Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918

Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918
Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918 (obverse)
Awarded by Kingdom of Belgium
Type	War medal
Eligibility	Belgian citizens
Awarded for	Detention by the Germans following an act of courage or devotion towards the Allies' cause
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	26 December 1930

Reverse of the Medal

The Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918 (Dutch: Medaille van de Politieke Gevangene 1914–1918 French: Médaille du Prisonnier Politique 1914–1918) was a Belgian medal established by royal decree on 26 December 1930 and awarded to Belgian civilians who were detained for a minimum of one month by the Germans during the First World War following an act of courage or devotion towards the Allies' cause.^[1]

Recipients of this medal automatically received the 1914–1918 Commemorative War Medal and the Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918.^[1]

Award description

The Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918 was identical to the King Albert Medal except for the ribbon. It was a 35 mm (1.4 in) in diameter circular bronze medal. Its obverse bore a 25 mm (0.98 in) in diameter central medallion bearing the left profile of King Albert I with the inscription in French or in Dutch "ALBERT KING OF THE BELGIANS" (French: "ALBERT ROI DES BELGES") (Dutch: "ALBERT KONING DER BELGEN") surrounded by a 5mm wide laurel wreath along the entire medal circumference. On the reverse of the central medallion, the relief inscription on four lines in French or in Dutch "IN TESTIMONY OF NATIONAL RECOGNITION" (French: "EN TEMOIGNAGE DE RECONNAISSANCE NATIONALE") (Dutch: "ALS BLIJK VAN'S LANDS ERKENTELIJKHEID") with the years "1914–1918" at the bottom.^[1]

The medal was suspended by a ring through a suspension loop from a 38mm wide light blue silk moiré ribbon bearing a single 4.5 mm (0.18 in) high horizontal central stripe in the national colours of Belgium (1.5 mm red, 1.5 mm yellow and 1.5 mm black).^[1]

Notable recipients (Partial list)

The individuals listed below were awarded the Political Prisoner's Medal:^[2]

• Aviator Major General Norbert Leboutte

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