Belgian WW1 Medals : The Volunteer Combattant Medal

Hello All,

The Volunteer Combatant Medal 1914-1918

Awarded to Belgian or foreign civilians who volunteered to serve with the Belgian armed forces and did actually, during the World War, serve with a combat unit in a danger zone for a minimum of 6 months.

This bronze medal was instituted on 17 June 1930. A number of regulations extended the field of recipients : volunteers older than 40 years had to serve only 3 months while those over 50 became eligible after one month's combat service. Medical staff could obtain the medal after serving two years in non-occupied Belgium and further regulations governed the award to e.g. youngsters having fled occupied Belgium, the award in case of wounds, posthumous awards, etc.
The medal's obverse shows the heads of two volunteers : one in the 1830's (year of Belgium's independance) and one in the 1914's head gear. Above them is a royal crown on laurel branches. The reverse has the dates "1914-1918" in the centre and the text "VOLUNTARIIS PATRIA MEMOR" around the edge. The ribbon is plain dark blue. A second type exists with the reverse first word being spelled VOLONTARIIS.

Cheers,
Hendrik