Belgium Rhineland Veteran's Medal?

[jshorter]

Hello!

Can anyone provide me with any information on this medal?

Thank you very much in advance!!

Jason

[love4history]

Hi Jason

Non-official for sure, that's about as far as I get.

cheers

[Hendrik]

Non-official for sure

Hello Jason,

I fully agree it's non-official and I've never seen this one before. Seems to be connected with the post-WWI Belgian occupation forces in Germany, the "Rhine Army". It looks like a mix of the (official) French Academic Palms and this non-official award of the Association of Rhine Army veterans :

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Gldank]

OK, here is what I know after some research:

The treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I dictated to Germany that the Rhineland was to be demilitarized and occupied by Allied forces. In 1919 Belgium, which had been invaded by Germany in 1914, abandoned her neutrality and joined the occupying forces, withdrawing ten years later. Following World War II, Belgian forces again formed part of the Allied force occupying the Rhineland. After Federal Germany became independent, the army remained on German soil as part of NATO forces during the Cold War with various changes of task, size and equipment over the years. In 1995, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the army was re-tasked and became part of the Intervention (rapid response) Force, based in Belgium at Saive, near Li?ge. Here are some medal samples from my collection.