I have featured below my collection of World War 2 and later Belgian Croix de Guerre medals with a range of different devices on the ribbons and different ribbons. I trust you will find it interesting. Bill Simpson |
The Maritime Medal 1940-45 was instituted by the Belgian government in exile in London on July 17, 1941 was awarded to Belgian Navy seamen, the Merchant Navy or the fishing fleet for valour shown whilst saving a ship or human life in action against the enemy. This was subsequently extended to those who served for a minimum of 2 years on allied ships (usually the Royal Navy) or who suffered sinking on at least two occasions. The two variants of the medal shown are a grey/brown variety and a chocolate brown version. |
Another Political Prisoner medal with four stars - 2 years in prison, but with a different style of bar. |
A posthumous Political Prisoner medal with black bar and three stars - 1 year and six months in prison. |
A Political Prisoner medal with three stars mounted incorrectly on the reverse of the medal. |
Another Political Prisoner medal with five stars - 2 years and six months in prison; 2 bars and 9 medals from the same group are featured below. |
A posthumous Political Prisoner medal with black bar and two stars - 1 year in prison. |
A nice World War 2 group with the Volunteer Medal 1940-1945, together with the Leopold 3 Croix de Guerre with lion (mention in dispatches), Evader's Medal and Political Prisoner's Medal with 2 star bar - one year in prison, together with his miniatures. |
The Volunteer Medal 1940-1945 was awarded to Belgian or foreign civilians who joined the Belgian armed forces before May 8, 1945 for the duration of the war. The obverse shows a soldier in front of a large letter "V" (Volunteer) and the rising sun. The medal was instituted on February 16, 1946 and later to volunteers who had entered the Belgian sections of the Royal Air Force or the Royal Navy, as well as those who served in the Merchant Navy. |
The Evader's Cross 1940-1945, instituted on February 1944 by the Belgian government in exile in London, was awarded to those who escaped from Belgium, another enemy-occupied country or from Germany itself during the war and who subsequently proved their patriotism. The recipient had - after their escape - to have either operated within a resistance group, or have been imprisoned for at least three months for a patriotic cause, or have travelled clandestinely to take part in a Belgian action which helped the struggle against the enemy. The Cross was awarded to those that escaped, even from an unoccupied territory, to Great Britain in order to continue the combat. Thus, those who escaped from Dunkirk between May 28 and June 2, 1940 also became eligible for the award, as did those who joined the Belgian forces in Britain before November 1, 1940 from unoccupied France or French North-Africa. The group above shows a typical Evader's Cross group with British Medals. |
The Prisoner of War Medal 1940-1945 was instituted on October 20, 1947 and was awarded to all those that had been taken POW by the Axis forces. Thin round bronze bars are attached on the ribbon to denote the length of captivity. The obverse of the medal shows a cross inside a circle of barbed wire. On the horizontal arms of the cross are the years "1940" and "1945", while the vertical cross arms are mostly covered by a large sword pointing downward with its tip outside the medal. However, another version exists that shows the complete sword as shown and larger crown. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Bill's Belgian Medals World War II Recognition Medals |
The Resistance Medal 1940-45 was instituted on February 16, 1946 and was awarded to all members of the armed resistance and to members of the intelligence service who operated in occupied areas. The colours on the ribbon colours symbolise: black for the sombre days of occupation, green for the hope of liberation, red for the blood shed by the Resistance casualties. |
| Last Updated 27 November 2007 |
