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| Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 |
| Caption | Obverse and reverse of the Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 |
| Presented by | Belgium |
| Type | Medal |
| Eligibility | Volunteers for service 1940–1945 |
| Awarded for | Volunteer service during World War II |
| Status | Dormant |
| Established | 1945 |
| First awarded | 1945 |
| Last awarded | 1950s |
Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 The Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 is a commemorative decoration instituted to recognize individuals who volunteered for service during the period of World War II between 1940 and 1945. It was established in the aftermath of the Western Front campaigns and the Belgian government in exile's return, reflecting the role of volunteers in theatres including the Normandy landings, the Battle of the Bulge, and operations in North Africa and Italy. Recipients included members of resistance networks, expatriate forces, and integrated units that later served with formations such as the Free French Forces, British Expeditionary Force, and Royal Air Force. The medal intersects with broader award systems including the Order of Leopold II, the Croix de Guerre, and campaign-specific clasps associated with the Sicily Campaign.
The Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 was created amid postwar reconstruction and the reorganizations of honors under the reign of King Leopold III of the Belgians and later King Baudouin of Belgium. Its establishment followed precedents set by decorations such as the 1914–1918 Commemorative War Medal and was contemporaneous with awards like the British Volunteer Reserve Medal and the French Volunteer Combatant's Cross. The medal acknowledged volunteers who had joined units including the Belgian Expeditionary Corps, the Free Belgian Forces, or served within formations allied to the United States Army and Soviet Red Army during theatres ranging from the Battle of Britain to the Italian Campaign. Decisions on issuance were influenced by records from institutions such as the Royal Army Museum (Brussels), the State Archives of Belgium, and veteran organizations including the Association Royale des Anciens Combattants and the Union of Veterans of the Resistance.
Eligibility criteria required proof of voluntary enlistment between 1940 and 1945 and participation with recognized units such as the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, or colonial contingents like the Force Publique. Civilian volunteers who served in the Belgian Resistance or in diplomatic assignments with the Belgian government in exile were eligible when documentary evidence from units such as the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade or records from the Commissariat Général aux Prisonniers de Guerre corroborated service. Awards were adjudicated by committees drawing on documentation from the Ministry of Defence (Belgium), veteran registries, and corroboration from commanders linked to formations such as the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen (for adversary context), 21st Army Group, or the Eighth Army (United Kingdom). Special provisions mirrored precedents in the Order of Leopold and allowed posthumous recognition for casualties from engagements like the Battle of Dunkirk and the Siege of Tobruk.
The obverse bears effigies and iconography influenced by national symbols used in decorations such as the Order of Leopold II and medals like the Belgian Croix Civique. The reverse includes inscriptions detailing the 1940–1945 service period and motifs comparable to those seen on the Queen Elisabeth Medal and the Commemorative Medal of the 1940–1945 War. Ribbon colors evoked the tricolour employed by the Belgian flag and paralleled ribbons of decorations such as the Victory Medal (Belgium). Manufacture was undertaken by established mints collaborating with firms that produced insignia for the Imperial War Museum exhibitions and private contractors that also struck decorations like the Croix de Guerre (France). Miniature versions were produced for use with civilian dress, following traditions found in the Order of Leopold insignia.
Recipients included veteran figures who later assumed public roles, such as politicians who had volunteered and later served in institutions like the Chamber of Representatives (Belgium) and the Senate (Belgium), or military leaders associated with commands like the First Canadian Army or the Polish II Corps. Recipients also encompassed members of resistance networks linked to personalities active in the European Allied leadership and to organizations such as the Belgian Labour Party and cultural figures tied to the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. International volunteers who served with the Free French Forces and later figures in postwar institutions, including delegates to the United Nations and officials in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, were among awardees, reflecting the medal's cross-border recognition.
Regulations for wearing the Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 followed precedence rules similar to those applied to orders such as the Order of Leopold and decorations like the Croix de Guerre (Belgium). It was worn on the left breast, positioned relative to campaign medals such as the 1939–1945 Star and national decorations including the Order of Leopold II. Veterans' associations and uniformed services including the Royal Army of Belgium and the Belgian Air Component maintained guidance on mounting alongside foreign awards like the Order of the British Empire and the Legion of Merit (United States).
The medal's legacy is preserved in collections at the Royal Army Museum (Brussels), displays at the Museum of the Resistance (Belgium), and archives held by institutions like the Royal Library of Belgium. Commemorative ceremonies involving organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars-style associations, municipal remembrance events in cities like Brussels and Antwerp, and national observances on dates linked to the Liberation of Belgium continue to reference the Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 alongside monuments such as the Congress Column and memorials erected after the Liberation of Brussels. The decoration remains a subject of study for historians associated with universities such as the Free University of Brussels and the University of Liège and is catalogued by numismatic societies and collectors who compare it with awards like the War Cross (Greece) and the Croix de Guerre (Canada).
Category:Belgian military decorations and medals