The Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 (french: Médaille du Prisonnier de Guerre 1940–1945, nl, Krijgsgevangenenmedaille 1940–1945) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

war service

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

established by

royal decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

on 20 October 1947 and awarded to all members of the Belgian Armed Forces imprisoned by Axis Forces during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

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 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, ...

bore a

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 m ...

pointing down superimposed over a

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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 camp fence surrounded by a chain along the entire circumference 3mm from the medal's edge. The medal was suspended by a ring through the crown's orb from a 37 mm wide black silk moiré ribbon with narrow longitudinal 1 mm red/black/yellow/black/red stripes 2 mm from the edges. Years of imprisonment were denoted on the ribbon by small striated metal bars.

Notable recipients (partial list)

The individuals listed below were awarded the Prisoner of War Medal: *Lieutenant General Albert Baron Crahay *Cavalry Lieutenant General Marcel Jooris *Lieutenant General Sir Louis Teysen *Lieutenant General Constant Weyns *Major General Maurice Jacmart *Cavalry Lieutenant General Sir Maximilien de Neve de Roden *Lieutenant General Alphonse Verstraete *Lieutenant General Baron Raoul de Hennin de Boussu-Walcourt *Lieutenant General Joseph Leroy *Lieutenant General Fernand Vanderhaeghen *Lieutenant General Robert Oor *Lieutenant General Libert Elie Thomas *Lieutenant General Léon Bievez *Major General Jean Buysse *Major General Paul Jacques *Aviator Major General Norbert Leboutte *Chaplain General Louis Kerremans * Count Pierre Harmel *Guy Cudell *Count Gatien du Parc Locmaria *Baron Gilbert Thibaut de Maisières * Count Charles of Limburg Stirum

References

Other sources

* 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)

External links

Bibliothèque royale de Belgique
(In French)

(In French)

(In French and Dutch) {{DEFAULTSORT:Prisoner of War Medal 1940-1945 Military awards and decorations of Belgium Awards established in 1947 1947 establishments in Belgium Prisoner-of-war medals

Award description

Notable recipients (partial list)

See also

References

Other sources

External links