Czechoslovakian War Cross 1914-18

Czechoslovakian War Cross composed of four interlaced circles. Unnamed as issued. Obverse: The Arms of Bohemia (top), Moravia (left), Silesia (right) and Slovakia (bottom). Reverse: Interwoven 'CS' in the centre on a field of three linden leaves on each arm. The medal is fitted with a loose ring suspender and a piece of 38 mm ribbon that is red with a 1 mm white edge and three pairs of equally spaced white stripes 5 mm apart that have a 1 mm red centre stripe.

Instituted in 1918 The War Cross was awarded for bravery in action during the First World War. A bar of bronze linden leaves was pinned to the ribbon for unit commendations while silver (Army Order) and bronze (Divisional Order) five pointed stars attached to the ribbon, were issued for individual acts of gallantry retrospectively in 1919. A decree of 7 July 1919 extended the period of the award, to include subsequent operations against the Poles, at Teschen in January 1919, and against the Hungarians, in Slovakia in June 1919. 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.