THE BELGIAN MILITARY LIAISON MISSION
1944 - 1945

THE BELGIAN MILITARY LIAISON SERVICE
1945 -1947

SHORT HISTORY

The Belgian Military Liaison Mission was created by decree
of the Belgian Government in exile on July 20 1944.

The Mission was composed of 3 sections :
the Military Liaison Staff and HQ Section
the Civil Affairs Mission (created on February 3 1944)
the Court Martial Section.

The first liaison section that was operational was the section under the command of captain ROBERT,
a reserve officer, attached to the 21st Army Group for the liaison
with the1st Belgian Independant Brigade "Piron".

Once Belgium was liberated, September 1944, most of the military of the Liaison Staff and HQ Section
were attached to several Allied units and services.

On January 1 1945 the Military Liaison Staff and HQ comprised 137 officers, 152 NCO's and men.

On March 1 1945 there were 221 officers, and on May 1 1945 317 officers.

Most of them were attached to units of the 21st Army Group, the 12th US Army Group,
the 1st French Army and the RAF.

Letter with heading of the Belgian Military Mission. Almost everytime the word "Liaison" was omitted.

On May 12 1945, by a decree of the Prince-Regent, the Belgian Military Liaison Mission was reorganised
and renamed "the Belgian Military Liaison Service".

The main task of the service was to track down all goods requisitionned by the Germans,
and transported to Germany.

A staff was installed in Aachen, Germany.

From June 3 until July 27 1945 more than 38.000 tons of  goods were recuperated.

Letter with heading of the Belgian Military Mission - Civil Affairs.

On February 22 1946, the Mission was completely reorganised, in accordance
with a ministerial decree of October 19 1945,
completed by the decree of  December 4 1945.

Two missions remained :
military liaison with some of the Allied Commands,
economic missions in Germany.

The majority of the military were transferred to the different Ministries
for the duration of their economic mission.

All military remained under the administrative command of the Army Staff.

Following liaison detachments remained in 1946 :
HQ BAOR at Bad Oeyenhausen
HQ 1st British Army Corps at Iserlohn
HQ 8th British Army Corps at Plön
HQ 30th British Army Corps at Nienburg
HQ USFET Main at Frankfurt
HQ USFET Sect E at Munchen
HQ USFET Sect W at Gemhausen
HQ French Occupation Forces at Baden-Baden.

Following "economic" missions went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of Economic Affairs :
Office for Economic Recuperation (abbreviation in French O.R.E.)
Cockeries du Brabant
Coal Mission (North German Coal Control) 
Mission for the Coordination of the Production of Electric Energy
Mission Brauweiler-Jupille
Belgian Railway Mission
Technical Service for German Affairs
Mission for Recrutement of Coalminers

Following "economic" mission went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of Public Works :
Belgian Rhine Mission for Inter Water Transport

Following "economic" mission went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of Communications :
Belgian Harbour Mission

Following mission went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of Justice :
Several War Crimes Commisions

Following "economic" mission went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs :
SOFINA

Following "economic" mission went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of Finances :
Research mission for the Office of the Deportees

Following "economic" mission went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of the Interior :
Mission for the Identification and Burial of the Deceased

Following "economic" mission went to Germany in 1946 
under the direction of the Ministry of Public Affairs :
Mission for the Recuperation of Church Bells
Mission for the Recuperation of Horses.

The Belgian Military Liaison Service continued its work in 1947.

One of the liaison missions was the mission at the Control Commission for Germany - B.A.O.R. .

Letter with heading of the Belgian Military Liaison Service Belgian Mission  Control Commission for Germany.

I  have no information concerning the date of disbandment of the Belgian Military Liaison Service.

For the short history of the Civil Affairs Section :
see "Civil Affairs Mission".

Commanding Officer :
Lieutenant-General VAN STRIJDONCK DE BURKEL

Lieutenant-General VAN STRIJDONCK DE BURKEL

FORMATION BADGES
BELGIAN MILITARY LIAISON MISSION
BELGIAN MILITARY LIAISON SERVICE