivity. "Wildhoef", a beautifully situated complex of buildings in Bloemendaal, in the Province of Noord-Holland, was one of the locations where these volunteers were trained. First lieutenant J.H.A.K. Gualthèrie van Weezel the founder of the 6th Koninklijk Infanterie Depot in Bloemendaal. Here NCO training and heavy combat training were provided; hence the Depot's name was changed into Stormschool. The core of the soldiers consisted of ex-members of No 2 (Dutch) Troop. Therefore it was not surprising that the commando spirits were reflected in the training. It lasted until April 1948 before the Stormschool got permission to train some twenty professional soldiers to become commandos. Following the No2 (Dutch) Troop ex-servicemen were to become instructors. Eventually ten out of twenty obtained the Green Beret. In April 1949 the Stormschool moved from Bloemendaal to the Engelbrecht van Nassaubarracks in Roosendaal. In April 1950 some hundred officers and non-commissioned officers of Regiment Speciale Troepen, who had returned from the Netherlands East Indies in March 1950, were attached to the Stormschool as instructors. Army command was finally convinced of the benefits of a special unit that could carry out hazardous and difficult missions. Thus on 1 July 1950 the Stormschool was transformed into Korps Commandotroepen.