France a rare beauty

[Roeland]

I would like you to show this medal, because you don't see it a lot.

It is a French medal, awarded to those, that fought in the Netherlands in 1940, at the beginning of the war.

Lately I have been collecting information about Breda during the war and came across the information that the Germans took almost exactly the same defensive positions in the city of Breda, which the French had done 4 years before them.

Looking further for information about the French, I stumbled upon this medal.

I believe it is quite a rare one.

The front shows a lion with a crown, probably indicating the kingdom of the Netherlands.

I don't know why the 5 stars are there.

The back shows: Hollande -1940- Nederland. And also the V.

The ribon is orange-black striped.

Awarded to French soldiers.

What do you gents think of it?

kind regards,

Roeland

Edited April 8, 2008 by Roeland

[Christophe]

Hi Roeland,

I have never seen this medal as a french one. I believe it is a Belgian one.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Hendrik]

Hello Roeland & Christophe,

I don't really know in which country - France or the Netherlands - the medal originated but it is a postwar and unofficial one and not Belgian. Apparently awarded to those French soldiers that came to the aid of the Low Countries and, more in particular, were at some time early in the Second World War fighting the German invaders in the south of the Netherlands.

Similar postwar and unofficial medals exist for other events, e.g. Dunkirk Medal, Gembloux Medal, ...

Cheers,

Hendrik