Belgium Large Belgian Ribbon Bar

[Gldank]

Hello All, I have a rough ribbon bar for a Belgian veteran. I am trying to identify some of the ribbons. This guy has been around. What do you all think?

1. Belgian Order of Leopold II

2. Belgian Croix de Guerre (WWII) 1940-1945

3. Belgian Resistance Medal 1940-1945

4.

5.

6. Belgian Secret Army Gratitude Medal (U.F.A.S.)

7. French Commemorative War medal (1939-1940)

8. British Defence Medal

9. Belgian Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal

10. Commemorative War Medal of General Dwight D. Eisenhower 1939-1945 (M.O.S.)

11. Inter-allied Distinguished Service Cross Second Class (M.O.S)

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17. United Nations Service Medal for Korea

18. Canadian Volunteer Service Medal

Edited August 19, 2010 by Gldank

[Gldank]

Back

Edited August 19, 2010 by Gldank

[g_deploige]

4. Commemoration medal of the war 1940-1945

Guy :beer:

[Gldank]

I knew that, thanks for reminding me!

4. Commemoration medal of the war 1940-1945

Guy

[g_deploige]

Dear James

Nbr. 5 is probebly the commemoration medal of the town of Ghent voor 1940-1945 (not an official Belgian State medal)

Guy :beer:

[Jef]

N° 5 might be this non official medal. A WWII commemoration medal given by the Town of Ghent.

Kind regards,

Jef

[Jef]

Hello,

N° 5 might be this non official medal given by the town of Ghent.

Kind regards,

Jef

[Brian Wolfe]

That's such an odd grouping of ribbons, to my thinking, as to make me wonder if it is authentic. The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Maple Leaf seems an odd medal to have been awarded to this recipient, considering the other medals. I always thought the MVSM was only awarded to Canadian citizens who volunteered, the British Defense Medal seems just randomly thrown in as well.

Is this made up of awarded medals etc. or something someone just threw together (with good intentions) to commemorate the war?

Regards

Brian

[Jef]

Hello again,

Excuse me something went wrong with my previous post and by the way, Guy was first.

I also found n° 17 might be the Belgian medal for volunteers 40-45????

Jef

[Gldank]

Jef, I am sure that your medal has the wrong ribbon for the medal. James

Hello again,

Excuse me something went wrong with my previous post and by the way, Guy was first.

I also found n° 17 might be the Belgian medal for volunteers 40-45????

Jef

[Gldank]

I agree with you as this is the more popular medal with this ribbon colors. I have several different medals with this ribbon color (The official colors of Ghent). Thank you.

Dear James

Nbr. 5 is probebly the commemoration medal of the town of Ghent voor 1940-1945 (not an official Belgian State medal)

Guy

[Gldank]

Hello Brian, I was thinking the same thing but I know nothing about the ribbon or who owned it before me. Found in a Belgian flea market and sold cheap. It is old and does not look like it was put together recently then made to look old. It may have been made up by a veteran long ago to look important. That is why I put it here to spark some discussion and thoughts. Thank you for your thoughts.

That's such an odd grouping of ribbons, to my thinking, as to make me wonder if it is authentic. The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Maple Leaf seems an odd medal to have been awarded to this recipient, considering the other medals. I always thought the MVSM was only awarded to Canadian citizens who volunteered, the British Defense Medal seems just randomly thrown in as well.

Is this made up of awarded medals etc. or something someone just threw together (with good intentions) to commemorate the war?

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello James,

I too find it an unique artifact.

It will be interesting to hear fron the other members.

Regards

Brian

[Jef]

Jef, I am sure that your medal has the wrong ribbon for the medal. James

Hello James,

What ribbon do you have in mind for the volunteersmedal 40-45?

Enclosed you find two medals of my collection, with the same ribbon. As background I used a ribbon chart of Alec Purves' MOD of World War II. I admit the colours of the medai I posted are a bit fainted by the light, but the ribbons are correct,isn't it. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

kind regards,

Jef

[Gldank]

Your right, I am slightly color blind and the colors kind of look like the blue and white stripped Korea UN Medal. Sorry. James

Hello James,

What ribbon do you have in mind for the volunteersmedal 40-45?

Enclosed you find two medals of my collection, with the same ribbon. As background I used a ribbon chart of Alec Purves' MOD of World War II. I admit the colours of the medai I posted are a bit fainted by the light, but the ribbons are correct,isn't it. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

kind regards,

Jef

[Jef]

Your right, I am slightly color blind and the colors kind of look like the blue and white stripped Korea UN Medal. Sorry. James

Hello James,

Never mind, you don't have to apologize. You think about this medal, aren't you?

But as far as i'm concerned, it has nothing to do with the UN although the Belgian forces were part of the UN forces. This is a Belgian official medal established in 1952 ( the medal shown in previous post was established in 1946). This medal is called: (in dutch)medaille van oorlogsvrijwilliger, oorlogsvrijwilliger-strijder, translated(????) War volunteer, War volunteer-combatant. So the owner of this medal was a volunteer in the second war ( bar 1940-1945) and also volunteer in the Corean War ( bar Pugnator). Actually I never understood why the Belgian government made a second Volunteer medal( with the same ribbon) I read this medal even could wear a bar 1914-1918(?) Although there is a medal: WWI Volunteer medal( with dark blue ribbon).

If the service ribbon is meant for the war in Corea, it need a tiny "pugnator" bar. Guy, Hendrik, L4H, OLI4 please correct me if I'm wrong,I don't want to give James wrong info.

With kind regards from Flanders,

Jef

[Hendrik]

Hello James,

Never mind, you don't have to apologize. You think about this medal, aren't you?

But as far as i'm concerned, it has nothing to do with the UN although the Belgian forces were part of the UN forces. This is a Belgian official medal established in 1952 ( the medal shown in previous post was established in 1946). This medal is called: (in dutch)medaille van oorlogsvrijwilliger, oorlogsvrijwilliger-strijder, translated(????) War volunteer, War volunteer-combatant. So the owner of this medal was a volunteer in the second war ( bar 1940-1945) and also volunteer in the Corean War ( bar Pugnator). Actually I never understood why the Belgian government made a second Volunteer medal( with the same ribbon) I read this medal even could wear a bar 1914-1918(?) Although there is a medal: WWI Volunteer medal( with dark blue ribbon).

If the service ribbon is meant for the war in Corea, it need a tiny "pugnator" bar. Guy, Hendrik, L4H, OLI4 please correct me if I'm wrong,I don't want to give James wrong info.

With kind regards from Flanders,

Jef

Jef, the government may have been too hasty in closing the timeframe in which to apply for the WWI & WWII volunteer medal. Rather than re-opening the application procedure, the Korea War one was used and made retroactively. Obviously, a legal loophole was created and thus WWI & WWII volunteers could apply for this medal although having received the "normal" one earlier on

The Pugnator bar indicates the "combattant" state of the volunteer but it is possible for a Korean War volunteer to have received the medal without this bar.

[Jef]

Jef, the government may have been too hasty in closing the timeframe in which to apply for the WWI & WWII volunteer medal. Rather than re-opening the application procedure, the Korea War one was used and made retroactively. Obviously, a legal loophole was created and thus WWI & WWII volunteers could apply for this medal although having received the "normal" one earlier on

The Pugnator bar indicates the "combattant" state of the volunteer but it is possible for a Korean War volunteer to have received the medal without this bar.

Hello Hendrik,

Thank you for the information,

Jef

[love4history]

Obviously, a legal loophole was created and thus WWI & WWII volunteers could apply for this medal although having received the "normal" one earlier on

I would even go so far as to say that a lot of them did. Not uncommon to see a ribbon bar with the two ribbons next to eachother.

And I second the thought that the ribbon bar looks quite odd. National and foreign ribbons, official and non-official thrown together in random order it seems.

Edited August 23, 2010 by love4history

[farmer]

James,

# 13 might be the ZUPRO (Polish Combattants in France) merit decoration (For Yours and Our Freedom) - unknown class but most likely the lowest.

# 14 is possbly a Le Croix du Combattant de l'Europe. European Combattant's cross for WW2 (it does not have the wreath of stars - perhaps due to the space issue).

Regards

[Gldank]

Hmmm, you may be right. Thank you. James

James,

# 13 might be the ZUPRO (Polish Combattants in France) merit decoration (For Yours and Our Freedom) - unknown class but most likely the lowest.

# 14 is possbly a Le Croix du Combattant de l'Europe. European Combattant's cross for WW2 (it does not have the wreath of stars - perhaps due to the space issue).

Regards