Vatican Cross of Mentana 1867

Vatican Cross of Mentana 1867. Unnamed as issued. A cross pattée with concave ends to the arms. Obverse: A circular central medallion bearing the Papal arms circumscribed ‘FIDEI ET VIRTUTI’, the upper, left, right and lower arms are inscribed ‘PP’, ‘PIUS’, ‘IX’, ‘1867’ respectively. Reverse: A circular central medallion bearing a Latin cross within a laurel wreath, inscribed above ‘HINC VICTORIA’. The medal is fitted with a pierced ball on the top arm for a loose suspender ring and a piece of 34 mm white ribbon that has two light blue stripes.

The medal was created by Pope Pius IX on 14 November 1867 to commemorate the Battle of Mentana on 3 November 1867 in which a combined force of 3,000 Pontifical troops and a Corps of 2,000 French defeated an attempt by Garibaldi to take Rome. The Imperial French government authorised the wearing of the medal with uniform on 3 March 1868. 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.