France Lord Denys Clandestine Service Medal?

[Bill Dienna]

A good friend recently was extremely kind and gave me several medals for my collection. There were two that were definitely French, but the third has me puzzled.

It is a bronze medal on a red and black ribbon. The obverse features a kneeling woman with a sword. The reverse bears an inscription something along the lines of "Lord Denys Medal for Clandestine Service". The medal has the dates 1940-1944 on it.

I have been unable to find any information on this piece, which I presume is some kind of commemorative service medal.

Does anyone have any knowledge about this medal?

Thanks!

Bill

[Christophe]

Hi Bill,

Interesting medal.

Please, have a look at here :

http://zitocland.forumpro.fr/IDENTIFICATIO...highlight=denys

Hope this helps...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Bill Dienna]

Thank you, Christophe!

My french skills are very poor.

Lord Denys organized a resistance group?

I haveborrowed the photo from that site, which is identical to my example. It is a full-size medal.

[Bill Dienna]

Here is the obverse.

Again, I have BORROWED this photo from the site given by Christophe. I hope that the owner does not mind! They are much better photos of the medal than I could take of my own piece.

Any translation help with the french information on that site would be appreciated !

Merci, mon ami!

[Christophe]

Bill,

To make it short, it is said :

The Lord Denys network has been created by Andr? V?rot, a railroader of SNCF (French railways company) from St Denis, close to Paris. This man has founded as soon as 1940 a resistance network for allies escape, intelligence, action... This network has never been "homologated" (recognised ?). This network cooperated with Pas de Calais groups.

Hope this helps.

Ch.

[Bill Dienna]

Thank you, Christophe!

I wonder who Lord Denys was, since it seems that was the name of the resistance group created by Andr? V?rot.

A really fascinating story here, I think.

I'm sure that the medal must have been an unofficial (non-governemental) one given out by the group itself to veterans.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Was it the group that channeled the shot down airmen to the Spanish border?

Best

Chris

[Bill Dienna]

Was it the group that channeled the shot down airmen to the Spanish border?

Best

Chris

I'm presuming that that is exactly the type of work that the group carried out, Chris, together with perhaps sabotage and other resistance activities.

But at least so far I've failed to turn up and detailed information.