Maritime Medal 1940–1945

Maritime Medal 1940–1945
	Maritime Medal 1940–1945 (obverse)
Type	War medal
Awarded for	Heroism in saving a ship or lives at sea during the Second World War
Presented by	Kingdom of Belgium
Eligibility	Belgian citizens
Status	No longer awarded
Established	17 July 1941
	Reverse

The Maritime Medal 1940–1945 (French: Médaille Maritime 1940–1945, Dutch: Maritieme Medaille 1940–1945) was a Belgian bravery award of World War II, established by Royal Decree on 17 July 1941 and awarded to members of the Belgian Navy, merchant navy or fishing fleet for acts of heroism in the saving of ships or lives during an action against the enemy.[1]

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 ship) and to those who had been shipwrecked twice due to combat actions.[1]

Award description

The Maritime Medal 1940–1945 is a 38mm in diameter circular bronze medal. Its obverse bears the relief image of a "lion rampant". On the reverse, the royal cypher of King Leopold III. Atop the medal, the suspension loop is in the form of a ribbon with a bow.[1]

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.[1]

Notable recipients (partial list)

The individuals listed below were awarded the Maritime Medal 1940–1945:[2]

Divisional Admiral Léon Lurquin
Aviator Vice Admiral Sir André Schlim
Commodore Georges Timmermans
Captain Henri Teugels
Seaman 1st class Maurice Mommens

References

"Royal Decree of 17 July 1941 creating the Maritime Medal 1940–1945". Belgian Defence Ministry. 1941-07-17. Missing or empty |url= (help)
"Recipients of the Maritime Medal 1940–1945 compiled from the ARS MORIENDI web site" (in French). ARS MORIENDI. 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2012-09-06.

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)
Les Ordres Nationaux Belges (In French)
ARS MORIENDI Notables from Belgian history (In French and Dutch)

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[decree-1] "Royal Decree of 17 July 1941 creating the Maritime Medal 1940–1945". Belgian Defence Ministry. 1941-07-17. Missing or empty |url= (help)

[ARS-2] "Recipients of the Maritime Medal 1940–1945 compiled from the ARS MORIENDI web site" (in French). ARS MORIENDI. 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2012-09-06.

Orders, decorations, and medals of Belgium
Current orders	Order of Leopold Order of the Crown Order of Leopold II
Former orders	Order of the African Star Service Star Royal Order of the Lion
Pre–1914	Civic Guard Merit Medal 1830 Star of Honour Iron Cross 1830 Volunteers' Commemorative Cross 1870–71 Commemorative Medal
1914–1918	Croix de guerre 1914–18 Fire Cross 1914–1918 Yser Medal Yser Cross Volunteer Combatant's Medal 1914–1918 Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1918 War Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1917 African Campaigns Liège Medal Maritime Decoration 1914–1918 Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918 Deportees' Cross 1914–1918 1914–1918 Medal for National Restoration King Albert Medal Queen Elisabeth Medal Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918 Civic Decoration 1914–1918 Commemorative Medal of the National Committee for Aid and Food
1940–1945	Croix de guerre 1940–45 Maritime Medal 1940–1945 1940–1945 Military Combatant's Medal Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 1940–1945 African War Medal 1940–1945 Colonial War Effort Medal Abyssinian Campaigns Commemorative Medal Resistance Medal 1940–1945 Civilian Resistance Medal Civilian Disobedience Medal Political Prisoner's Cross 1940–1945 Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 Medal for Resistance against Nazism in the Annexed Territories Medal of the Recruiting Centers 1940 Medal of Belgian Gratitude 1940–1945 Commemorative Medal of the 1940–1945 War Civic Decoration 1940–1945
Post–1945	Foreign Operational Theatres Commemorative Medal War Volunteer's Medal Medal of Military Merit
Current military awards	Military Cross Military Decoration Croix de guerre (post–1954) Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations Medal for Services Rendered Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions Meritorious Service Medal Commemorative Medal for the "European March of Memory and Friendship" "Four Days of the Yser" Commemorative Medal
Current civilian awards	Civic Decoration Honour Badge of Labour Labour Decoration Decoration for Mutuality
Commemorative medals	Commemorative Decoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Creation of the Railroads Commemorative Medal of the Reign of King Leopold II Commemorative Medal for the 75th Anniversary of the Belgian Postal Service Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal Commemorative Medal for the Centenary of the Telegraphic Service Commemorative Medal for the 100th Anniversary of the Belgian Postal Service Commemorative Medal of the Reign of King Albert I
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