Belgium Ijzer medal - Belgium / public thank you

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Hereby i wisch to present a very nice Belgian WWI era medal, namely the so called "Ijzer Medal".

I did get this one from our forumfriend, Hendrik => a big thanks

Feel free to post your guys issue in this thread.

Cordial greetings and thank you,

[Guest Rick Research]

Is this the one that later (1934 or so?) had little blunt ends of arms added to it to make a "cross," or am I thinking of another award?

[g_deploige]

Is this the one that later (1934 or so?) had little blunt ends of arms added to it to make a "cross," or am I thinking of another award?

Thats correct Rick it became a cross in 1934

see here The cross on the website of the Royal Army Museum Brussels

The cross is replacing the medal in 1936, after 1936 both where alowed to been worend.

The medal was created in 1919 for the solders who stopted the german attacks at the river Yser (Belgium) between 17 octobre 1914 and 31 octobre 1914, the belgian engeneers set the backland under water, so the Germans had been stopted. The Germans where stuck at this place until the end of the war in September 1918 bij the end offencives in flanders and France . This piece of frontline was very quite (Belgian Sector in Flanders), a little furder it was Hell, Yper, Paessendale, (Sector of the British Empire)

Guy

Edited August 4, 2006 by g_deploige

[Stijn David]

Hi,

For me this medal is one of the more artfull and beautiful ones that where ever created in Belgium.

As found on the website of Hendrik (http://users.skynet.be/hendrik/) the medal was already instituted in 1918, to be exact on 18 october 1918.

Interesting to note is that also allied soldiers where eligible for this one.

Cordial greetings,

[g_deploige]

The medal was created th 18 of octobre 1918, the official date of cration of the cross is 5 of february 1934.

The medal and cross where not allowed to be woren together.

[Guest Rick Research]

I understood -- medal OR cross was worn -- up to the wearer's preference? Or did those who had not applied for the medal in time only able to get the cross from the 1930s on?

It seems odd to have changed a design for such a minor point-- and actually, the "cross" version is just... odd looking.

[g_deploige]

I understood -- medal OR cross was worn -- up to the wearer's preference? Or did those who had not applied for the medal in time only able to get the cross from the 1930s on?

It seems odd to have changed a design for such a minor point-- and actually, the "cross" version is just... odd looking.

The medal was given to the recipients, the cross they had to buy it them self, that is why the cross is more difficult to find than the medal

Here the group of medals of my grand Unckle who was killed near Diksmuide (Yser) in february 1916, he was the first time wounded in october 1914 by the battle of the yser.

Edited August 4, 2006 by g_deploige

[g_deploige]

And here a miniature of the cross in gold

[g_deploige]

Here the commemoration plate of my grand Uncle i have at home. He was the only soldier of his village who was killed in the first WW.

[g_deploige]

See the details of the decoration on this plate

[Ed_Haynes]

Lovely, all . . . and especially Guy!

[Jef]

Hello Stijn,

As requested an IJzer medal/cross with a service ribbon in my collection.

Jef

[attachmentid=48723]

[Jef]

Reverse:it's hard to see on this scan, but at the back of the service ribbon, I can read BC B- SG DG

Stijn, Hendrik or Guy, do you know what this means?

With kind regards,

Jef

[attachmentid=48724]

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Strange guys those Belgians => it is strange IMHo to change a medal towards a cross? What could have been the reason for that ? Certainly strange if we are taking into account that there where a mere 18 years that went by before the design suddenly changed (We will probably never know )

I have honoustly no idea what the abbrevation does stand for ? Mayby one of the other forum friends?

Cordial greetings,

Edited August 5, 2006 by Stijn David

[Christian L]

really interesting how the time change the look of the decorations!

but i have a questions on the grouping of mr. kersten herman - in germany you can find on the graveyards or near the church a big plaquete which shows the name of the fallen soldiers of the first and later of the second worldwar. is it the same in belgium? and if so, what they made in his hometown?

(i know, a little strange question - but it would be really interesting how they handled it!)

christian

[Stijn David]

Hi Christian,

Not such a s trange question at all, indeed we have a very same system used in belgium and you can find these remembrance table's often on large monuments.

Almost every small town has such one, so it would not suprise me iff Guy has a picture from the momument where his familymember's name can be found.

I have also encountered numerous times on graveyards in belgium that the former holder of certain awards are even remembred in their dead that they did held a certain decoration => for example, the Belgian WWI firecross can often be found either pictured, as a large facsimile in bronze on a certain tombstone, etc ... (the very same ways as in WWI a holder of the EK 2 was remembred)

Cordial greetings,

[g_deploige]

really interesting how the time change the look of the decorations!

but i have a questions on the grouping of mr. kersten herman - in germany you can find on the graveyards or near the church a big plaquete which shows the name of the fallen soldiers of the first and later of the second worldwar. is it the same in belgium? and if so, what they made in his hometown?

(i know, a little strange question - but it would be really interesting how they handled it!)

christian

In front of the church is a monument with his name and the name of an other grand uncle kild as solder in 1940. and 3 other persons who where killed as resistance man.

In the church is a commemoration plate with the Buste of Kersten Herman, Placed by the famely.

see here his gravestone in Adinkerke, near La Panne and a detail of his OMD on the graveplate

Edited August 5, 2006 by g_deploige

[Gldank]

I love this medal and to think of what hell those Belgians had to live through to receive one as many medals were received by the families after death. I have to note the Flemish ribbon variation to this medal. Early in the century, it was very difficult for Flemish men to obtain good, high paying jobs, even in the armed forces. All officers in the Belgian military were French speaking. Today the percentage is more like 60% Flemish and 40% French speaking. Thanks to the Flemish soldiers in the past who fought in the war, they had their ribbons changed to the rare Flemish colors (Yellow & black). The French Belgian colors were red & black.

Edited August 16, 2008 by Gldank

[oli4vercammen]

I must add that that lanyard on the cross is fantasy!

Is was never worn like that. It was worn on a ribbonbar only. You see them sometimes and only by sellers who want to pimp their medals.

[Gldank]

I must add that that lanyard on the cross is fantasy!

Is was never worn like that. It was worn on a ribbonbar only. You see them sometimes and only by sellers who want to pimp their medals.

I have to disagree about the mini fourragere on the Yser medal. I am sure that there are some sellers out there who would add one to a medal for sale but these were allowed to hang with the ribbon and the medal. There is one on a medal bar earlier in this string.

Even Andre Borne in his book ?Distinctions Honorifiques de La Belgique 1830-1985? agrees and he has not been wrong yet in my mind.

[oli4vercammen]

I have to disagree about the mini fourragere on the Yser medal. I am sure that there are some sellers out there who would add one to a medal for sale but these were allowed to hang with the ribbon and the medal. There is one on a medal bar earlier in this string.

Even Andre Borne in his book ?Distinctions Honorifiques de La Belgique 1830-1985? agrees and he has not been wrong yet in my mind.

That book was published when collecting medals was becomming popular.

I only have seen them in the small version on periodical pictures.

Can someone show me a picture before 1940 where it's being worn in the modern way: with a large medal or cross? I'm very interested.

[RPeter]

Here a diploma of the IJzermedallie to a French soldier.

Peter.

[Tim B]

I have to disagree about the mini fourragere on the Yser medal. I am sure that there are some sellers out there who would add one to a medal for sale but these were allowed to hang with the ribbon and the medal. There is one on a medal bar earlier in this string.

Even Andre Borne in his book ?Distinctions Honorifiques de La Belgique 1830-1985? agrees and he has not been wrong yet in my mind.

So, were all the Belgian fourragere's of this same purplish/red color (same as the Leopold 1 ribbon) or only in the case of the Yser Medal/Cross and Croix de Guerre?

Tim

Edited June 22, 2009 by Tim B

[Tim B]

Hi Christian,

Not such a s trange question at all, indeed we have a very same system used in belgium and you can find these remembrance table's often on large monuments.

Almost every small town has such one, so it would not suprise me iff Guy has a picture from the momument where his familymember's name can be found.

I have also encountered numerous times on graveyards in belgium that the former holder of certain awards are even remembred in their dead that they did held a certain decoration => for example, the Belgian WWI firecross can often be found either pictured, as a large facsimile in bronze on a certain tombstone, etc ... (the very same ways as in WWI a holder of the EK 2 was remembred)

Cordial greetings,

I can understand why, the design and level of details in this design are truly amazing!

Edited June 23, 2009 by Tim B

[Tim B]

Truly beautiful!! :jumping: