Bronze medal in the form of a circular wreath with an upright sword imposed, with laterally-pierced loop for ribbon suspension; the face with the silvered two-tailed lion of Bohemia bearing on its breast the coat of arms of Slovakia with patriarchal (two lateral arms) cross imposed on an upright sword on a wreath of laurel and linden leaves; the reverse inscribed ‘ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ ARMÁDA V ZAHRANIČÍ’ and dated ‘1939 1945’; on original ribbon mounted for wear in the French style with ‘FRANCIE’ (France) and ‘VELKA’BRITANIE’ (Great Britain) bars; in original fitted case of issue. The medal was instituted on 15 October 1943 by the Czechoslovak government in exile in London and awarded to those Czechoslovaks who were outside their country at the time of the German invasion, or subsequently escaped abroad, and joined Allied forces or all-Czechoslovak units. It may be noted that Czech pilots were second only to Poles as the largest overseas group involved in the Battle of Britain in 1940. The First Czechoslovak Corps under General (later President) Ludvik Svoboda, fought alongside Red Army units liberating eastern Europe whilst in the West, a Czechoslovak infantry brigade and three air squadrons accompanied the British forces in the invasion of Europe in 1944 and contingents also fought with distinction in the Middle East. An outstanding example.
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