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Medal of Belgian Gratitude 1940-1945
Medal of Belgian gratitude
Type	Military decoration
Awarded for	Display of humanitarian patriotism by acts of courage
Presented by	Kingdom of Belgium
Eligibility	Belgian or foreign civilians
Clasps	Red cross, embedded in the medal
Status	Dormant
Established	1 August 1945
Ribbon
Precedence
Next (higher)	Queen Elisabeth Medal
Next (lower)	Volunteer combatant medal WW I

The Medal of Belgian Gratitude (French: Médaille de la Reconnaissance Belge; Dutch: Belgische erkentelijkheidsmedaille) is a Belgian medal instituted to be awarded to civilians on 1 August 1945.

Insignia

The medal measures 34 mm in diameter and has an octagonal shape. The obverse depicts a veiled woman (representing Belgium) facing to the right, with a rapier in her right hand, raised in salute. The medal came in 3 versions: gold, silver and bronze.

The reverse bears the inscription “PATRIA GRATA 1940 1945” with a decorative pattern on either side of the inscription. The medal is attached to the ribbon via a laurel wreath. The laurel wreath is open in the center. However, the wreath is filled with a red cross when it is awarded for meritorious service during the administration of aid to the sick or the wounded (Dutch: voor verdienstelijke daden bij hulpverlening aan zieken of gekwetsten).

The ribbon is purple, with 3 central stripes of black, yellow and red, the colors of the Belgian national flag.

Medal of Belgian gratitude in gold, silver and bronze, with and without red enamel cross

Award conditions

The medal of Belgian gratitude was awarded for devotion to philanthropy in order to relieve people from the depravations of the war (Dutch: menslievende instellingen tot leniging van oorlogsnood).

Notable recipients (partial list)

• The gold medal was awarded to the Dutch town of Vught as a token of gratitude towards its citizens for their acts of compassion towards the Belgian political prisoners held in nearby Herzogenbusch concentration camp.

See also

• Orders, decorations, and medals of Belgium
• Belgian honours order of wearing

References

1. Belgian official journal - Belgische erkentelijkheidsmedaille, ingesteld bij Regents besluit van 1 augustus 1945
2. Decree of the Prince Regent of 08 September 1946, gazetted 28 February 1947 (page 2078)

• Decree of the Prince Regent of 1 August 1945 creating a medal of Belgian gratitude
• Quinot H., 1950, Recueil illustré des décorations belges et congolaises, 4e Edition. (Hasselt)
• Cornet R., 1982, Recueil des dispositions légales et réglementaires régissant les ordres nationaux belges. 2e Ed. N.pl., (Brussels)
• Borné A.C., 1985, Distinctions honorifiques de la Belgique, 1830-1985 (Brussels)

External links

• The Medal of Belgian Gratitude 1940-1945
• The Medal of Belgian Gratitude 1940-1945

v t e Orders, decorations, and medals of Belgium
National orders	Order of Leopold Order of the African Star Royal Order of the Lion Order of the Crown Order of Leopold II
Pre–1914	Civic Guard Merit Medal 1830 Star of Honour Iron Cross 1830 Volunteers' Commemorative Cross 1870–71 Commemorative Medal Service Star
World War I	War Cross 1914–18 Fire Cross 1914–1918 Yser Cross and Medal Volunteer Combatant's Medal 1914–1918 Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1918 War Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1917 African Campaigns Liège Medal Maritime Decoration 1914–1918 Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918 Deportees' Cross 1914–1918 1914–1918 Medal for National Restoration King Albert Medal Queen Elisabeth Medal Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918 Civic Decoration 1914–1918 Commemorative Medal of the National Committee for Aid and Food
World War II & Korean War	War Cross 1940–45 Maritime Medal 1940–1945 1940–1945 Military Combatant's Medal Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 1940–1945 African War Medal 1940–1945 Colonial War Effort Medal Abyssinian Campaigns Commemorative Medal Resistance Medal 1940–1945 Civilian Resistance Medal Civilian Disobedience Medal Political Prisoner's Cross 1940–1945 Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 Medal for Resistance against Nazism in the Annexed Territories Medal of the Recruiting Centers 1940 Medal of Belgian Gratitude 1940–1945 Commemorative Medal of the 1940–1945 War Foreign Operational Theatres Commemorative Medal
Current military awards	Military Decoration for exceptional service, bravery or exceptional devotion Military Cross Military Decoration for faithful service Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions Commemorative medal for missions or operations regarding the operational defense of the territory Meritorious Service Medal
Current civilian awards	Civil decoration for acts of bravery, selfsacrifice and philanthropy Civil decoration for faithful service Labour Decoration Laureate of labour
Commemorative medals	Commemorative Decoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Creation of the Railroads Commemorative Medal of the Reign of King Leopold II Commemorative Medal for the 75th Anniversary of the Belgian Postal Service Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal Commemorative Medal for the Centenary of the Telegraphic Service Commemorative Medal for the 100th Anniversary of the Belgian Postal Service Commemorative Medal of the Reign of King Albert I Commemorative Medal for the "European March of Memory and Friendship" "Four Days of the Yser" Commemorative Medal
Belgian Red Cross	Order of the Belgian Red Cross Blood Donour's Medal 1940–1945 Cross of Honour of the Belgian Red Cross 1940–1945 Belgian Red Cross Decoration
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• 1945 establishments in Belgium
• Military awards and decorations of Belgium
• Awards established in 1945