The Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 (french: Croix des Évadés 1940–1945, nl, Kruis der Ontsnapten 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 established on 25 February 1944 by the
Belgian government in exile
The Belgian Government in London (french: Gouvernement belge à Londres, nl, Belgische regering in Londen), also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between October 1940 and September 1944 during World W ...
in London. It was awarded to all Belgian citizens who, during
World War II
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 opposing ...
, escaped from occupied Belgium, from another occupied land or from Germany and that, following said escape, had proven their patriotism by joining and serving with a
resistance group, or had been imprisoned for a minimum of three months following an act of patriotism, or for having travelled clandestinely to participate in a Belgian action aimed at promoting the war against the enemy. Escaped
prisoners of war could also be awarded the medal if they met this last criteria.
The medal's statute was later amended to include those who had escaped, even from non occupied territories, and made their way to the United Kingdom in order to continue fighting the enemy. This included the Belgians rescued between 28 May and 2 June 1940 from the beaches of
Dunkirk, it also included those who escaped, prior to 1 November 1940, from
non occupied France or
French North Africa
French North Africa (french: Afrique du Nord française, sometimes abbreviated to ANF) is the term often applied to the territories controlled by France in the North African Maghreb during the colonial era, namely Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. I ...
.
Award description
The Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 was a 39mm wide
cross pattée
A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...
with four 7mm long rays radiating outwards between its arms. Its
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 14mm wide by 18mm high shield bearing a
"lion rampant" superimposed over prison bars. The medal was single face, its reverse was bare.
The Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 was suspended by a ring through a suspension loop from a 37mm wide green silk
moiré ribbon with a longitudinal 6mm wide central black stripe and narrow 3mm black stripes 6mm from the ribbon edges.
Notable recipients (partial list)
The individuals listed below were awarded the Escapees' Cross 1940–1945:
*Lieutenant General Roger Dewandre
*
Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Piron
*Major General Baron Georges Danloy
*
Baron Charles Poswick
*Baron Gilbert Thibaut de Maisières
*
Walter Ganshof van der Meersch
Walter Jean Ganshof van der Meersch (18 May 1900 – 12 September 1993) was a Belgian jurist and lawyer. He competed in the four-man bobsledding event at the 1928 Winter Olympics
The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olymp ...
*
Jean-Baptiste Piron
Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Piron (10 April 1896 – 4 September 1974) was a Belgian military officer, best known for his role in the Free Belgian forces during World War II as commander of the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade, widely known ...
*
Charles Poswick
Charles Marie Jean Joseph Elvire Ghislain baron Poswick (6 October 1924 – 28 July 1994) was a Belgian politician for the PLP. Poswick was doctor in Law and licentiate in commercial and financial sciences.
He became para-commando and broker. ...
See also
*
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 Or ...
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:Escapees' Cross 1940-1945
1944 establishments in Belgium
Military awards and decorations of Belgium
Civil awards and decorations of Belgium
Awards established in 1944