Portuguese Campaign Commemorative Service Medal Collection

[VonRiver]

Hi to all.,

I'm going to share some Portuguese Army Campaign Medals from my collection with you, hoping you'll enjoy it.

Best Regards.,

Von River

[VonRiver]

THE PORTUGUESE CAMPAIGN COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE MEDAL (Medalha Comemorativa das Campanhas), was created on 30/11/1916, by Decree No. 2870, together with the Portuguese War Cross Medal (Medalha da Cruz de Guerra Portuguesa), initially to commemorate the campaigns of the armed forces outside metropolitan Portugal in the context of the Portuguese entry in World War I.

The Campaigns Medal Was created to recognize wartime service. The medal is issued with a clasp for the military campaign that the recipient has served, and could be awarded in three classes, in copper for sergeants and soldiers, in silver for officers to the rank of colonel and in gold for general officers.

The Portuguese Campaign Service medal is a general medal, each specific campaign need to be indicated by placing a clasp on the ribbon, from the most recent to the oldest below. The following clasps were approved:

- Sul de Angola, 1914 A 1915 (Decreto n.º 2941, 18/1/1917)
- Moçambique, 1897-1898 (Decreto n.º 2965, 1/2/1917)
- Timor, 1912-1913 (Decreto n.º ..., 23/9/1918)
- Moçambique, 1914 A 1918 (Decreto n.º 5060, 30/11/1918)
- No Mar, 1916-1917-1918 (Decreto n.º 5086, 3/1/1919)
- França, 1917-1918 (Decreto n.º 5400, 12/4/1919)
- Lunda, 1911 (Decreto n.º ..., 14/5/1919)
- Congo, 1914-1915 (Decreto n.º ..., 14/5/1919)
- Defesa Marítima, 1914-1918 (Decreto n.º 5799, 28/5/1919)
- No Mar, 1916-1917-1918 (Decreto n.º 5983, 31/7/1919) + Defesa Marítima, 1914-1918
- Ocupação do Distrito de Moçambique, 1906-1913 (Decreto n.º 6546, 8/4/1920)
- Cuanza-Sul, 1917-1918 (Decreto n.º ..., 30/4/1920)
- Além-Cunene, 1904 (Decreto n.º 6731, 8/7/1920)
- Cuanhama, 1915 (Decreto n.º 7433, 25/6/1920)
- Satary, 1912 (Decreto n.º 7434, 18/7/1920)
- C.E.L., Defesa Marítima, 1916-1918 (Decreto n.º 1123, 4/3/1921) + Funchal, Defesa Marítima, 1916-1918 + Ponta Delgada, Defesa Marítina, 1916-1918
- Bissau 1915 (Decreto n.º ..., 10/9/1920)
- Cabo Verde 1917-1918 (Decreto n.º 8613, 3/2/1923)
- Dembos 1918-1919 (Decreto n.º 8791, 1/5/1923)
- Lunda 1922-1923 (Decreto n.º ..., 12/7/1924)
- Lunda 1920 (Decreto n.º 10442, 31/12/1924)
- Congo 1918 (Decreto n.º 15026, 13/1/1928)
- Norte de Angola (anos civis desde 15/3/1961) (Decreto n.º 19683, 4/2/1963)
- Guiné (anos civis desde 1/3/1963) (Decreto n.º 20564, 7/5/1964)
- Moçambique (anos civis desde 1/8/1965) (Decreto n.º 21941, 6/4/1966)
- Angola (anos civis desde 23/12/1966) (Decreto n.º 22838, 21/8/1967)
- Afeganistão 2008
- Kosovo 2012-2013
- Somália / África 2009-2013

[VonRiver]

Several Portuguese Army Campaign Service Medals were minted over time. There are several models:

- 1917 Model (until 1919)
- 1919 Model (until 1921)
- 1921 Model (until 1946)
- 1946 Model (until 1949)
- 1949 Model (until 1971)
- 1971 Model (until 2002)
- 2002 Model (until today)

I do not know the existence of the 1946 model.

[VonRiver]

Portuguese Army Campaign Service Medal - 1917 Model (until 1919).
With clasp on the ribbon – “No Mar, 1916-1917-1918” (Decreto n.º 5086, 3/1/1919).
Clasp translated – “At the sea, 1916-1917-1918” (Decree No 5086, 3/1/1919).
Medal in silver for officers to the rank of colonel.

[VonRiver]

Portuguese Army Campaign Service Medal - 1919 Model (until 1921).
With clasp on the ribbon – “França, 1917-1918” (Decreto n.º 5400, 12/4/1919).
Clasp translated – “France, 1917-1918” (Decree No 5400, 12/4/1919).
Medal in silver for officers to the rank of colonel.

[VonRiver]

Portuguese Army Campaign Service Medal 1919 Model with clasp on the ribbon “França, 1917-1918” (Decreto n.º 5400, 12/4/1919) and With Wounded clasp – “Batalha de La Lys 9-IV-918”

Clasp translated – “France, 1917-1918” and Wounded clasp translated – “La Lys battle 9-4-1918”.

Medal in copper for sergeants and soldiers.



The Battle of the Lys (9 April 1918), also known as the Lys Offensive, the Fourth Battle of Ypres, the Fourth Battle of Flanders and Operation Georgette, was part of the 1918 German offensive in Flanders during World War I.

[VonRiver]

Portuguese Army Campaign Service Medal - 1919 VARIANT FABRICATION Model.
With clasp on the ribbon – “Moçambique, 1914 A 1918” (Decreto n.º 5060, 30/11/1918).
Clasp translated – “Mozambique, 1914 until 1918 ” (Decree No 5060, 30/11/1918).
Medal in silver for officers to the rank of colonel.

[VonRiver]

Portuguese Army Campaign Service Medal - 1921 Model (until 1946/49).

With clasp on the ribbon – “Moçambique, 1914 A 1918” (Decreto n.º 5060, 30/11/1918).
Clasp translated – “Mozambique, 1914 until 1918” (Decree No 5060, 30/11/1918).
Medal in silver for officers to the rank of colonel.



With clasp on the ribbon – “França, 1917-1918” (Decreto n.º 5400, 12/4/1919).
Clasp translated – “France, 1917-1918” (Decree No 5400, 12/4/1919).
Medal in copper for sergeants and soldiers.

[VonRiver]

These models that I presented were attributed during and after the WWI to commemorate the campaigns carried out by the Portuguese army outside metropolitan Portugal.

Portugal participated in the WW1 conflict alongside the Allies.

In September 1914 the first troops were sent to Africa, where they would expect a series of battles with the Germans, on the southern border of Angola with the German West Africa and on the northern border of Mozambique with East German Africa. Despite these fighting, the official position of the Portuguese state was clearly ambiguous.

The official declaration of war to Germany was in 9 March 1916 (despite the fighting in Africa since 1914). In 1917, the first Portuguese troops, CEP (Portuguese Expeditionary Corps), went to the war in Europe, towards Flanders. Portugal was then involved in fighting in France.

[VonRiver]

The first medal that I will present are from the 1949 model. This model and the 1971 model are the classic types graced to the recipients in the years of the Portuguese overseas (colonial) war.

For those who do not know, the overseas (colonial) war consisted of a confrontation between the Portuguese Armed Forces and the forces organized by the liberation movements of the former overseas provinces of Angola, Guinea and Mozambique, between 1961 and 1974