Yom Kippur War commemorative medals

Commemorative medals are presented to individuals or sold to the public as a souvenir of important events. In Israel these medals are no military decorations and can not be worn on uniforms, even if a ribbon is connected to the medal.

1			Front: A man dressed with prayer shawl, blowing a shofar (ram's horn), under text: Yom Kippur War. Center text: May he create peace for us and for all Israel and say, Amen Oct. 6th 1973. Back: A soldier leaving child and wife holding flag of Israel. Text: Yom Kippur War - Israel must live Size: 45 mm Weight: 42 gram Material: Bronze
2			IDF 14th Armored ("Bison") Brigade Yom Kippur War commemorative medal, 1973 Front: a stylized tank blending into the number 14, with legend in Hebrew (Psalm127: 4) "As arrows in the hands of the mighty, thus the sons of youth are glorious" Back: a flag and a flame, with legend "Yom Kippur War" above. The 14th Brigade was assigned to the western coast of the Sinai peninsula and so sustained the force of the Egyptian blow when they attacked by surprise. Size: 59 mm; Weight: 90 gram; Material: Bronze ; no maker-mark Source: http://www.ebay.com
3			IDF "Crossing Battalion" ("Gdud Tzlikha") Yom Kippur War commemorative medal, 1973 Front: a simple map of north-western Sinai peninsula with arrow marking the area of the crossing of the canal, with legend in Hebrew "Crossing Battalion \| Yom Kippur War \| Crossing of the Suez Canal 16.10.1973"; Back: a stylized arrow crossing a body of water towards dry land. Underneath the Bible text: "And all Israel passed over on dry ground" in Hebrew. Size: 59 mm, weight, 92.1g; Material: Bronze ; no maker-mark

Though not identified on the medal and not specifically encountered in the War literature as "the" Crossing Battalion, chances are this medal commemorates the logistical work of the 605th Battalion of the Combat Engineers Corps: in 1967 the General Staff decided to create a formation whose sole purpose would be the crossing of water obstacles, and this task devolved upon the newly created 605th battalion. It seems the name "Crossing Battalion" may be an informal nickname as "gdud tzlikha" is not a coined name for a specific unit - and all those who crossed or helped others to cross the Canal compete for the glory of being the first to cross it or to help other forces cross it.
The 605th, using rubber dinghies helped elements of the armored and paratroop corps cross the Canal on the morning of the 16th of October 1973 in operation "Knights of Hearts" and simultaneously erected 3 bridges to cross the Canal. In UNC, with lacquered surface. Source: http://www.historama.com

4			30th Anniversary of Yom Kippur War Silver medal: weight 28.8 gram, size: 38.7 mm Bronze medal: Source: http://www.ebay.com
5			IDF 600th Armored Brigade Yom Kippur War silvered commemorative plaque, circa. 1973-74: Front: a map of the Brigade's operations in the Sinai Peninsula with arrows depicting its movements, with legend beneath "Yom Kippur War 5734", and quotation "And he bore honor upon his people and wore armor like a hero" , above an upturned helmet. Back: the Brigade's emblem. no marker-marks; weight: 153.3g; size: 61mm x 61mm. Source: http://www.historama.com
6			IDF 6800th Center for Combat and Replacement Equipment ("Matzlakh") Yom Kippur commemorative medal, 1973; struck in bronze; no maker-mark; weight, 81.65g; size, 60mm: a pre-designed medal for the Ordinance Corps and engraved for this specific unit; Front: the Corp's emblem with Hebrew legend "The Eyes of Jacob in Recognition \| 1973 \| For Your Contribution to the War Effort"; Back: seven small images of the activities of the Corps, with this unit's name engraved in the center.

Not to be confused with a different force known also by its initals as "Matzlakh" - the "combat photographers center" of the Communications Corps, this force's responsibility is to manage the stocks of ordinance inventory in the IDF's supplies. An obscure sub unit within an important force during the war: as the IDF lost a lot of equipment in the initial surprise attack on Israel, the Ordinance Corps' work was vital in re-servicing damaged equipment in order to resupply the military.
Source: http://www.historama.com

IDF 229th Engineers Battalion Yom Kippur War commemorative medal, 1973;
struck in bronze; no maker-mark; weight, 86.15; size, 59.5mm:
Front: the arming device of a weapon, with Hebrew legend around edge "Yom Kippur War 5734 | In Recognition by the Engineering Battalion 229".
Back: empty

Battalion 229 under the command of Lieut.-Col. Nissim Ben-Shushan was assigned to the 143th Division commanded by Ariel Sharon, and was the first unit of the IDF to cross over the Sinai Peninsula into continental Africa (Egypt) during the War (19 October 1973). The battalion cleared mines and removed surface obstacles to enable the rest of the force to penetrate into Egypt, and it also fought against Egyptian commando forces in the area. A relatively obscure unit in the literature of this war, it may have been a reserve unit rather than a permanent standing force.
Source: http://www.historama.com

8			IDF fuel company of the Supply Corps Yom Kippur War appreciation tallion,circa. 1974; Front: 3 emblems: on left is the old emblem of the Supply Corps, on right is a stylized emblem of the 595th Supply Battalion's initials with legend "Yom Kippur War 8.10.73 Golan Heights, Sinai", and in between a fuel pipe device with the name "Fuel Company"; at base the word "In Recognition". Back: empty Weight: 21.05 gram; size: 36 mm. Source: http://www.historama.com
9			IDF [317th] Paratroop Brigade Yom Kippur War silvered commemorative medal,1973 struck in bronze; no maker mark; weight, 93.15g; size, 59mm: Front: eagle with legend "Paratroop Brigade Yom Kippur War" Back: a list of the "Brigade's Battles" - "participation in the penetration into Syria, conquest of Tel-Shams, conquest of Umm-Butna, participation in the battle of the "Chinese Farm" [in the Sinai], participation in the mopping up of the Goshen agricultural zone, conquest of the Syrian part of Mount Hermon". Source: http://www.historama.com
10			IDF 582nd Anti-Aircraft Reconaissance Battalion of the 317th [Reserve] Paratroop Brigade Yom Kippur War commemorative medal, 1973 struck in silvered bronze; no maker-mark; weight, 84.1g; size, 59.5mm: Front: the emblems of both the parent unit, the eagle, and of the reconnaisance battalion below, with legend in Hebrew "Paratroop Brigade 317 Reconaissance Battalion - Anti-Aircraft 582 \| Yom Kippur War 6.10.1973". Back: empty

The 582nd Battalion's wartime story is a metaphor for the state of improvisation in the IDF before and during the war: the force was originally founded in 1970 to be an airborne anti-aircraft motorized reconnaissance unit at battalion strength for operations behind enemy lines and initially assigned to the 317th Paratroop Brigade.

At the start of 1973 this battalion was disbanded on the grounds that the nature of its future activities would incur it such losses that the public wouldn't be able to tolerate it. The day after the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War the battalion was resurrected and initially assigned back to the 317th Brigade, where it fought in the Golan; about a week later it was transferred to the southern Sinai front where it was attached to the 14th Armored ("Bison") Brigade and continued its operations there, sustaining the blow of the Egyptian attack (see the list of battles accredited to the 317th for the major battles in which this "sayeret" also fought).
Source: http://www.historama.com

11			Yom Kippur War / Israel's 25th Independence Day commemorative medal, 1973 struck in bronze; by A. Sendir; weight: 31.8g; size: 40mm: Front: a dove rising from flames and emblem of the Israel Defence Forces, with legend in Hebrew "Judgement Day, October 1973"; Back: a stylized Jewish "Menorah" (candelabra) with legend in English. Source: http://www.historama.com
12			Similar medal, texts in Hebrew
13			Yom Kippur War token of appreciation in English, 1973 blackened bronze tallion bearing the IDF's emblem surmounted by olive wreaths, with dedication in English etched on reverse: "With Appreciation Min.[istry] of Def.[efense] I.D.F. Israel Oct. 73".

As this is a token from the highest levels of the defense establishment - and in English - it is probably in thanks to the American members of the airlift of arms which the US began sending to the IDF on 14 October 1973. Though arriving 8 days "late", the supplies were appreciated thus by David ("Dado") Elazar, the Chief of Staff: "We fire every morning what arrives in the [previous] evening from the United States. The IDF's own supplies we already exhausted some time ago." The American airlift came by Galaxy transport planes and brought in about a thousand tons of materiel every day for close to a month.
Weight, 14.8g; size: 30mm x 35.5mm.
Source: http://www.historama.com

14			1973 Yom Kippur numbered US gratitude medal, 1973 Design by A. Sendik, produced by the Shekel medal company; Bronze: weight: 93.2; size: 58.5mm: Silver: weight: 24.55g; size: 35.5mm: Front: Israeli flag and IDF emblem against backdrop of American flag, with legend in Hebrew "War of Judgement Day 5734" and legend along edge in English "U.S. Help in Judgement-Day War 1973"; Back: uniformed soldier bearing rifle and Jewish prayer shawl. Source: http://www.historama.com
15			A commemorative medal of the Air Force 1973. 60mm Silvered bronze. Front: A combination of a "Mirage" and a "Skyhawk" Fighter in flight within wreath, part of which is the emblem of the Israel Air Force Back: Hebrew legend from Isaiah, emblem of the squadron, "Yom Kippur war", date. Presented to members of the squadron who stopped the Syrian Army just short of the Jordan River.
16			One Try Ounce Fine Silver .999 Israel 25 th Anniversary 1948-1973 "Israel must never sleep"
17			Front: A Hebrew text from the Second Book of Samuel ,1:19 "Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!" The number 2412 signifies the number of fallen Israeli soldiers. Back: Two bolts of lightning in the form of Egyptian and Syrian flags striking the shield of David. Text: The Yom Kippur War 6-24 oct. 1973 Material: .999 Silver, Weight 18.65 gram, Size 32 mm.
18			A. Lerner/ The Failure/ Agranat Commission/ Yom Kippur War Medal Artist: Avraham Lerner, Dover N. J. Pure silver, ~18.6gr., 32mm. Private Medal 1972-1975. 650 were issued Source: https://www.ebay.com
19			1973 Tadiran Electronics Factory "for the support during Yom Kippur war" Private Medal 50mm CU-NI Source:https://www.ebay.com
20			30 Years Since Yom Kippur War Artillery Egged 209 Medal Size: 60mm Source: https://www.ebay.com
21			Homage to Israel's Navy token presented by the Israel Govenment Coins and Medals Corporation 1973 Size: 30mm Nickel Source: https://www.ebay.com
22			Suez Canal Crossing Diameter: 35 mm
23			A medal given to the wounded of the Galloping Horse Brigade during the Yom Kippur War, which belonged to the Armored Corps. At the center of the medal is the unit's emblem. Around it is the inscription: To you, the warrior who was wounded in the Yom Kippur War. The diameter of the medal is 4.5 cm.
24			Front: 40 Years to the Yom Kippur war Marching in the paths of heroism. Campaign ribbon of the Yom Kippur war Northern Command salutes the fighters of the Yom Kippur war Back: IDF symbol. 23 September 2013 Size 58 mm.
25			Fifty Years to the Yom Kippur War Size: 70 mm Weight: Material: Bronze https://milmanltd.co.il/
26			Major General Ariel Sharon - Hero of Israel 15-24 Oct. 1973 Silver Weight 18.5 gram