Serbian Bravery Medal 1913

Serbian Bravery Medal 1913. Unnamed as issued. Obverse: The effigy of Milosh Obilich in armour wearing a helmet that has a crest of a Griffin. To the left and right ia a Cyrillic name. Reverse: A cross pattée convexed with crossed swords between the arms. In the centre 'is text in Cyrillic ['For Bravery'], surrounded by a laurel wreath. The medal is fitted with a ring suspender through the head of the Griffin crest. A piece of 37 mm plain red ribbon folded in a triangular shape is attached to the suspender.

This Bravery Medal (commonly known as 'Milosh Obilich Medal') was founded on 12 July 1913 by King Peter I, and was initially awarded for acts of conspicuous personal bravery, or for personal bravery in the field during the short war of 1913 against Bulgaria. The Medal had two classes, in gold and silver. The award of the medal continued during both the First and Second World Wars to both to national and allied military personnel. Milosh Obilich was a medieval Serbian knight who was considered the epitome of bravery and honesty. He was killed in 1389 at the Battle of Kosovo by the Turkish army for having stabbed Sultan Murad I to death. Obilich was held to personify the fearless, heroic Serbian warrior, ready to sacrifice his own life in face of threatening defeat.

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.