The Maritime Medal 1940–1945 (french: Médaille Maritime 1940–1945, nl, Maritieme Medaille 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 ...
bravery award of
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 ...
, 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 17 July 1941 and awarded to members of the
Belgian Navy
The Belgian Navy, officially the Belgian Naval Component ( nl, Marinecomponent; french: Composante marine; german: Marinekomponente ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the naval service of Belgium.
History Early history
The Belgian Navy w ...
,
merchant navy or fishing fleet for acts of heroism in the saving of ships or lives during an action against the enemy.
The award's statute was later amended to include all naval personnel for service of two years or more aboard an allied warship (most often aboard a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
ship) and to those who had been shipwrecked twice due to combat actions.
Award description
The Maritime Medal 1940–1945 is a 38mm in diameter circular bronze medal. 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, ...
bears the relief image of a
"lion rampant". On the reverse, the
royal cypher of
King Leopold III
Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...
.
Atop the medal, the suspension loop is in the form of a ribbon with a bow.
The medal is suspended by a ring through the suspension loop from a 38mm wide ocean green silk
moiré ribbon. There are six 1mm wide white stripes, three at left and three at right separated by 3mm each starting 3mm from the ribbon's edges. Miniature crossed bronze sea anchors are affixed to the ribbon, sizes vary greatly depending on maker.
Notable recipients (partial list)
The individuals listed below were awarded the Maritime Medal 1940–1945:
*Divisional Admiral Léon Lurquin
*Aviator Vice Admiral Sir André Schlim
*Commodore Georges Timmermans
*Captain Henri Teugels
*Seaman 1st class Maurice Mommens
*Seaman AB Leopold-Gaspard Sabbe +08.05.1995
See also
*
* and
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:Maritime Medal 1940-1945
1941 establishments in Belgium
Military awards and decorations of Belgium
Awards established in 1941
Merchant navy