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Object number: AHM415.

Appearance: Obverse – Two soldiers holding spears and shields. The closest soldier’s shield has the image of a rooster on it while the other soldier’s shield has a lion rampart on it. The rooster is representative of France and the lion of England[1]. Above the two soldiers is a nymph with a water jug with its contents spilling out, representative of the Somme[2]. Bellow all reads “BATAILLES DELA SOMME/JVILLET-NOVEMBRE/MCMXVI. Maurice Delannoy’s mark (M.Delannoy) can be found to the left of the soldiers (figure 1-a).

Reverse – Reads “COMBATTANTS DE LA SOMME 1914-1918-1940” (figure 1-b).

Rim – Marked P.R with cornucopia of the Paris Mint, Monnaie de Paris.[3]

Medal size: 32mm.

Metal: Bronze.

Ribbon: Blue flanked by yellow. The blue represents the Somme and the yellow the crops along the Somme[4]

Object information: The Combattants de la Somme medal is a French issued medal that any soldier of any nationality can apply for so long as they can prove that they were on active service in France between the years 1914-1918 or in 1940. The medal was created by the Ceux de la Somme, a veterans association to commemorate the battles that took place along the Somme.[5]

Maurice Delannoy (1885-1972) was a French sculptor and medallist who was well known for his work in the art deco style. He studies at Ecole de Germain Pilon and later became a professor of drawing. He was imprisoned during World War 1and has been awarded various medals during his lifetime.[6]

 

Figure 1-a. Figure 1-b.
Figure 1-a. object AHM0415 obverse. Figure 1-b. object AHM0415 reverse. Images courtesy of The Australian History Museum Macquarie University.

[1] Australian War Memorial, Combattants de la Somme 1914-1918-1940 Medal: Private E.C.Peddell, 2 Battalion AIF, <http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/REL28884.001/&gt;.

[2] ibid

[3] Medal-Medaille, Medal for the Somme (Medaille de la Somme), 1914-1918 and 194, <http://www.medal-medaille.com/sold/product_info.php?products_id=5538&gt;.

[4] ibid

[5] Australian War Memorial, Combattants de la Somme