Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945

Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945
Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 (obverse)
Awarded by Kingdom of Belgium
Type	War medal
Eligibility	Belgian soldiers
Awarded for	Imprisonment by Axis Forces during World War II
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	20 October 1947

Reverse of the POW medal

Count Charles of Limburg Stirum, a recipient of the Prisoner of War Medal

The Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 (French: Médaille du Prisonnier de Guerre 1940–1945, Dutch: Krijgsgevangenenmedaille 1940–1945) was a Belgian war service medal established by royal decree on 20 October 1947 and awarded to all members of the Belgian Armed Forces imprisoned by Axis Forces during the Second World War.^[1]

Award description

The Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 was a 38 mm in diameter circular bronze medal surmounted by a three-dimensional 25 mm high royal crown mounted on a pin giving the entire assembly (medal and crown) a height of 64 mm. The obverse bore a broadsword pointing down superimposed over a Greek cross with slightly flared ends and bisecting the years "1940" and "1945" inscribed in relief on the lateral cross arms. Two triangular laurel leaves protrude from between the cross arms fanning out. A ring of barbed wire encircles the cross along the entire circumference 3mm from the medal's edge. The reverse bore a guard tower and prison camp fence surrounded by a chain along the entire circumference 3mm from the medal's edge.^[1]

The medal was suspended by a ring through the crown's orb from a 37 mm wide black silk moiré ribbon with narrow longitudinal 1 mm red/black/yellow/black/red stripes 2 mm from the edges. Years of imprisonment were denoted on the ribbon by small striated metal bars.^[1]

Notable recipients (partial list)

The individuals listed below were awarded the Prisoner of War Medal:^[2]

• Lieutenant General Albert Baron Crahay
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Marcel Jooris
• Lieutenant General Sir Louis Teysen
• Lieutenant General Constant Weyns
• Major General Maurice Jacmart
• Cavalry Lieutenant General Sir Maximilien de Neve de Roden
• Lieutenant General Alphonse Verstraete
• Lieutenant General Baron Raoul de Hennin de Boussu-Walcourt
• Lieutenant General Joseph Leroy
• Lieutenant General Fernand Vanderhaeghen
• Lieutenant General Robert Oor
• Lieutenant General Libert Elie Thomas
• Lieutenant General Léon Bievez
• Major General Jean Buysse
• Major General Paul Jacques
• Aviator Major General Norbert Leboutte
• Chaplain General Louis Kerremans
• Count Pierre Harmel
• Guy Cudell
• Count Gatien du Parc Locmaria
• Baron Gilbert Thibaut de Maisières
• Count Charles of Limburg Stirum

See also

• 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)
• ARS MORIENDI Notables from Belgian history (In French and Dutch)

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