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Prisoner Of War Medal 1940–1945
The Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 (french: Médaille du Prisonnier de Guerre 1940–1945, nl, Krijgsgevangenenmedaille 1940–1945) was a Belgian war service medal established by royal decree on 20 October 1947 and awarded to all members of the Belgian Armed Forces imprisoned by Axis Forces during the Second World War. Award description The Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 was a 38 mm in diameter circular bronze medal surmounted by a three-dimensional 25 mm high royal crown mounted on a pin giving the entire assembly (medal and crown) a height of 64 mm. The obverse bore a broadsword pointing down superimposed over a Greek cross with slightly flared ends and bisecting the years "1940" and "1945" inscribed in relief on the lateral cross arms. Two triangular laurel leaves protrude from between the cross arms fanning out. A ring of barbed wire encircles the cross along the entire circumference 3mm from the medal's edge. The reverse bore a guard tower and prison ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flag Of Belgium
The national flag of Belgium ( nl, vlag van België, french: drapeau de la Belgique, german: Flagge Belgiens) is a tricolour consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours of Belgium: black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical design may be based on the flag of France. When flown, the black band is nearest the pole (at the hoist side). It has the unusual proportions of 1315. In 1830, the flag, at that time non-officially, consisted of three horizontal bands, with the colors red, yellow and black. On 23 January 1831, the National Congress enshrined the tricolor in the Constitution, but did not determine the direction and order of the color bands. As a result, the "official" flag was given vertical stripes with the colors black, yellow and red. Previous flags After the death of Charlemagne, the present-day territory of Belgium (except the County of Flanders) became part of Lotharingia, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Broadsword
The basket-hilted sword is a sword type of the early modern era characterised by a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages. In modern times, this variety of sword is also sometimes referred to as the broadsword. The basket-hilted sword was generally in use as a military sword, in contrast with the rapier, the slim duelling sword worn with civilian dress during the same period, although each did find some use in both military and civilian contexts. A further distinction applied by arms historians and collectors is that a true broadsword possesses a double-edged blade, while similar wide-bladed swords with a single sharpened edge and a thickened back are called backswords. Various forms of basket-hilt were mounted on both broadsword and backsword blades. One of the weapon types in the modern German dueling sport of ("academic fencing") is the basket-hilted . Morphol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Awards Established In 1947
An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be described by three aspects: 1) who is given 2) what 3) by whom, all varying according to purpose. The recipient is often to a single person, such as a student or athlete, or a representative of a group of people, be it an organisation, a sports team or a whole country. The award item may be a decoration, that is an insignia suitable for wearing, such as a medal, badge, or rosette (award). It can also be a token object such as certificate, diploma, championship belt, trophy, or plaque. The award may also be or be accompanied by a title of honor, as well as an object of direct value such as prize money or a scholarship. Furthermore, an honorable mention is an award given, typically in education, that does not confer the recipient(s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Awards And Decorations Of Belgium
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct military uniform. It may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of the military is usually defined as defence of the state and its interests against external armed threats. In broad usage, the terms ''armed forces'' and ''military'' are often treated as synonymous, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include both its military and other paramilitary forces. There are various forms of irregular military forces, not belonging to a recognized state; though they share many attributes with regular military forces, they are less often referred to as simply ''military''. A nation's military may f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orders, Decorations, And Medals Of Belgium
Belgium has established numerous orders of knighthood, decorations and medals since its creation in 1830. Below is a list of the main awards. Orders Order of Leopold Order of the Crown Order of Leopold II Order of the African Star Royal Order of the Lion War medals and decorations Belgian Revolution (1830–31) Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) World War I (1914–1918) World War II (1940–1945) Korean War (1950–1953) Current awards Military medals and decorations Civilian medals and decorations Commemorative medals Belgian Red Cross References * Quinot H., 1950, ''Recueil illustré des décorations belges et congolaises, 4e Edition.'' (Hasselt) * Cornet R., 1982, ''Recueil des dispositions légales et réglementaires régissant les ordres nationaux belges. 2e Ed. N.pl''., (Brussels) * Borné A.C., 1985, ''Distinctions honorifiques de la Belgique, 1830–1985'' (Brussels) * Van Hoorebeke, 2007, P., ''175 Ans de l'Ordre de Léopold et les Ordres Nationa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Count Charles Of Limburg Stirum
Count Charles Gaëtan Corneille Marie François-Xavier Ghislain de Limburg-Stirum (15 September 1906 – 14 June 1989), a Count of the Holy Roman Empire and Knight of the Golden Fleece (Austrian branch), was a member of the House of Limburg-Stirum. During his life he was a Belgian Senator and Grand Master of the Royal Households of King Leopold III. Life Charles was born in Huldenberg, Belgium, and was the second son of Count Evrard Philippe de Limburg Stirum (29 October 1868 – 8 May 1938) and Louise, Baroness Gericke d'Herwijnen (17 April 1881 - 6 September 1969). He was later adopted by his aunt, Countess Marie de Limburg-Stirum who was without descent, to inherit the castle of Bois Saint Jean in the South of Belgium. During World War II, he fought as a captain with the Belgian panzer troops and was made prisoner by the Germans. After being released, he took an active part in the armed resistance against the occupier. Bois Saint Jean became an important drop point of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pierre Harmel
Pierre Charles José Marie, Count Harmel (16 March 1911 – 15 November 2009) was a Belgian lawyer, Christian Democratic politician and diplomat. Harmel served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1965 to 1966. Early life He was born in Uccle, son of father Charles Harmel and mother Eusibie André.Pierre Harmel (1911–2009) – website ODIS ('''') He studied law at the (), where he obtained the titles of |
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in heraldic terminology. The cross has been widely recognized as a symbol of Christianity from an early period.''Christianity: an introduction'' by Alister E. McGrath 2006 pages 321-323 However, the use of the cross as a religious symbol predates Christianity; in the ancient times it was a pagan religious symbol throughout Europe and western Asia. The effigy of a man hanging on a cross was set up in the fields to protect the crops. It often appeared in conjunction with the female-genital circle or oval, to signify the sacred marriage, as in Egyptian amule ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' means the front face of the object and ''reverse'' means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called ''heads'', because it often depicts the head of a prominent person, and the reverse ''tails''. In numismatics, the abbreviation ''obv.'' is used for ''obverse'',David Sear. ''Greek Imperial Coins and Their Values.'' Spink Books, 1982. p. xxxv. while ℞, )(Jonathan Edwards. ''Catalogue of the Greek and Roman Coins in the Numismatic Collection of Yale College, Volume 2.'' Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, 1880. p. 228. and rev.Allen G. Berman. ''Warman's Coins And Paper Money: Identification and Price Guide.'' Penguin, 2008. are used for reverse. In fields of scholarship outside numismatics, the term ''front'' is more commo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingdom Of Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of and has a population of more than 11.5 million, making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe, with a density of . Belgium is part of an area known as the Low Countries, historically a somewhat larger region than the Benelux group of states, as it also included parts of northern France. The capital and largest city is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven. Belgium is a sovereign state and a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Belgian Prisoners Of War In World War II
During World War II, Belgian prisoners of war were principally Belgian soldiers captured by the Germans during and shortly after the Battle of Belgium in May 1940. 225,000 men, approximately 30 percent of the strength of the Belgian army in 1940, were deported to prisoner of war camps in Germany. Large repatriations of prisoners, particularly of soldiers of Flemish origin, to occupied Belgium occurred in 1940 and 1941. Nevertheless, as many as 70,000 remained prisoners remained in captivity until 1945, and around 1,800 died in German camps during the course of the war. Background Belgian involvement in World War II began when German forces invaded Belgium, which had been following a policy of neutrality, on 10 May 1940. After 18 days of fighting, Belgium surrendered on 28 May and was placed under German occupation. During the fighting, between 600,000 and 650,000 Belgian men (nearly 20% of the country's male population at the time) had served in the military. King Leopold III, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
