The Maritime Medal 1940-1945

Instituted 17th July 1941 by the exiled Belgian Government in London. The initial decree defined this as a bravery award for acts of courage in saving lives or preventing the loss of a vessel, and could be award to the sailors of the Navy, Merchant Navy or Fishing fleet. A further post war decree of 13th August 1948 defined the period covered by the medal to be 3rd September 1939 to 15 August 1945. New categories of entitlement were also added which changed the nature of the award including: posthumously, to sailors who had lost their lives due to enemy action at sea; sailors who had suffered two vessel sinking's due to enemy action, and sailors who had served an aggregate of two years with the Belgian fleets or the Royal Navy.

Description; 32.5mm diameter, of patinated bronze. Suspension is by means of a ring through a fixed decorative ribbon bow design attachment to the top of the disk. The crossed anchors of matching metal are typically present on the ribbon however missing. Obverse depicts the Belgian lion rampant; reverse, the crowned monogram of Leopold III. Ribbon; sea green with three narrow white stripes positioned to each side.

The medal was also awarded to native sailors of the Belgian Congo, under the same conditions and on an equal footing to their European counterparts. In relatively good condition as shown.

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