Identification Belgian uniform

[GM1]

Can anyone help me with the identification of this Belgian uniform, presumibly from a NCO? The odd thing is that he's wearing an unoffical Knight Order of Leopold II with swords.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Gm1 

 

[VC89]

My knowledge of military uniforms is limited but it looks like a pre-WW I uniform with post WW I medals. Victory Medal and Commemorative Medal of the War 1914-1918 are both created in 1919.

 

It must either be a NCO or a lower rank. Officers didn't received the Military Decoration but the Military Cross.

 

I tried to recreate the medal bar with examples of my own collection:

 

• Knight in the Order of Leopold II (with the unofficial swords under the crown)
• Palms in the Order of the Crown (I presume gold ones due to his long career)
• War Cross 1914, with palm
• Victory Medal
• Commemorative Medal of the War 1914-1918 (seeing the duration of his career I guess 8 front stripes).
• Military Decoration 1st Class (awarded for 15 years of service)
• Civil Decoration for Long Service in the Administration (Looks odd on a military uniform. It might be the the Civil Decoration for Bravery or the Civil Decoration for Civil Guard. They have the same medal but on a different ribbon, but going by the blurry enlargement of the picture it looks more like this ribbon.)

 

[Bayern]

The man portrayed is not a NCO , a NCO dont carry oak leaves embrioidered on the collar and on the band of the kepi , the oval cockade on the kepi is Belgian , the absence of epaulettes or shoulder boards , the lack also of hungarian knots on the cuffs conduces to think in a police comissioner or a Prefet as those of France

[GM1]

Thanks for the replies! Indeed it seems that it is a police commissioner (head of police) uniform, from the beginning of the 1900.

the back of the frame shows that it was framed in Gent (Gand).

 

The frame with its medals

The order of Leopold II has swords under the crown, which is an unofficial version (only allowed with the Order of Leopold). 
The Military Decoration 1st Class is from the Leopold II period.

There is the bronze medal of the Civil Decoration for Bravery.

Four silver front stripes on the Commemorative Medal for the war 1914-18

A bronze palm on the War Cross. 
 

[VC89]

I almost nailed it with the medals ?

 

4 frontstripes instead of 8.

Civil Decoration for Bravery instead of Long Service in the Administration.

 

The Military Decoration is the version used till 1910. In that year the monogram of King Leopold II changed in that of King Albert I. Also, the monogram should be the back of the medal. The front should be the lion ?.

 

So my guess is: A former military (NCO or lower) who later joined the police force. He served in the army during WW I. Since he received the Civil Medal for Bravery and not the Military Decoration for Bravery, I suspect he did a heroic action after he left the army, maybe in his position as a policeman.

 

The picture should be taken between 1919-1930, since he wears the Victory Medal (created in 1919) and the Commemorative Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the National Independance (created in 1930) is in the frame but not worn in the picture. He might have been retired by the time he received it.

 

 

Did you puchased it from a online seller in Belgium recently? The frame looks familiar, I think I saw it on a second hands website.

Edited October 2, 2021 by VC89

[GM1]

Thanks VC89! 
 

It got into my collection like 1 year ago, bought from internet. The unofficial LII was that paid my attention. 
 

best regards 

 

GM1