David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:11pm
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Medaglia Dell Guerra 1915
Medaglia Dell Guerra 1915-1918 (War Medal 1915-1918) Awarded for participation to the 1st World War. This medal was instituted on 29 July 1920 and replaced a ribbon bar, introduced on 21 May 1916, which was awarded after 1 year service in a war zone. Additional war service years were indicated by a small silver star.
In 1920 this ribbon was replaced by the medal and a number of bars are attached to the ribbon according to the recipients war service. These bars are covered with laurel leaves and bear either a service year between 1915 and 1918 or the word Albania, followed by a service year between 1916 and 1920.
The medal's obverse bears the helmeted head of King Victor Emanuel III and around the rim is the text "GVERRA PER L'VNITA D'ITALIA 1915 1918" (War for the Unity of Italy).
The reverse depicts an upright Victory standing on shields born by 2 soldiers. Around the rim is the text "CONIATA 'NEL BRONZO NEMICO" (made from enemy bronze).
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:11pm
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Medaglia di Volontario di
Medaglia di Volontario di Guerra 1915-1918 (Medal for the War Volunteer 1915-1918) Awarded to those who entered the Italian armed forces as volunteers during WWI. This bronze medal was instituted on 24 May 1924 and has the crowned head of "Italia" on the obverse as well as the words "PER L'ITALIA" (For Italy). The reverse depicts a naked warrior bearing a shield and a veiled woman behind him. Around the rim the medal's title and the war's dates "VOLONTARIO DI GVERRA MCMXV-MCMXVIII".
- The same medal, bearing other dates, was also issued for the 2nd World War while another one was awarded for a number of colonial wars. The latter one has the years 1936-39 in Roman figures and the letters A.O.I. (Africa Orientale Italiana, Italian East Africa) on the reverse.
- Very often the medal is found without any dates at all which is probably a modern restrike which can be used for either World War.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:11pm
Rating: 10
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Medaglia Della Vittoria I
Medaglia Della Vittoria Interalleata (Medal of Allied Victory) Awarded to participants of the 1st World War. The obverse depicts a winged Victory on a triumphal chariot drawn by four lions while the reverse has a tower-like structure from which fly 2 doves. Around the upper rim is the text "GRANDE GVERRA PER LA CIVILITA" (The Great War for Civilization), in the middle the war years "MXMXIV" and "MXMXVIII" and in the exergue "AL COMBATIENTI DELLA NAZIONE ALLEATE ED ASSOCIATE" (To the combattants of the allied and associated countries).
The medal was instituted on 6 April 1922.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:12pm
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Medaglia di Madri e Vedov
Medaglia di Madri e Vedove Dei Caduti (Medal for Mothers and Widows of the Fallen.) This medal was instituted on 24 May 1919 as a token of national gratitude.
The obverse has an allegorical design showing a woman offering a laurel wreath to a dying soldier while another woman stands in the background. The reverse is completely filled with the text IL FIGLI / CHE TI NACQVE / DAL DOLORE / TI RINASCE "O BEATA" / NELLA GLORIA / E IL VIVO EROE / "PIENA DI GRAZIA " / E TECO (the son which was born out of you in pain, is reborn to you, o blessed one, full of glory and he lives as a hero. With gratitude).
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:14pm
Rating: 10
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Ordine Di Vittorio Veneto
Ordine Di Vittorio Veneto. Ordine di Vittorio Veneto (Order of Vittorio Veneto): instituted on 18.3.1968 by the President of the Republic of Italy to honour all servicemen of World war I who had already earned, for their brave deeds, a War Merit Cross or, at least, had been entitled to receive one. The recipients (over 600.000, according to the Ministry of Defence) were included in the rolls after acceptance of their application addressed to the Order's Council; in 1969 the same (if officers or non-commissioned officers at war-time) were symbolically promoted to an higher rank, with an improvement of their retirement pay. Head of the Order, which came in the only class of "knight", is the President of the Republic. The cross of the Order is made of black bronze, with four equal and pointed arms ("aiguis?e") embellished by laurel wreaths in relief; the obverse of the cross bears a star encircled by the inscription "ORDINE DI VITTORIO VENETO", while the reverse is decorated by an "Adrian" helmet. The ribbon is vertically divided in three equal parts: a central one in white-blue-white, flanked on both sides by six narrow stripes in green-white-red repeated two times. In many experts' opinion, the Order of Vittorio Veneto is an anomalous one, being condemned to extinction with the death of its last knight; to prevent such a sad occurence, it was recently proposed (apparently without result) to extend its knigthood to veterans up to World War II.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:17pm
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M
M?daille d'honneur pour actes de courage et de d?vouement (Medal of Honor for Acts of Courage and Devotion) This is an old award, with a somewhat complicated history. As an award, it existed since the days
of Louis XIV. King Louis Philippe made it a wearable medal on April 12, 1831. Over the years, the design of the medal has varied depending of it was issued by the Monarchy, the Empire, or the Republic. Medals of Honor were bestowed by certain Ministries within the French government which had their own variations in medallion the design. The ribbon was always Blue / White / Red. There were five classes of this award. The lowest class had a bronze medallion, hung from a plain Blue/White/Red ribbon. Next came the Silver, 2nd Class, with a silver medallion, hung from the simple ribbon. Silver First Class had a silver medallion, but added a silver wreath device pinned to the ribbon. The 'Vermeill' award had a silver-gilt medallion, and silver-gilt wreath pin on the ribbon. The highest level of the award was the Gold, which had a gold medallion (though sometimes this was also silver-gilt when gold was in short supply). The Gold award also had a gold wreath pin and a tricolor rosette on the ribbon.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:20pm
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Army Medal of Honor
The Army Medal of Honor. The original version of this medal was authorized by Congress on July 12, 1862, and was the same as the Navy medal of the time, with a different suspension. In 1904, due to the design being copied by various veteran's organizations, a new version (left) was designed and the patent was transferred to the Secretary of War to prevent this practice. Unlike the Navy medal, the Army version was only awarded for combat action. The award of only four Army Medals of Honor was approved during the actual fighting of World War I. Five days after the Armistice, General John J. Pershing, commander of the American forces, directed that all cases in which a Distinguished Service Cross had been awarded should be investigated to see if a Medal of Honor should be conferred instead. Following this review, an additional ninety-four Medals were awarded. Twenty-five of the Medals of Honor awarded for action in World War I were given posthumously.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:21pm
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Distinguished Service Cro
The Distinguished Service Cross Second only to the Medal of Honor for Army personnel, this decoration was created by executive order on January 2 1918 and authorized by Congress on July 9, 1918. It is awarded to "a person who while serving in any capacity with the Army, distinguished himself or herself by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor; while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing or foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing Armed Force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The act or acts of heroism must have been so notable and have involved risk of life so extraordinary as to set the individual apart from his or her comrades." During World War I, approximately 100 awards of an early variation of this medal known as the "French" or "first" style were also given. In this form, the arms of the cross were ornamented with oak leaves, the eagle was mounted on a diamond-shaped plaque, and the scroll bore the words "E Pluribus Unum", rather than the present-day "For Valor".
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:30pm
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Deutsche Ehrendenkm
Deutsche Ehrendenkm?nze des Weltkrieges der Deutschen Ehrenlegion.
(German Honorary World War Commemorative Medal of the German Legion of Honour.) Awarded by the "Council of the Order" of the Union of Nationalist Soldiers to men or women who, during the 1st WW and after dutifully served the Fatherland.
This bronze medal, either gilded or coppered. Noteworthy is the portayal of the winged Victory crowning a German soldier on the obverse. The reverse shows the Iron Cross 1st Class with oak leaves around the lower rim of the medal. Along the upper edge of the medal is the text "F?RS VATERLAND" (For the Fatherland) in Gothic lettering. The ribbon is formed with the then German national colours.
For frontline troops a combat emblem was created for attachment to the ribbon : a gilt oak leaf wreath with a sword across.
This medal was first proposed in the autumn of 1917 but it took till 1921 before the "Council of the Order", which was to effect the actual awarding, was formed. Recipients had to pay for their medal themselves and could, if they so wished, be entered in the German Legion of Honour. This organization was divided in "Ritterschaften" (knight groups) and its members could call themselves "Ritter der Deutschen Ehrenlegion" (Knight of the German Legion of Honour).
Early in the Nazi era, by a decree of 15 May 1934, awards like these were forbidden and the German Legion of Honour joined the Kyffh?user-Bund (the official veterans' organization) soon after.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:31pm
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Das Ehren- und Erinnerung
Das Ehren- und Erinnerungskreuz des Marinekorps Flandern (Honor and Remembrance Cross of the Navy Corps, Flanders) also referred to as "Flandernkreuz". This was a non-official decoration awarded during the Weimar Republic, most likely as a commemorative token to members of the Navy Corps stationed on the Flemish coast in Belgium.
This bronze cross has crossed swords between the cross's arms and has on the obverse a central medaillon with, within a laurel wreath, an anchor on the letter "W" (Emperor Wilhelm) and an emperor's crown on top. The cross's arms bear the text "Zur See / Unbe- / siegt / Im Felde" which should be read : Zur See, Im Felde, unbesiegt (on the seas, in the field, unvanquished).
The reverse has the "Kriegsflagge", the German Navy Battle Flag, in the laurel wreathed medaillon and a Flemish lion in the upper cross arm. The remaining arms have the text "MARINE- / KORPS - 1914/18". The ribbon is in the then German national colours.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:34pm
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Iron Cross
Iron Cross. Originally created in 1813 by King Fredrick III during Prussia's period of 'blood and iron' -- their struggle for survival against Napoleon. The award was to supersede all other bravery awards and only during times of war. The Iron Cross was re-issued during the Franco-Prussina war (1870-71). The 1914 Iron Cross was established in three classes: second class, first class (shown above), and Grand Cross. The Grand Cross was of the same design, but physically larger and worn at the neck. In 1916, the grand cross was augmented with a breast star, which was bestowed upon only one recipient - Field Marshall Von Hindenburg. The second class and Grand Cross are suspended from a black and white ribbon, while the first class is a pinback badge worn on the left side of the uniform. The second class cross was usually only worn in dress uniform - at all other times it was represented by its ribbon looped through the second buttonhole of the tunic. There were approximately 218,000 awards of the first class during WWI, and over 5,000,000 of the second class. There were only five recipients of the Grand Cross, including Hindenburg, and of course, the Kaiser himself.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:35pm
Rating: 10
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Royal Hohenzollern House
Royal Hohenzollern House Order, as its name implies, was not so much a Prussian order as an order of the Prussian ruling family, the Hohenzollerns. Nonetheless, this order earned an important place in the heirarchy of Prussian military awards of the First World War. The knight's cross of this order became a bridge to the considerable gap between the Iron Cross, first class, and the Pour le Merite for recognizing heroism., while the Crown Order and Red Eagle (logical choices) remained fairly exclusive.
There was also a "member's cross" of the order which was available to non-commissioned officers, but was rarely awarded. When awarded for duty in a combat unit or for combat operations, the decoration had swords between the arms of the cross. There were over 8,000 awards made during World War I, the vast majority of them knight's crosses.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:36pm
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Order of the Red Eagle
Order of the Red Eagle. In the 1700s, the Order of the Brandenburger Red Eagle, passed in the Prussian Orders system, eventually settling just below the Pour le M?rite in prestige. Prior to the First World War, the Order of the Red Eagle (with Grand Cross, & 4 classes ) was awarded to recognize valor in combat or excellence in military leadership. It was, as with the Order of the Crown and other Prussian orders, both a military and a civil award, with the addition of crossed swords to indicate a military award.
The 1st Class badge differed from the lower classes in that it was a white enameled maltese cross with red and gold eagles between the arms. The lower classes' badge was the flat-ended St. George style cross, without eagles.
During World War I, award of the Red Eagle Order was limited somewhat in order to preserve its prestige. The 3rd and 4th classas were awarded only 116 times. (Click here to see a 4th Class cross, w/o swords and with the order's peacetime ribbon). Manfred von Richtofen, the famed "Red Baron," received the third class of the order with both crown and swords- an unusually high honor for a mere captain, even if he was a hero and a baron.
There was also a medal of the order, which could be awarded to enlisted men and non-commissioned officers.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:36pm
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Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown. Instituted in 1861, the Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry, although it still held considerable status. As with most European orders of the time, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers (or civilians of approximately equivalent status), but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non- commissioned officers and enlisted men. This order was not frequently awarded for combat actions during the war, although awards "with swords" were made in great numbers to military personnel, for general merit. Shown above is the 4th class badge, with gilt cross arms. The higher grades had white enamel arms.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:43pm
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Verwundetenmedaille
Verwundetenmedaille (Wound Medal) Awarded to members of the Army or Navy who were wounded in battle. This medal in grey metal bears, on the obverse, the head of Emperor Karl and has along the upper rim his name 'CAROLVS'. The reverse (shown in the enlargement) has the text "LAESO / MILITI" (to the military wounded) and below "MCMXVIII" (1918 in Roman figures). The medal was instituted on 12 August 1917 but only struck in 1918 which explains the year on the reverse. According to the number of wounds received, the ribbon has 1 to 5 central red stripes, bordered black.
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