Jef

Thank you for your message, Gldank Jef

Thank you , Miguel Jef

Hello Dave and Kevin, You are speaking about two possible ribbons for the Signum Memoriae: red and half red/half white. Is this ribbon a wrong one, or is it a Hongarian issue? kind regards, Jef http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2008/post-761-1216145710.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2008/post-761-1216145731.jpg

Hello Rob, Ten Brielen is a hamlet of Comines-Warneton (french speaking part of Belgium) It's along the road from Comines to Zandvoorde. On modern maps it's marked as Timbriele. It's about 2,5 Km from Wervik. Jef

Hello Rob and Bernhard, A small addition... that photograph is taken in Wervicq. That's a small Flemish town near the French border. In modern Flemish it is Wervik Kind regards from Flanders, Jef

Sorry, something went wrong sending the pics. Have one more pic to show. Jef

Hello Rick and all, I am fully aware the books i mentioned are not very reliable sources. Written by German and Belgian authorities this books are twisting the truth. But what do you think of books written by neutral reporters? For example, the book Fighting in Flanders (jan 1915)by E. Alexander Powell . He was correpondent of the New York World . He apparently drove his car between the fighting armies ( Belgian & German) and was as American (at that time neutral) tolerated. In that book are pics of German and Belgian soldiers as well as destroyed civilian targets. Altough i understand his preference for the Allied countries, some pics don't lie. It's not always easy to separate propaganda from the truth, and I understand the truth can be used for propaganda. Kind regards, Jef

Hello Eduardo, In the book "Antwoord op het Duitse Witboek van 10 mei 1915, part III" ( printed in 1916 by the Belgian Department of Justice and Department of Foreign Affairs) which was an answer on the German " Die v?lkerrechtswidrige F?hrung des Belgischen Volkskriegs" i could read about the event you mentioned. They speak about 12 persons killed and the rest of the civilians were driven out of their homes. Most of the houses were plundered and several were burned down. I enclosed an attachement. I'm afraid it is written in dutch but since you have cousins in Flanders, i assume you understand a little dutch. With kind regards, Jef

1914-1915 .... 1 1914-1916 .... 1 1914-1917 .... 1 1914-1918 .... 1 kind regards Jef

Hello Alexandre, Attached is a closer scan and the reverse. Jef

Hello Ulsterman, Medec is a selected group of Belgian Order and medalcollectors. Please see http://users.skynet.be/medec for info. Sorry it's written in Dutch and French. The article in the bulletin is written in Dutch ( my own language) by Loek Jansens, a specialist non official Belgian medals. The main thing in the article is : medals which are not instituted by the government are not allowed to be worn in public ( just like Veteran told). The article is written in parts and I'm looking forward to read the next issue within a few month's. There is not much info about (Belgian)non-official medals available in literature. And that's one of the reasons why i got member of Medec. It's bulletin gives interesting information. Hope you like their website. With kind regards, Jef

Thank you for your answer, veteran. By chance, today I received the last bulletin of MEDEC with an article about wearing of non -official medals. It explains a lot. kind regards, Jef

Thank you for your wise words, Veteran. You wrote :"the French law forbids public wear of such material". In the first place nobody is allowed to wear orders, medals which are not your own. I believe in Belgium there is a penal legislation for this. But if someone should wear a non-official medal in France, do you think there is a chance he will be punished? For example: every veteran organisation in Belgium has (a lot of) medals, non-official medals. Is this the same in France? And are those French veteran medals tolerated? Again thank you for your help, Jef

Thank you for your reply, Jeff. So I guess the order was established by a humanitarian organisation and given to military and civilian people for humanitarian acts? with kind regards, Jef

Hello friends, Recently this medal found its way into my collection. So far i wasn't able to find any information. On Ebay I saw a knight's class, in this way i know the medal needs a green ribbon with a tiny french tricolor on both sides. Was wondering if any of you guys could give me more info. Above the medallion i can read " Oeuvre Humanitaire " with kind regards from Flanders, Jef

Hello Benten, "Le Perron" is a monument near the townhall of Li?ge. Although the monument was used in many WWI representations (see pic of medal of Liege 1914), it is much older. You will find enough info on the website of Li?ge: http://www.liege.be/svcommu/perron.htm . with kind regards, Jef

We Will Remember Him Jef

Hello again, Chris, Thank you for the explanation about CE and MT. Jef

Hello ChrisB, As requested a coinID disk from my collection. As you will see, it's made from a French coin. Hope you like it. Can you tell me what the abbreviations C.E. ( at the top), and M.T. ( below) means? with kind regards from Flanders, Jef

Maybe another question for Loek Jansens? Looking forward to hear his answer. Jef

Hello Hendrik, I hate to answer with another question, but I have a mini with the same ribbon colour and a skull in the middle of the medaillon. Would this be the medal of your service ribbon???? Did you have an aswer from Loek? kind regards, Jef

Hello Roeland and Hendrik, It might be totaly wrong, but I was told this medal is a commemoration medal which was given by a certain organisation to people who travelled as a pelgim to Lourdes. NLD or NDL ....Notre Dame de Lourdes. On the other hand, if it would be a Li?ge Defenders medal, I doubt the maker ( Jos. Sandre, Li?ge) would use a Dutch word (nationaal)in a Waloon medal? Kind regards, Jef

Thank you, Roel. At first I thought about Mons, the capital of Hainault, but since I did'nt found any point of contact ( the shield shows a Flemish lion and there is no church in Mons dedicated to Saint Amandus) I also tried St-Amandsberg. I found the front of the medal is the heraldic shield of St-Amandsberg, a village which is part of Ghent. Yesterday I went to a military fair in Zillebeke ( like i told you) to see a friend who is policeman in Ghent. He confirmed the frontside of the medal is the heraldic sign of St-Amandsberg, but could'nt give any further details like colours ( blue/white) of the ribbon, or the reason why the medal was given. I was going to answer my own question this evening, but you where first. Again,thank you for your reaction. Jef

Dear Gents, Again I'm lost in the jungle of Belgian non-official medals. Is there anyone who can ID this medal? with kind regards, Jef

Hello Tom, We are learning every day.... Thank you for posting that link. kind regards, Jef