Yser medal

Médaille de l'Yser

• Medal instituted on 18 October 1918.
• Medal awarded to the members of the Belgian Armed Forces who were part of the army fighting along the Yser river between 17 and 31 October 1914 that proved themselves worthy of the distinction. The medal could also be awarded to foreign nationals, members of allied military forces who took part in the Battle of the Yser. The medal could be awarded posthumously.
• The medal was a 35 mm in diameter circular medal struck from bronze and surmounted by a smaller diameter green enamelled medallion. The obverse bore a naked helmeted man holding a lance (indicating the halting of the advance of the German forces), to his right, the relief inscription on three lines "17-31 OCT 1914". In the enamelled medallion, the relief inscription "YSER". The reverse bore the relief image of the left side of a roaring wounded lion lying on the bank of the Yser river, an arrow in his left shoulder, below the lion, the relief inscription "YSER", in the medallion, the Belgian royal crown over the relief letter "A", the monogram of King Albert.
• Battle of the Yser - was a battle which took place in October 1914 between the towns on Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide along a 35 kilometer-long stretch of the Yser river and Yperlee canal in Belgium.

Belgium