Belgium Unidentified medal

[GM1]

Hi there!

Can anyone help me with the identification of this medal? It's presumably an unofficial one. Is it Belgian? Or French? French inscription: "je sourirai quand même" on the front, "les plus grands mutiles et invalides de guerre - reconnaissance" on the back, with the engraved name of the recipient and a date 16-12-69.

Best regards,

GM1

[Rogi]

les plus grands mutiles et invalides de guerre

Translates to the greatest war wounded (I would assume this would be WW1, "the great war")

je sourirai quand même

Used as an expression in this case, "I will smile regardless" (or anyway either can fit here)

The wounded men will smile because of the acts they undertook to bring piece and end the war is my understanding. Pride in their accomplishments and that their wound wasn't in vain.

I think it is a wound medal for amputees and Paraplegics, as invalides and mutiles means invalids and cripples.

Ribbon looks French but I'm not France collector

I've done a small search online and there is a Bronze one of these (but just the medal without suspension and ribbon)

The seller has listed it in the Belgium column of medals and not France, so it might be from Belgium

Yours appears to be silver I would assume there is a Gold version as well (maybe gold plate but still 3 classes maybe?)

Edited June 4, 2014 by Rogi

[lambert]

Seems to me that it is Belgian.

http://www.delcampe.fr/page/item/id,241782784,var,-MEDAILLE-1914-1918-LES-PLUS-GRANDS-MUTILES-ET-INVALIDES-DE-GUERRE--JE-SOURIRAI-QUAND-MEME-ACHAT-IMMEDIAT-,language,F.html

Lambert

Edited June 4, 2014 by lambert

[Jef]

Hello Lambert,

Indeed it's a Belgian non-official medal. The medal also exist with dutch language. In my collection I only have the medal with french text with the same ribbon like yours.. I was told the medal shows the ruïned "lakenhalle" in Ypres.

Attached is a mini. I have no idea iof the ribbon is correct.

kind regards,

Jef

[GM1]

Thanks a lot for the information! So it's Belgian. The date on it is 1969, so it could be a commemorative medal from a wounded WW1 soldiers organisation?

Best regards,

GM1

[Jef]

Hello Wim,

I have been looking into my documentation and found some information written by A. C Borné. I joined some photocopies I have about non official medals. See attachement, n° 37 please.

I also saw your medal has some (privately made?) inscriptions, I attached a scan of the medal in my collection. No insciptions.

Kind regards,

Jef

[GM1]

Thanks a lot, Jef!!! Very greatful for the information!

Regards

GM1

[GM1]

Indeed, additional inscription is:

"Edouard Dierickx - 16/12/69

A.M.R. - RECONNAISSANCE"

Any idea what A.M.R. could mean?

Thanks

GM1