An outstanding confirmed Belgian Patriot and 'Ghost Train' Survivors World Wars medal group of 11 : Sous Lieutenant Gerard Jules Joseph Planchon, Secrete Armee (Belgian Resistance) late 3rd Regiment of Engineers (Belgian Army)

- Belgium: Order of the Crown. Officer 4th Class. With 'Swords'. Silvered, gilt & enamel

- Belgium: Order of Leopold II. Officer 4th Class. With 'Swords'. Bi-lingual obverse

- Belgium: Croix De Guerre 1914-1918. With bronze 'A' monogram Palm

- Belgium: Medal of the Resistance 1940-1945 (Médaille de la Résistance)

- Belgium: Cross of Fire. 2nd Type (Croix De Feu 1914 Modele II)

- Belgium: Interallied Victory Medal 1914-1918 (Medaille de la Victorie)

- Commemorative War Medal 1914-18. 'Red Cross' 1 x Gilt 1 x Silver 'Frontline clasps

- Belgium: War Commemorative Medal 1940-45 with 'Crossed Sabres' emblem

- Belgium: Political Prisoners of War Cross 1940-45 (Croix Du Prisonnier Politique)

- Belgium: Military Fighters Medal 1940-45 (Medaille du Militaire Combattant WW2)

- Belgium: King Albert I Commemorative Medal ememoration Medal 1909-1934

Note: All of the Great War medals / emblems / clasps are confirmed in the reference book ‘Livre d'Or des Cartes du Feu’ (Vol 1936-1937), where the recipients entry details are included on page 257

The medals are sold with below following documents; Original (1); Official attested / signed photo-copies (3), and a single un-attested photo-copy (1) of various medal award diplomas;

- Order of the Crown. Officer 4th Class. With 'Vermeil Swords' for 1914-1918 War. Official attested signed & dated photocopy (26 August 1976)

- Order of Leopold II. Officer 4th Class. With 'Swords' for 1914-18 War. Official attested signed & dated photocopy (8 December 1972)

- Belgium: Medal of the Resistance 1940-1945. Original award diploma (24 January 1950)

- Belgium: Military Fighters Medal 1940-45 (Medaille du Militaire Combattant de la Guerre 1940-1945). Official attested signed & dated photo-copy (8 December 1972)

- Belgium: Attestation Certificate from Ministry of Defence confirming service with Resistance from 6 June 1944 (D-Day) dated 16 August 1950. Photo-Copy

The official attested signed & dated photo-copies all bear original rubber stamps and ink signatures from the Mayors Office (Le Bourgmestre) of Callenelle, the village two miles from the township of Maubray, where the recipient was born and died

Important: The recipient is confirmed as being a Resistance / Political Prisoner Survivor of the famous 'Ghost Train' - the thwarted attempt by the Nazi Occupiers - to deport the remaining Belgian Political / Resistance Prisoners then held in Belgian detention centres to Nazi Concentration Camps located in Germany. The Ghost Train incident occurred only days before the Liberation of Brussels by the advancing allies, in September 1944

The acts of resistance performed by the members of the Belgian Resistance during the 'Ghost Train' incident are now enshrined in history, and are near legendary in terms of the Belgian historical experience 1940-1945

Gerard Planchon was a veteran of the 'Ghost Train' - see the research at 'List of Prisoners' of Le Train Fantome (Phantom Train) with a nominal list of 'Ghost Train' veterans accessible at the excellent 'WWII Netherlands Escape Lines' website (https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/). Gerard Planchon's name is in the list of persons who were arrested by German police but were liberated on 3 September 1944 at “la gare de la Petite Ile” (the Petite Ile railway station) whose possessions had been placed by the Belgian Red Cross with the bank Nagelmackers Fils &Cie. The original 'Nagelmackers Bank List' is held in the Section “Archives and Documentation,” Directorate-General “War Victims” of the Federal Public Service, Social Security, of the Belgian government in Brussels, from where, presumably, more information on Gerard Planchons services may be obtained

Gerard Jules Joseph Planchon, son of Jules Joseph Planchon (Quarry Worker) & Clara Marie Planchon (nee Montegnies) was a native of Callenelle (near Maubray), Hainaut, Belgium, where he was born on 24th August 1894. During the Great War Gerard served as a Private soldier in the 3rd Regiment of Engineers, Belgian Army. For his services during the Great War - in which he was 'Wounded-in-Action', and earned; 6 x Front Line Chevrons, 1 x Wound Chevron, and was awarded the Croix De Guerre 1914-1918 (Avec Palme), Cross of Fire (Croix De Feu), Victory Medal & Commemorative War Medal. Gerard’s services are shown in; 'Livre d'Or des Cartes du Feu' (Vol 1936-1937), with his residence shown as Maubray, the town just 2 miles from Callenelle (his place of birth), where he worked pre-war

During the Second World War, Gerard is recorded on the 'Maubray' website pages located at; www.maubray.be - as being a 'Sous Lieutenant' in the Belgian Secret Army (Secrete Armee), which group he had joined in 1941, and was the largest Resistance Group in Belgium. He is also recorded in the same website as being a Liberated 'Political Prisoner'. A photograph in the Maubray website also shows Gerard Planchon in a horse drawn carriage, at the local 1945 'VE' Victory Parade, in which he is wearing a beret and has his 'Great War' medals up. To have earned the Military Fighters Medal, Gerard must have served outside of Belgium for some period of time, in some sort of qualifying capacity either in the military or resistance! It is possible that Gerard served in the Belgian Army in 1940, and or served in more than one 'Resistance' group during the war. The recipients service records held in Brussels, will however provide a full history for those interested to know specific details about his services. The copied 'Attestation' document with the group shows dates of 'Active Resistance' with the AS (Secret Army) as 6 June to 15 September 1944 - the dates correlate to his date of general mobilization, which was D-Day when the European Resistance movements rose as one against the Nazis, and the latter date being that shortly after the liberation of Belgium (these dates include the time he was detained as a prisoner, and was nearly deported to a hideous fate in Nazi Germany) and the last date being the date he was 'Stood Down' as being an active member of the Belgian Resistance. Post War, Gerard Planchon was decorated with the 'Officer' grades of the Order of the Crown with Swords in 1976, and with the Order of Leopold with Swords in 1972 - both Orders awarded with 'Swords' in respect of his services in the Great War. Gerard Planchon died at Tournai, 7500, Hainaut, Belgium, on 22 December 1982. In civilian life, Gerard had been engaged as an Advisor and Alderman in the local Public Works Department

A superb World Wars 'Belgian Patriot' medal group

All of the orders and medals ribands are fitted with two-pronged mounting pins, or 'epingles' as worn in the traditional Belgian style

Condition: GVF

Code: 19950Price:

Belgium: Medal of The Royal Order of the Lion (Médaille de l'Ordre Royal du Lion / Medaille der Orde van de Leeuw). Bronze (3rd Class) first type medal with uni-lingual pre 1951 'French' language legend

The bronze medal fitted with a long length of original silk riband

A colonial award issued in respect of services in Belgian Congo

A scarce 1st type medal to find in the market in this class and condition

Condition: About EF

Code: 17448Price:

Belgium: Order of the African Star. 1st Class Gold (Gilt) Medal. 1st type with 'French language' legend

Note: The French language legend indicate a first type medal issued prior to 1951

A gilt medal

The silk moire riband fitted with a two-pronged mounting pin, and as-worn in the Belgian style

A colonial award issued in respect of services in Belgian Congo

A very nice example with crisp gilding

Rare

Condition: GVF

Code: 16187Price:

Belgium: Golden Palms of the Order of the Crown (Palmes d'Or de l'Ordre de la Couronne / Gouden Palmen der Kroonorde)

A gilt metal award

Condition: EF

Code: 16718Price: 20.00 GBP

Belgium: 'Gold' (gilt) Medal of the Order of the Crown (Médaille d'Or de l'Ordre de la Couronne). Pre 1952 'Uni-lingual' French language legend

A pre 1952 'Uni-lingual' language issue

Condition: EF

Code: 18163Price: 15.00 GBP

Belgium: Order of Leopold II: Medal of the Order. Ist Class Gold (Gilt) with uni-lingual 1915-1951 French language legend

A gilt metal item of insignia

The silk riband fitted with a two pronged mounting pin in the Belgian fashion for wear

Condition: GVF

Code: 16716Price: 20.00 GBP

Civic Order: 2nd Class, silver base metal and enamel


The medal mounted with the ‘Long Service’ category ribbon

Condition: GVF

Code: 11955Price: 25.00 GBP

Decoration for Civil Acts of Courage: 3rd Class, bronze


The cross-dimension width being approx 28mm

Medal mounted with the 'Acts of Courage' Riband

Condition: GVF

Code: 11960Price: 15.00 GBP

Belgium: Decoration for Civil Acts of Courage (Décoration Civique pour acts de courage, dévouement et humanité / Burgerlijke Ereteken voor moedige daad, toewijding en menslievendheid) : Decoration Civique 1st Classe). 1st Class. Gilt

The award mounted with the ‘Long Service’ category ribbon

Condition: GVF

Code: 16715Price: 20.00 GBP

Civil Decoration: 1st type. Set of all 3 x grades of the Civic Medal, in Gilt, Silver and Bronze

- Medal of the Civic Decoration. 1st Class gilt
- Medal of the Civic Decoration. 2nd Class silver
- Medal of the Civic Decoration. 3rd Class bronze

The insignia each mounted with the ‘Long Service’ type ribbon as awarded to members of the Civil Service, Civic Administration Services

Condition: About EF

Code: 17866Price: 40.00 GBP