Tunisia: Medal for the Evacuation of Bizerte

[Megan]

Médaille Commémorative de la Bataille de l'Evacuation de Bizerte

Instituted 12 December 1963 and awarded to mark the battle and eventual evacuation of the French naval base at Bizerte, which Tunisia had been requesting back since gaining independence from France in 1956.

[Picture credit: Emmanuel Halleux]

[heusy68]

Hello Megan,very nice pictures.For long, the Medal of Evacuation of Bizerte was only knew by this picture of President Habib Bourguiba (he's wearing a real gold medal,art 5 of decree of institution of this medal).And by another one below.

I was told a Medal of Bizerte is on display on the Museum of the Army in Tunisia.

If you want to know more : http://fr.wikipedia....rise_de_Bizerte (in french)

And in english but much shorter : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizerte_crisis

Emmanuel

Edited July 1, 2011 by heusy68

[heusy68]

And this framed group I got the picture somewhere.

From left to right : Officer of the Order of the Republic 2nd Type (post 1963), Military Medal, Medal of the Evacuation of Bizerte.

Sorry I don't know the Unit Badge.

If anyone has a Medal of Bizerte for sale,he's most welcome to contact me.

Emmanuel

Edited July 1, 2011 by heusy68

[heusy68]

Here the 1st part of the decree of institution of the Medal of Bizerte.

The medal is 32 millimeters in diameter and is made of bronze.

On the obverse side "Bizerte" with the Bizerte Harbour on background.

On reverse side : "Battle for the Evacuation of Bizerte 1961-1963"

Emmanuel

Edited July 1, 2011 by heusy68

[heusy68]

And part 2.

On the "art.5" it is said that all the people that were awarded the Medal of Bizerte constitute an Order,from who the President of the Republic is the Grand Master.As Grand Master,the President of the Republic is wearing a medal in gold ,struck as a single one,but of similar size.

If anyone has a Medal of Bizerte for sale,he's most welcome to contact me.

Emmanuel

Edited July 1, 2011 by heusy68

[heusy68]

The Memorial Monument of the Bizerte Martyrs.

This battle resulted in 10 death & 77 wounded for the french (source article wikipedia above) & 630 death and 1550 wounded for the tunisian (these are the official figures from the Government of Tunisia,and are what is written on the Memorial).

Others source like Sherbrooke University said that 1300 tunisian lost their life in the crisis (military & civilian).The Tunisian Red Crescent said 5000 tunisian citizens lost their life in the crisis.

Emmanuel

Edited July 1, 2011 by heusy68

[Megan]

Thank you for all the additional information, Emmanuel - fascinating.

I'm struggling with the text of the decree, though - not the French, just in making out the actual words in your image. Are my eyes getting old?

I'd seen reference - on a French medals forum - to there being THREE classes of the medal: gold, silver and bronze. Your explanation of a single gold one being (self?) awarded to the President of Tunisia may be the cause of this thought, but were any struck in silver?