The 1914-1918 Commemorative War Medal

The Commemorative Medal of the 1914-1918 (Médaille Commémorative de la Guerre 1914-1918 / Oorlogsherinnerinsmedaille 1914-1918) is a Belgian commemorative war medal established on 21 July 1919 by royal decree and awarded to all members of the Belgian Armed Forces who served during the First World War who were eligible for the Inter Allied Victory Meda.

The 1914-1918 Commemorative War Medal Design

The medal was struck from bronze and measures 47 mm high by 31 mm wide. It’s triangular-shaped and has rounded sides.

Its obverse bears a relief of a helmeted soldier in profile, within a 29 mm in diameter circular recess, and with the helmet adorned with laurels. There are also relief dates “1914” and “1918”. In the upper point of the triangle, above the circular recess, there’s an image of a lion rampant with an oak branch to its left and a laurel branch to its right.

The reverse bears the relief image of a crown surrounded by the same branches as the lion on the obverse, and below the crown, a semi-circular inscription in French on two rows over the large relief dates “1914 – 1918”, “MEDAILLE COMMEMORATIVE / DE LA CAMPAGNE“, the inscription repeated in Dutch below the dates “HERDENKINGSMEDAILLE / VAN DEN VELDTOCHT” (translated to COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL OF THE 1914 – 1918 CAMPAIGN).

The medal is suspended by a ring through the suspension loop to a 39 mm wide red silk moiré ribbon with an 11 mm wide central yellow stripe bordered by 1 mm wide black stripes.