Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal

Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal
Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal (obverse)
Awarded by Kingdom of Belgium
Type	Commemorative medal
Eligibility	Civil servants, veterans and serving members of the Belgian Armed Forces
Awarded for	Twenty years of state service prior to 1 January 1931
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	20 July 1930

Reverse of the medal

Lieutenant General Félix Wielemans, a recipient of the Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal

Lieutenant Colonel Baron Willy Coppens, a recipient of the Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal

The Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal 1830-1930 (French: Médaille Commémorative du Centenaire de l'Indépendance Nationale 1830-1930, Dutch: Herinneringsmedaille van 100 Jaars de Onafhankelijkheid 1830-1930) was a Belgian commemorative medal established by royal decree on 20 July 1930 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Belgian independence.^[1]

It was awarded to serving members of the Belgian Armed Forces and to veterans of the service as well as to civil servants who served honourably for twenty years or more prior to 1 January 1931 and who were thus eligible for the Civic Decoration for long service, the Military Cross or the Military Decoration.^[1]

Award description

The Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal was a 32mm wide by 30mm high silvered bronze octagon surmounted by a crown giving it a total height of 41mm. Its obverse bore the left facing profiles of kings Leopold I, Leopold II and Albert I of Belgium. The reverse bore the relief years "1830" and "1930" on two rows slightly offset from center superimposed over oak and laurel leaves.^[1]

The medal was suspended by a ring through a suspension loop from a white 38mm wide silk moiré ribbon with the national colours of Belgium as 3mm wide edge stripes (1mm black, 1mm yellow and 1mm red).^[1]

Noteworthy recipients (partial list)

The individuals listed below were awarded the Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal:^[2]

• Aviator Lieutenant Colonel Baron Willy Coppens
• Lieutenant General Alphonse Ferdinand Tromme
• Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Piron
• Lieutenant General Jules Joseph Pire
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Sir Maximilien de Neve de Roden
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Baron Victor Van Strijdonck de Burkel
• Lieutenant General Georges Deffontaine
• Lieutenant General Alphonse Verstraete
• Lieutenant General Baron Raoul de Hennin de Boussu-Walcourt
• Lieutenant General Joseph Leroy
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Jules De Boeck
• Lieutenant General Fernand Vanderhaeghen
• Lieutenant General Robert Oor
• Lieutenant General Libert Elie Thomas
• Lieutenant General Léon Bievez
• Cavalry Major General Baron Beaudoin de Maere d’Aertrycke
• Major General Lucien Van Hoof
• Major General Jean Buysse
• Major General Paul Jacques
• Commodore Georges Timmermans
• Aviator Major General Norbert Leboutte
• Police Lieutenant General Louis Joseph Leroy
• Police Lieutenant General Oscar-Eugène Dethise
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Baron Albert du Roy de Blicquy
• Lieutenant General Sir Antonin de Selliers de Moranville
• Lieutenant General Félix Wielemans
• Lieutenant General Baron Émile Dossin de Saint-Georges
• Lieutenant General Victor Bertrand
• Lieutenant General Baron Armand de Ceuninck
• Lieutenant General Aloïs Biebuyck
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Baron Léon de Witte de Haelen
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Vicount Victor Buffin de Chosal
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Jules De Blauwe
• Lieutenant General Baron Ferdinand de Posch
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Count André de Jonghe d’Ardoye
• Ambassador Esquire Bernard de l’Escaille de Lier
• Governor Baron Raymond de Kerchove d’Exaerde
• Governor Camille Count de Briey Baron de Landres
• Count Edmond Carton de Wiart
• Ambassador Jacques Delvaux de Fenffe
• Count Hubert Pierlot
• August de Schryver
• Count Beaudoin de Lichtervelde

See also

• Belgian Revolution
• List of Orders, Decorations and Medals of the Kingdom of Belgium

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)

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