Belgian Croix de Guerre 1915-18

Belgian Croix de Guerre 1915 - 1918. Unnamed as issued. A Maltese cross with shallow angle ends and small ball finials on the eight points. Crossed swords appear between the arms. Obverse: The Belgian rampant lion, facing left on the central medallion. Reverse: The royal initial 'A' [King Albert I]. At the top a hinged double sided crown and a loose suspender ring. The medal is fitted with a piece of 38 mm red ribbon that has three 2 mm green centre stripes, 3 mm apart and 2 mm green edge stripes inset 3 mm.

The Belgian Croix de Guerre ( War Cross) was instituted on 25 October 1915 as a means of recognising acts of heroism performed by individuals, by both Belgian nationals and members of any of the Allied powers during the First World War. It was also awarded to Belgian service personnel who had completed three years of front-line service. Frontline vetrans over the age of 40 qualified for the award after 18 months service.The medal could only be earned by foreign nationals for acts of heroism conducted on Belgian soil. 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.