Harry Patch - Medals

Medals

Harry Patch received eight medals and honours.

For his service in the First World War he received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

In 1998, as a surviving veteran of the First World War who had fought for the Allies in France and Flanders, the President of the Republic of France appointed Patch a Knight of the Légion d'honneur. The award was presented to Patch on his 101st birthday. On 9 March 2009, Patch was appointed an Officer of the Légion d'honneur by the French Ambassador at his nursing home in Somerset.

On 7 January 2008, Albert II, King of the Belgians, conferred upon Patch the award of Knight of the Order of Leopold. He received the award from Jean-Michel Veranneman de Watervliet, Belgium's Ambassador to the United Kingdom at a ceremony in the Ambassador's residence in London on 22 September 2008, which coincidentally was the 91st anniversary of the day he was wounded in action, and three of his closest friends killed.

For service during the Second World War, Patch was awarded the 1939–45 Defence Medal. This was subsequently lost and, on 20 September 2008, at a ceremony at Bath Fire Station, Patch was presented with a replacement medal.

Patch also received two commemorative medals: the National Service Medal and the Hors de combat medal, which signifies outstanding bravery of servicemen and women who have sustained wounds or injury in the line of duty.

In accordance with his wishes, Harry Patch's medals are now on display at the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Museum in Bodmin.

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