Serbian The Great War for Liberation and Unification Commemorative Cross 1914 - 1918

Serbian The Great War for Liberation and Unification Commemorative Cross 1914 - 1918. Unnamed as issued. A bronze cross pattée convexed with crossed swords between the arms. Obverse: The bust of King Peter 1 facing right, surrounded by a Cyrillic inscription (Peter I King of Serbia) and a laurel and oak leaf wreath, with '1914' on the top arm of the cross and '1918' on the bottom. Reverse: The Royal Serbian crowned double headed eagle in the centre with '1915' on the lower arm of the cross, '1916' on the left and '1918' on the right. The medal is fitted with a loose ring suspender and a piece of 37 mm tri-colour ribbon of red, light blue and white in equal widths, folded in a triangular shape.

Instituted on 1 December 1920 by the Serbian Prince-Regent Aleksandar, to commemorate the 1914-1918 War against the Central Powers, the liberation of the Serbian Homeland and the unification of the Southern Slavs. The medal was awarded to veterans of the First World War, to officers, NCOs and enlisted men of the Serbian and Montenegrin Armed Forces, as well as to the Allied military personnel who contributed to the liberation of Serbia. This medal is part of a collection assembled by the late Hon. Sir Thomas Hughes, Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. It was presented to the Memorial in memory of his son, Captain Roger Forrest Hughes, Australian Army Medical Corps, who died of wounds in France on 11 December 1916 and his grandson, Flying Officer Peter Roger Forrest Hughes, 12 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, who was killed on active service while flying in the Northern Territory on 3 October 1942.