Deportee for Obligatory Labour

The Commemorative Medal for Deportees of Forced Labour 1942-1945 was instituted after the Second World War to honour Belgian citizens who were deported to Germany to perform compulsory labour. The bronze medal depicts on the obverse a standing worker carrying tools and a shoulder bag, next to a barrier and a machine gun, symbols of repression and coercion. At the bottom appears the inscription 1942-1945. The reverse bears an oak wreath surrounding the motto “Pro Patria”. The medal is suspended from a green moiré ribbon with two narrow vertical blue stripes. This award serves as a lasting reminder of the suffering and courage of the deportees and as a mark of national recognition.