15929845220001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141503170534538602517053297410001705345371133fitz-onlineadlib-object-141503https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141503e1c1afed-de2a-3e2e-a8c7-bb1eff79ac417referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsAfter the failure of the Allies in the Great War of 1914-18 to take control of the Straits of Marmora in the disastrous Gallipolli campaign, French troops in the theatre were withdrawn to Thessalonika to form a new Armée d'Orient facing Austro-Hungarian inroads into Serbia.
The campaign they fought there was nearly as hard as that they had left, and conditions similarly difficult. The French troops, sometimes aided by British divisions, were unable to prevent the Serbian army being effectively demolished by the Central Powers, and only in September 1918 was Austro-Hungarian control of the Balkans substantively challenged.
A medal for service in the Dardanelles and in the subsequent Balkan campaigns was first suggested in 1917 but rejected, and only after other medals had been issued for the main theatres of war was its creation finally approved, in 1926.
This medal was issued unnamed, and its recipient is therefore unknown. Whoever it was must have been unfortunately impoverished, as Lester Watson purchased the medal from the London dealers Baldwin in 1927, less than a year after its issue.CM.1409-20091accession numberCM.1409-2009141503priref141503Watson Catalogue319orderingM-0292previous object numberLW.0292urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141503https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141503Bust of Marianne in wreathed helmet facing leftobverseREPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISEdesignCrossed artillery piece and axe before two standards, nearer of which bears legend "HONNEUR / PATRIE / 1915 / 1918"; artist's name in left of field in tiny lettering, "R. F." in rightreversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009192619261926mintreferenceagent-158722adlib-agent-1587221cffff36-4957-3dbb-9b48-c4d5b506440aParisstatereferenceagent-152757adlib-agent-152757a27482cc-282b-3138-acf2-c8037918366dFranceartistreferenceagent-174998adlib-agent-174998f6908c2c-87e2-3015-8543-c24bf72eab63Lemaire, Georgesmintreferenceagent-190888adlib-agent-190888eb8cafff-8703-3b36-9b93-c33742cb7e89Colmar, Parisreferenceterm-130759adlib-term-130759f9058fb6-5239-3190-97d0-62a0faac8f72Colmarreferenceterm-40365adlib-term-40365d79c75c2-da7b-3187-918e-f7a374e04005bronzeDiametermm29.7Weightg18.67referencemedia-116557adlib-media-116557b20ac45f-e4e9-3d93-8ccd-d35b440f3d86jpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162730740021imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162730740021imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162730740021imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162730740021image0media
imagereferencemedia-116558adlib-media-1165589622a698-c6fc-3218-9b1a-1a053acaa589jpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13116162675551861imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13116162675551861imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13116162675551861imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0292_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13116162675551861image1media
imagereferenceterm-123024adlib-term-1230245574d84c-4a45-35e2-b6e7-bebfca73b11cMédaille Commémorative d'Orientdenominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-120306adlib-term-1203064c444129-3d8c-340f-bfbd-b4d82e5cbd17Francesubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin 1927referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museumreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123024adlib-term-1230245574d84c-4a45-35e2-b6e7-bebfca73b11cMédaille Commémorative d'OrientMédaille Commémorative d'Orientreferenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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