War Medals and Their HistorySteward, William Augustus
History
War Medals and Their History
Steward, William Augustus
Great Britain. Army -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.
=Spanish-American War.=--Arising out of the difficulties between
the Spanish and the Cubans, came the war between Spain and America
and the opportunity for the United States Navy to demonstrate its
power, with a squadron of only 6 ships, by destroying the fleet of 11
Spanish battleships in Manila Bay without the loss of a single man.
I illustrate the remarkably fine medal which was presented by the
American nation to Commodore George Dewey--Admiral Dewey, as he is
known in Britain--and to the officers and men who served under him. The
medal, designed by the famous American sculptor, Daniel Chester French,
was struck by Messrs. Tiffany & Co. It bears on the obverse the bust of
Admiral Dewey, and on the ground the following inscription, THE GIFT OF
THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE OCEATIC
SQUADRON, UNDER THE COMMAND OF COMMODORE GEORGE DEWEY. On the reverse
is a finely modelled figure of an American sailor, sitting on a naval
gun, holding firmly across his knees the American flag, his left foot
resting on a small panel upon which the name of the ship was engraved.
Encircling all is the record IN MEMORY OF THE VICTORY OF MANILA BAY,
MAY 1ST, 1898. (See facing page 368.)
=German South-West Africa.=--The German medal for South-West Africa,
1904-6, marks a departure on the part of the Germans in the application
of art to the making of war medals. The severity which has usually
distinguished them has disappeared, and we have in very low relief
the richly helmeted head of Germania, surrounded by the inscription,
SUDEWEST AFRICA 1904-06, and on the reverse the Imperial crown with
ribbons surmounting the Gothic initial W. II, which is arranged above
crossed swords, the whole being encircled by the inscription DEN
SIEGREICHEN STREITERN. The medal was given in steel to non-combatants.
The ribbon is white with a series of red horizontal lines down the
centre, leaving a clear white margin, which is edged with black of an
equal width, and to it is attached a gilt bar for services rendered in
~KALAHARI 1908~. Like some of the medals awarded by American States,
the bar is not attached to the medal, and is apt to get lost.
=The Serbo-Turkish War.=--Of this medal, with 1912 in the centre,
400,000 were struck and distributed to the officers and men who took
part in the Serbo-Turkish campaign. Five medals were struck in gold for
the Court. On the obverse is the Serbian Eagle, encircled by a laurel
wreath upon the leaves of which are struck incuse the names of the
principal battles, reading downwards on the left: Kumanovo, Uesküb,
Prilip, Adrianople, Welles, N. Pazar, Debar, Istip, Prizren et Medare;
and reading downwards on the right: Monastir, Scutari, Ohrid, Dojran,
Sjeniza, Tetovo, Ljesch, Elbassan, Durazzo, and Pristina. The names are
in Serbian characters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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