Maritime Medal 1940–1945

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

Reverse of the medal

The Maritime Medal 1940–1945 (French: Médaille Maritime 1940–1945, Dutch: Maritieme Medaille 1940–1945) was a Belgian World War II bravery award 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 afixed 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

See also

• List of Orders, Decorations and Medals of the Kingdom of Belgium
• HMS Godetia and Buttercup

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

v t e Orders and Honours of Belgium Current orders Order of Leopold Order of the Crown Order of Leopold II Formerly awarded orders (dormant) Order of the African Star Royal Order of the Lion Pre 1914 war medals and decorations Civic Guard Merit Medal 1830 Star of Honour Iron Cross 1830 Volunteers' Commemorative Cross 1870–71 Commemorative Medal 1914–1918 war medals and decorations Croix de guerre 1914–18 Fire Cross 1914–1918 Yser Medal Yser Cross Volunteer Combatant's Medal 1914–1918 1914–1918 Commemorative War Medal 1914–1917 African Campaigns Commemorative Medal 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 war medals and decorations 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 War 1940–1945 Civic Decoration 1940–1945 Post 1945 war medals and decorations Foreign Operational Theatres Commemorative Medal War Volunteer's Medal 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 Medal for Military Merit 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