Turkish Crimean Medal

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Kırım Harbi Madalyası, lapel

The Kırım Harbi Madalyası is one of Sultan I. Abdülmecid donated military decoration of the Ottoman Empire . It was awarded to soldiers of allied states for participating in the Crimean War 1854-1856 on the Ottoman side. The medals were issued in the versions for British, French and Sardinian soldiers.

Appearance and material

The medal has a diameter of 37 mm and is made of silver. On the obverse it shows the tughra of the Ottoman sultans and the year 1271 according to the Islamic calendar . The reverse shows a cannon with four flags, which symbolize the four allied states. The left flag in the foreground shows the country from which the soldier who was awarded the award comes from. On the lapel is the inscription 'La Crimee 1855' for the French, 'La Crimea 1855' for the Sardinian and 'Crimea 1855' for the British edition. The band has a smaller ring made of silver on a steel ring, to which the actual medal is attached, but the suspension was later changed by many owners in order to adapt it to British customs.

Although the side with the tughra was the actual front, the medal was often worn with the lapel forward.

The ribbon was originally half an inch (32 millimeters) wide, but British soldiers were awarded the award with a 1.25 inch wide ribbon. The ribbon itself is dark purple with green edges.

The medal was awarded without a name engraving, but numerous copies are known to have been engraved afterwards.

Since many medals were lost due to war-related events and did not reach their intended recipients, other editions than those originally intended were often handed out. For example, many British soldiers received the medal in the Sardinian version. The quality of workmanship was not outstanding, so many British officers had copies made of silver. These copies are much heavier and more finely engraved.

carrier

The medal was given to practically all soldiers who took part in the fighting in the Crimea on the British, French or Sardinian side. Well-known holders of the Crimean Medal are:

literature

  • Guy Arnold: Historical Dictionary of the Crimean War. Scarecrow Press, Lanham MD et al. 2002, ISBN 0-8108-4276-9 ( Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest 19).
  • Winfried Baumgart : The Crimean War, 1853-1856. Arnold et al., London et al. 1999, ISBN 0-340-75960-7 ( Modern Wars ).
  • David M. Goldfrank: The Origins of the Crimean War. Longman, London 1994, ISBN 0-582-49054-5 ( Origins of modern Wars ).
  • Ulrich Keller: Ultimate Spectacle. A Visual History of the Crimean War. Gordon and Breach, Amsterdam et al. 2001, ISBN 90-5700-569-7 ( Documenting the Image 7).
  • Michael Hargreave Mawson (Ed.): Eyewitness in the Crimea. The Crimean War Letters (1854-1856) of Lt. Col. George Frederick Dallas, sometime Captain, 46th Foot, and ADC to Sir Robert Garrett. Greenhill et al., London et al. 2001, ISBN 1-85367-450-8 .

Web links