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Indochina Campaign commemorative medal
(Full Size, with Dien Bien Phu Clasp, Wound Insignia, And Parachutist Badge)
法屬印度支那戰役征戰獎章
(官方版, 附奠邊府戰役銘牌, 傷兵徽章, 和傘兵徽章)
Item number: M141
Year: AD 1953
Material: Bronze
Size: 36.0 x 36.0 x 2.3 mm
Weight: 40.6 g
Provenance: Aberdeen Medals 2022
This medal is the Indochina Campaign Commemorative Medal with “Dien Bien Phu” clasp, wound insignia and parachutist badge. The medal was awarded by France, established on August 1, AD 1953 and presented to members of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps who participated in the Indochina War. (To be eligible, French and French colonial military personnel must have served for at least three months in the Indochina theatre of operations.)
The appearance of this medal is a circular bronze plaque. On the obverse side, there is a plaque inscribed with the French word “Indochine” (Indochina) in the centre of the medal, below which is a seven-headed cobra, and above is a three-headed elephant. Along the edge of the medal is engraved “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE,” which translates to “French Republic.”
On the reverse side, there is a decoration surrounded by oak and laurel leaves, with the inscription “Corps Expéditionnaire Français d’Extrême-Orient,” meaning “French Far East Expeditionary Corps.” There is also a dragon clasp at the connexion point between the medal and the ribbon, with the ribbon being yellow and green.
The depicted artefact has one clasp on the ribbon bearing the word “Dien Bien Phu.” On the left side of the ribbon, there is a French parachutist badge featuring a parachute, wings, and stars as its main elements. On the right side, there is a red enamel star emblem representing the wounded insignia. If attributable, this medal should have been awarded to a retired paratrooper who participated in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in AD 1954, was wounded during the battle, and survived.
In the Indochina War, particularly following the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, French combat personnel suffered severe casualties, with over ten thousand individuals taken as prisoners of war. Consequently, French legislators began proposing the establishment of a medal from around AD 1950 onwards, as a tribute to all individuals who served in this arduous conflict. Ultimately, in AD 1953, an ordinance was issued to establish the Indochina Campaign Commemorative Medal.
The Indochina War (AD 1945-AD 1954) was a complex and protracted conflict involving France and its colonial rule over the Indochinese Peninsula (including present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) and the resistance against French rule led by Vietnamese independence movement leader Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh.
After World War II, the Vietnamese independence movement erupted, with the Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh proclaiming the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to resist French colonial rule. During the Cold War, China and the Soviet Union supported Vietnam’s communist forces, while the United States supported France. The scale of the war continued to escalate, with the Viet Minh’s armed forces strengthening and engaging in fierce battles with the French military. In AD 1954, a decisive battle occurred on the Dien Bien Phu Plain, resulting in the defeat of the French forces by the Viet Minh and ultimately leading to the signing of the Geneva Accords. This period of history also marked the end of French colonial rule in Indochina and the beginning of the Vietnam War.
Geneva Accords: According to the agreement, Vietnam was divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam, temporarily separated, with North Vietnam under communist control and South Vietnam becoming a US-supported anti-communist regime. However, this division led to the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, ultimately resulting in the collapse of the South Vietnamese government and the reunification of Vietnam.
此獎章的外觀為圓形銅牌,獎章正面有一個匾額,寫有法文「印度支那Indochine」,匾額下方為一條七頭眼鏡蛇,上方則為一隻三頭象。沿著獎章邊緣刻有「 REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE 」的字樣,意為法蘭西共和國。背面則有橡樹和月桂葉環繞的裝飾,周圍刻有法文「Corps Expéditionnaire Français d’Extrême-Orient 」,為法國遠東遠征軍的意思。圓形獎章與綬帶連接處還有一條龍的圖樣,綬帶的顏色為黃綠相間。