Honorable Mention

Infobox Military Award
name=Honorable Mention


caption=The Crown of Honorable Mention on the Decoration for Important Military Acts.
awarded_by=
type= Military award
eligibility=
for= For exceptional display of bravery, but not yet eligible yet for the highest Military William Order
status= Obsolete, replaced by the Bronze Lion
description=
clasps=
established=
first_award=30 April 1815
last_award= 30 March 1944
total=4146
posthumous=Posthumous awards were possible
recipients=
individual=
higher=Order of the House of Orange
same=Bronze Lion
lower= Resistance Star East Asia


caption2=The Crown of Honorable Mention on different ribbon bars

The Honorable Mention was an important military award of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for those who distinguished themselves by acts of high bravery, but weren't eligible yet for the highest accolade of the Military William Order. The Honorable Mention was in fact not a medal but a mention in the proclamation of the Dutch army, this to honor the soldier.

Since the mention was important in the process to be actually made a knight of the Military William Order, the Honorable Mentions were registered in the chapter of the Military William Order.

In first instance no decoration was associated with this Honorable Mention, although unofficialy soldiers used a small decorative metal wreath worn above their other decorations and medals. These wreaths as decoration are primarily known to be used during the Ten days campaign (August 2 – August 12, 1831) and the Java War (1825-1830).

In 1877 King William III decided by royal decree that soldiers with a Honorable Mention were allowed to wear a silver crown on the ribbon or ribbon bar of the Dutch "Decoration for Important Military Acts" as decoration, together with a Roman numeral in case of multiple mentions. Hundreds of soldiers in the former Netherlands East Indies were awarded with these Honorable Mentions.

Shortly before the start of the Second World War the law regarding the Military William Order was reorganized with as result that the Honorable Mention was abolished. Although the mention didn't have an official status anymore since then, on the ribbon or ribbon bars of the Bronze Cross or the Airman's Cross still a decorative crown for Honorable Mention was worn, however now in gold.

With the royal decree on 30 March 1944 Queen Wilhemina created the Bronze Lion as high bravery award and replaced the Honorable Mention finally with it.