Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade During the Second World War , the Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade was a military unit initially formed from approximately 1 , 500 Dutch troops , including a small group guarding German prisoners - of - war , who arrived in the United Kingdom in May 1940 following the collapse of the Netherlands . Elements of this force became the nucleus of what was originally called the " Dutch Legion . " History . Although augmented by conscription from overseas citizens from Canada , the United States , the Middle East , Netherlands Antilles , Argentina , Suriname and South Africa ; the Dutch force grew very slowly as troops were detached for other duties i . e . the Commandos , the Navy etc . Some 500 Surinamese volunteered for service in the brigade , but were rejected by the Dutch government , on the grounds that their racial background might cause offense to volunteers and conscripts from South Africa . On 11 February 1941 , by approval of Queen Wilhelmina , the Dutch Legion gained a new name , the Prinses Irene Brigade ( P . I . B . ) . On 6 August 1944 , the first troops of the P . I . B landed at Graye - sur - Mer Normandy , in northern France . Later , the main force landed and the P . I . B . served under the 1st Canadian Army until it moved forward with the British Second Army . Heavy fighting took place around the Chateau St Come ( " Hellfire Corner " ) and the brigade liberated Pont Audemer in the progress . In mid September , the P . I . B . became involved in fighting with German forces at the town of Beringen and crossed into Dutch territory on 20 September 1944 at Borkel en Schaft . Around this time , the brigade was also involved in combating the Dutch Waffen - SS volunteer formation the " Landstorm Nederland " . From 26 September , the P . I . B guarded the bridge at Grave , which was then the longest bridge in Europe . After Operation Market Garden , the operation to capture bridges across the Rhine at Arnhem , the P . I . B moved south . On 24 October , the P . I . B . was ordered to go to Tilburg to attack the town from the south while the 51st ( Highland ) Infantry Division attacked from the east . The P . I . B . was unable to get to Tilburg and was stranded at Broekhoven , where fighting took place and four soldiers were killed . The Prinses Irene Brigade spent the winter of 1944 / 45 in the region of Walcheren and North Beveland ( Zeeland ) , losing several soldiers . From Zeeland , the P . I . B . went back to Noord - Brabant . On 31 March 1945 , the commander of the P . I . B . , Colonel de Ruyter van Steveninck , said goodbye to the three platoons of Marines ; the latter subsequently formed II Independent Company and were sent to the USA to join the Royal Netherlands Marines Brigade , who had originally assigned these troops to the P . I . B . so the brigade would have enough troops participating in the liberation of Europe , as requested by the British government . The gap left by the Dutch Marines was filled with replacements from the volunteers from the liberated parts of the Netherlands , who had been trained at Bergen Op Zoom under the command of Frank Looringh van Beeck , a South African officer . On 2 March 1945 , the P . I . B . was put under the command of the Netherlands District , under Major General A Galloway , based at the HQ in the town of Tilburg . Operation " Orange " . The P . I . B was involved in heavy fighting in the town of Hedel , north of Den Bosch , on the River Maas in April 1945 . The P . I . B . was to link up with the 30 Royal Marines , of the 116th Infantry Brigade Royal Marines , at Kerkdriel in an attempt to liberate the Bommelerwaard . However , the Royal Marines gave up due to German opposition in the town of Kerkdriel , leaving the P . I . B . stranded at the bridgehead of Hedel . The Prinses Irene Brigade was under command of the 116th Infantry Brigade Royal Marines at this time . Still , they fought the Germans with great gallantry , and were able to hold the town for three days . In these fights , the P . I . B . lost twelve men ; around thirty were wounded . Several Gallantry medals were later awarded for actions in Hedel . At 11 : 15 hours on 25 April the order to withdraw from the bridgehead , in Hedel , came from 116th Infantry Brigade Royal Marines . At 23 : 30 hours III Independent Company withdrew from the town as the last unit to the south side of the river Maas . This effort was completed at 00 : 30 hours on 26 April . The Prinses Irene Brigade entered The Hague on 9 May 1945 as liberators . After the war , the traditions of the brigade were perpetuated by the Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene .