Medal for suffering for the fatherland
The medal for suffering for the fatherland ( esp. Medalla de Sufrimientos por la Patria ) was a Spanish military award, which was donated by King Ferdinand VII on November 6, 1814 and which has been renewed or changed several times. In 2003, the award of the medal was stopped.
history
The original award as a medal for prisoners of war was intended for prisoners of war during the Napoleonic wars , who had escaped from French captivity. At first this award was only intended for officers and soldiers, but was extended to civilians by a decree of July 26, 1815. From July 7, 1921 she received the status of a wounded award . Fundamental changes and additions were made on March 10, 1920, January 26, 1937, October 1, 1938 and August 23, 1975. In 2003, the award of the medal was stopped. They were awarded to all members of the Spanish army and allied armed forces who had been wounded or died as a result of enemy action. In the latter case, the bereaved received the medal on the mourning ribbon. In 1938 the medal consisted of two classes.
Foundation content of October 1, 1938
The extended foundation content of the award of the medal for suffering around the fatherland concerned the extension of the award on October 1, 1938 to those civilians who fell into republican captivity and suffered wounds or damage there. Their exaggeratedly patriotic-sounding content read:
“The current war in Spain is exemplary in pain and suffering. The life, the physical integrity and the freedom of the defensive team has to put up with the consequences of the dispute. But besides the Spaniards, who have covered themselves with honor and fame through the sacrifice, there are many others who, in the unfrequented zone, had the misfortune of falling into the hands of the Reds, and who found the treatment and circumstances worse than those who prisoners of war must suffer. ... "
As a result, it was determined that, in addition to the cases provided for by the law, the medal could be awarded to persons who had been imprisoned in the non-liberated area because of their belief in the freedom of Spain, as well as to those fathers, sons and spouses of fighters who died in captivity or who died in the course of the Spanish Civil War .
Appearance
The medal with a diameter of 32 mm is gold-plated or silver-plated , the former being awarded to officers and the latter to all others, and shows on its obverse a blue enamelled medallion with a gold-framed rim on which a gold symbol in the form of a fort can be seen . This is surrounded by the inscription SUFRIMIENTO POR LA PATRIA ( For the suffering for the fatherland ) , also in gold . This medallion is surrounded by another white enamelled ring, which shows a symbolized golden chain, to which the closed laurel wreath is attached.
Carrying method
The medal was worn on the upper left side of the chest of the borrower on different colored ribbons, the variants of which were:
- Blue ribbon: for prisoners and prisoners in the Red Zone (1940 to 1975)
- yellow ribbon: for wounds without direct enemy influence
- yellow band with two green vertical median strips: for wounds caused by direct enemy action
- for 1st wound: thin red X on the ribbon
- for 2nd wound: two thin red X's on the ribbon one below the other
- for 3rd wound: a thick red X with a gold clasp over it
- yellow ribbon with two red central stripes: for wounded foreign troops (e.g. Condor Legion )
- green ribbon: wounding in peacetime
- Orange ribbon: for wounded prisoners of war
- black ribbon: for bereaved.