History

The Pentathlon Cross was established by the Dutch Olympic Committee in 1931, but the competition and its awards were taken over by the Dutch Sports Federation in 1959.

It is awarded to Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers for the successful completion of the pentathlon and is permitted for wear on military uniforms.

There are two versions of the Silver Cross that reflect the change in administration. The first version has an inscription that translates to “Military Pentathlon NOC,” and the second version has an inscription that translates to “National Pentathlon NSF.”

From 1931-1959, a silver number clasp was awarded in recognition of each additional completed pentathlon. Since 1959, a new clasp system has been used: a silver number clasp is awarded for the completion of 2-9 pentathlons; a bronze laurel leaf clasp with I, II, III, or IV is awarded for the completion of 11, 12, 13, or 14 pentathlons, respectively; a silver laurel leaf clasp with I, II, III, or IV is awarded for the completion of 15, 16, 17, or 18 pentathlons, respectively; a gold laurel leaf clasp is awarded for the completion of 20 pentathlons; and a gold laurel leaf clasp with I, II, III, or IV is awarded for the completion of 21, 22, 23, or 24 pentathlons, respectively. The completion of more than 24 pentathlons is recognised with a gold laurel leaf clasp with a roman numeral to denote the total number of pentathlons.

There may be additional versions that differ in size.