Hi JMM.,
Your medal is a Portuguese War Cross 1971 model.
This model are the classic type graced to the recipients in the final years of the Portuguese overseas (colonial) war between 1971 and 1974. And it is the model that is used nowadays, in a modern version of the medal.
Your medal dont have the Templar cross in the ribbon, was replaced by a bar.
Regards.,
Von River
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 defeats before 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). And the war cross was born. The Portuguese War Cross (Cruz de Guerra Portuguesa) was established by Decree 2870 of November 30, 1916, to reward bravery and acts committed in the campaign by the Portuguese troopers.
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.
I present here the medal in the original color (gold). The medal is a Templar Cross in gold having in the center of the obverse the face of republic with the written sentence “Portuguese Republic 1917” in the reverse had the Portuguese National Emblem. About the suspension, there are other types of suspension, the French type and English type, but not official types.
I share my Portuguese War Cross 4th class 1917 model.
This medal is has almost a hundred years but is as new has never been attributed and was bought with the original packaging.
In the previously presented medal can be seen two characteristics, first the brownish or chocolate color of the patina (which modern medals try to copy with the surface treatment) and second the initial and original ribbons with seven green lists.
I share my Portuguese War Cross 4th class 1917 model in original bag.
Last edited by VonRiver; 02-22-2017 at 11:14 PM.
Share with you all my Portuguese War cross medals, 1917 model all grades:
As I said the class are represented by the small Templar crosses on the ribbons of the medals, 1st Class represented with a Gold Templar cross with two laurel verges, fruity and tied with a bow, 2nd Class represented with a Templar cross in Gold, 3rd Class represented with a Templar cross in Silver and 4th Class represented by a Templar cross in Bronze. In this model the Templar crosses appears with shapes completely different, stamp type, in cast, handmade, etc. but the official are the Templar that I show in the first place.
I share my Portuguese War Cross 4th class 1917 model that belonged to a “Rear Admiral” who made the following campaigns:
- Guiné 1908 (Guinea 1908);
- No Mar 1916-1917-1918 (In the sea 1916-1917-1918);
- Beira 5-XII-916 (wounded in naval battle, name of the boat and the date);
- S. Gabriel 28-V-918 (wounded in naval battle, name of the boat and the date);
- Moçambique 1914-1918 (Mozambique 1914-1918).
I share my Portuguese War Cross 3rd class 1917 model.
I share with you all my Portuguese War Cross 1917 model that is a variation of the original war cross. The cross is thicker than the original and the details are of poor quality when compared, it has surface treatment to give the brownish or chocolate color having a false patina. I think this variation is not original, only a modern remake.
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