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Shown is here only the front
side of the proposal, depicting a sword covered with what is
probably a fig leaf, on this the seven armed candelabra and an olive
branch. The text says: "For active service in the War of
Independence 1948-1949".
The design of a
medal hanging on a bar was a typical British design for service
medals, as the picture of the UK India Service medal shows. It is quite remarkable that the IDF took an
example to such a design, considering that the struggle for
independence of Israel was in the first stages against the British
army. On the other hand, many IDF officers served in
the British army during WWII and brought home the British military
traditions.
Below an IDF document from February 1953,
dealing with the proposal, stating that the proposed medal has a 35
mm diameter. The letter expresses a request to increase the thickness
of the proposed medal that was only 2 mm, "in comparison
with the British medals that have a thickness of 3.5 mm."
The proposal was never realized - only service
ribbons were awarded. |
