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Escapees' Cross 1940–1945
The Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 (, ) was a Belgian war service medal established on 25 February 1944 by the Belgian government in exile in London. It was awarded to all Belgian citizens who, during World War II, escaped from occupied Belgium, from another occupied land or from Germany and that, following said escape, had proven their patriotism by joining and serving with a resistance group, or had been imprisoned for a minimum of three months following an act of patriotism, or for having travelled clandestinely to participate in a Belgian action aimed at promoting the war against the enemy. Escaped prisoners of war could also be awarded the medal if they met this last criteria. The medal's statute was later amended to include those who had escaped, even from non occupied territories, and made their way to the United Kingdom in order to continue fighting the enemy. This included the Belgians rescued between 28 May and 2 June 1940 from the beaches of Dunkirk, it also included th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flag Of Belgium
The national flag of the Kingdom of Belgium is a Tricolour (flag), tricolour consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours: black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical design may be based on the flag of France. When flown, the black band is nearest the pole (at the hoist side). It has the unusual proportions of 1315, and therefore, unlike the flags of Switzerland and the Vatican City, it is not a perfect square. In 1830, the flag, at that time non-officially, consisted of three horizontal bands, with the colors red, yellow and black. On 23 January 1831, the National Congress of Belgium, National Congress enshrined the tricolor in the Constitution of Belgium, Constitution, but did not determine the direction and order of the color bands. As a result, the "official" flag was given vertical stripes with the colors black, yellow and red. Previous flags After the death of Charlemagne, the p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Obverse
The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' means the front face of the object and ''reverse'' means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called ''heads'', because it often depicts the head of a prominent person, and the reverse ''tails''. In numismatics, the abbreviation ''obv.'' is used for ''obverse'',David Sear. ''Greek Imperial Coins and Their Values.'' Spink Books, 1982. p. xxxv. while , )(Jonathan Edwards. ''Catalogue of the Greek and Roman Coins in the Numismatic Collection of Yale College, Volume 2.'' Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, 1880. p. 228. and ''rev.''Allen G. Berman. ''Warman's Coins And Paper Money: Identification and Price Guide.'' Penguin, 2008. are used for ''reverse''. Vexillologists use the symbols "normal" for the obverse and "reverse" for the r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Awards And Decorations Of Belgium
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a distinct military uniform. They may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of a military is usually defined as defence of their state and its interests against external armed threats. In broad usage, the terms "armed forces" and "military" are often synonymous, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include other paramilitary forces such as armed police. Beyond warfare, the military may be employed in additional sanctioned and non-sanctioned functions within the state, including internal security threats, crowd control, promotion of political agendas, emergency services and reconstructi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1944 Establishments In Belgium
Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in North Africa. ** Landing at Saidor: 13,000 US and Australian troops land on Papua New Guinea in an attempt to cut off a Japanese retreat. * January 8 – WWII: Philippine Commonwealth troops enter the province of Ilocos Sur in northern Luzon and attack Japanese forces. * January 11 ** United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposes a Second Bill of Rights for social and economic security, in his State of the Union address. ** The Nazi German administration expands Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp into the larger standalone ''Konzentrationslager Plaszow bei Krakau'' in occupied Poland. * January 12 – WWII: Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle begin a 2-day conference in Marrakech. * Janua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orders, Decorations, And Medals Of Belgium
Belgium has established numerous orders of knighthood, decorations and medals since its creation in 1830. Below is a list of those awards. The order of precedence is difficult to establish as Belgium does not keep an up-to-date listing with dormant and active awards. However, André Borné has established such a listBorné A.C., 1985, ''Distinctions honorifiques de la Belgique, 1830-1985'' (Brussels) that is used as a basis. National orders Orders displayed on a white background are active; those on a grey background are dormant or no longer awarded. Current awards and decorations Military awards Civilian awards Military marching medals Historical awards and decorations These medals and decorations are currently no longer awarded. Belgian Revolution (1830–31) World War I (1914–1918) Medals are shown in order of precedence. World War II (1940–1945) and the Korean War (1954) Medals are shown in order of precedence. Other medals and awards Awards and m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walter Ganshof Van Der Meersch
Walter Jean Ganshof van der Meersch (18 May 1900 – 12 September 1993) was a Belgian jurist and lawyer. He competed in the four-man bobsledding event at the 1928 Winter Olympics The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games (; ; ; ) and commonly known as St. Moritz 1928 (; ), were an international winter multi-sport event that was celebrated from 11 to 19 February 1928 in St. Moritz, Swit .... During the German invasion of Belgium a number of people suspected of being hostile to the state were arrested on his orders and later murdered in what became known as the Abbeville massacre. References External links * 1900 births 1993 deaths Belgian male bobsledders Olympic bobsledders for Belgium Bobsledders at the 1928 Winter Olympics Sportspeople from Bruges 20th-century Belgian sportsmen {{Belgium-bobsleigh-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Poswick
Charles Marie Jean Joseph Elvire Ghislain baron Poswick (6 October 1924 – 28 July 1994) was a Belgian politician for the PLP. Poswick was doctor in Law and licentiate in commercial and financial sciences. He became para-commando and broker. Poswick was a member of parliament (1965–1991) for the PLP for the district Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ... and President of the French community Council (1984–1985) and of the Walloon district Council (1985–1988). He was minister of defence from 1966 up to 1968 and in 1980. Sources Charles Poswick (In French) (Liberal Archive, in Dutch) * Van Molle, P., Het Belgisch parlement 1894–1969, Gent, Erasmus, 1969, p. 276. * Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers. Officieel Handboek, 1988, p. 161. 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean-Baptiste Piron
Jean-Baptiste Piron (10 April 1896 – 4 September 1974) was a Belgian military officer, best known for his role in the Free Belgian forces during World War II as commander of the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade, widely known as the "Piron Brigade", between 1942 and 1944. Piron entered the Belgian Army and served during World War I as both a junior infantry officer and, briefly, in the Belgian Air Force. He rose through the ranks during the interwar period and held the rank of major at the time of the German invasion of Belgium in World WarII. He subsequently escaped from German-occupied Belgium and reached the United Kingdom, where he led a re-organisation of the Free Belgian military. Promoted to the head of the 1stBelgian Infantry Brigade, he led the unit from 1942 to 1944, including on the Western Front in late 1944. He commanded the Belgian army of occupation in Germany in 1946–1947 and was aide de camp to Prince-Regent Charles and, later, to King Baudouin. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lion (heraldry)
The lion is a common Charge (heraldry), charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, Royal family, royalty, strength, stateliness and Courage, valour, because historically the lion has been regarded as the "king of beasts". The lion also carries Judeo-Christian symbolism. The Lion of Judah stands in the Emblem of Jerusalem, coat of arms of Jerusalem. Similar-looking lions can be found elsewhere, such as in the coat of arms of the Swedish royal House of Bjälbo, from there in turn derived into the coat of arms of Finland, formerly belonging to Sweden. History The animals of the "barbarian" (Eurasian nomads, Eurasian) predecessors of heraldic designs are likely to have been used as totemism, clan symbols. Confronted animals, Symmetrically paired animals in particular find continuation from Migration Period art via Insular art to Romanesque art and heraldry. Adopted in Germanic art, Germanic tradition around the Germanic Iron Age, 5th century, they w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cross Pattée
A cross pattée or cross patty (, ), also known as a cross formée or cross formy, or even a Templar cross, is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre and often flared in a curve or straight line shape to be broader at the perimeter. The form appears very early in medieval art, for example, in a metalwork treasure binding given to Monza Cathedral by Lombards, Lombard queen Theodelinda (died 628) and the 8th-century lower cover of the Lindau Gospels in the Morgan Library. An early English example from the start of the age of heraldry proper (i.e., about 1200) is found in the arms of Baron Berkeley. Etymology The word ''pattée'' is a French language, French adjective in the feminine form used in its full context as ''la croix pattée'', meaning literally "footed cross", from the noun ''patte'', meaning literally foot, generally that of an animal. The cross has four splayed feet, each akin to the foot, for example, of a chalice or candelabrum. In German la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingdom Of Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. Belgium covers an area of and has a population of more than 11.8 million; its population density of ranks 22nd in the world and sixth in Europe. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven. Belgium is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a complex federal system structured on regional and linguistic grounds. The country is divided into three highly autonomous regions:Pateman, Robert and Elliott, Mark (2006). ''Belgium'. Benchmark Books. p. 27. the Flemish Region (Flanders) in the north, the Walloon Region (Wallonia) in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
