The following Belgium awards were made to soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment for gallantry or meritorious service. They are recorded in the London Gazette, indicating the granting of the award or decoration by the sovereign of Belgium, and intimating the British sovereigns permission for it to be accepted and worn by the recipient.
Ordre de la Couronne
(Officer Class)
Ordre de Léopold II
(Knight Class)
Croix de Guerre
1914-1918
Decoration Militaire
(2nd Class)
This Order was instituted on the 15th October 1897 by King Leopold II as an Order for the then Belgium Congo State, but it became a purely Belgian Order in 1908 when Belgium took over the Congo as a Colony and the Order of the African Star took its place. This Order may be conferred on those, Belgians and foreigners who have distinguished themselves by artistic, literary, scientific and military services. Military holders of the Order below the rank of officer received a yearly allowance. The Order has five classes, namely: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight (Chevalier).
A set of palms with two grades, gold and silver is associated with the Order as a 6th Class. There is also a medal with three grades, gold, silver and bronze.
Opposite is a photo of Capt. Samuel Alwyne Gabb, O.B.E., M.C. wearing his medals. He was awarded the Ordre de la Couronne avec Croix de Guerre (Order of the Crown with the War Cross) as such you will see he wears both medals (last two on the right).
Capt. S. A. Gabb
(later Lieut.Colonel)
This Order was instituted on the 24th August 1900 by King Leopold II as an Order for the then Belgium Congo State, but it became a Belgian Order in 1908 when Belgium took over the Congo as a Colony. This Order may be conferred on those, Belgians and foreigners as a reward for civilian or military service to the Monarch and as a token of his personal goodwill. The Order has five classes, namely: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight (Chevalier).
The Riband of the Order is blue with a black centre. Military personnel decorated who have been mentioned in despatches during the First and Second World Wars bear a riband for the 4th and 5th Class a gold or silver palm, with an "A" for "Albert" and an "L" for "Leopold" respectively, and also, according to their achievement, a centre stripe or border in gold. Associated with the Order as a 6th Class there is a medal with three grades, gold, silver and bronze.
Six months after France had instituted her Croix de Guerre, Belgium followed suit, on 25th October 1915, with a very similar decoration of the same name. Awarded to those mentioned in dispatches for acts of courage on the battlefield, or for continuous and exceptional service against the enemy.
A Royal Decree of 15th November 1917, subsequent mention in dispatches emblems were to be worn on the ribbon, either a Belgian lion motif or palm emblem with the letter 'A'. Both lion and palm emblems come in bronze, silver or silver gilt, according to the grade of the Order of the Day, ie: bronze for Regimental, silver for Divisional and silver-gilt for Division d'Armée. A further decree of 26th February 1919 amended this to a more complicated system according to the grade of the Order of the Day, using lions or palms in bronze, silver, or silver-gilt; for a mention in a Regimental Order, a bronze lion; for a Divisional Order, silver; for Division d'Armee, silver-gilt; for mention in an Army Order, a bronze palm; five bronze palms were replaced by a silver palm, while five in silver were replaced by one in silver-gilt. The same decree of 26th February 1919 also granted the Croix de Guerre avec palme to recipients of Belgian or foreign orders or decorations awarded as a result of an Army Order of the Day citation.
Other decrees authorised the award to various other categories, such as those who died of wounds, those who escaped from German prisons and rejoined their Forces, volunteers over the age of forty or under sixteen, etc. As late as September 1950, the Prince Regent authorised the award of a supplementary palm leaf to the ribbon of the 1914-18 Croix de Guerre for ex–prisoners of war, honourably captured, who had escaped and rejoined.
Instituted in its present form in 1900 and amended in 1952 to allow the decoration to be awarded to officers for bravery. The Military Decoration has two divisions and each division has a 1st and 2nd class, one division for long service and seniority and the other for courage, self-sacrifice and exceptional achievement. This latter division was also awarded to Allied military personnel.
| Ordre de la Couronne (Belgian) | |||||
| Surname | Forename/s | Rank | Number | Award Class | Gazette Date |
| Cayley, C.B., C.M.G. | Douglas Edward | Col. (T/Maj.-Gen.) | - | Commander | 24/10/1919 |
| Gabb | Samuel Alwyne | Capt. |
- |
Officer | 24/10/1919 |
| Ordre de Leopold II (Belgian) | |||||
| Surname | Forename/s | Rank | Number | Award Class | Gazette Date |
| Muggeridge | Thomas | Sgt. | 64750 | Chevalier | 24/10/1919 |
| Croix de Guerre (Belgian) | ||||
| Surname | Forename/s | Rank | Number | Gazette Date |
| Armstrong | Alexander | C.S.M. | 64414 | 04/09/1919 |
| Ashmore | Thomas | L/Cpl. | 11075 | 12/07/1918 |
| Adkins | William | Sgt. | 8983 | 12/07/1918 |
| Becher, D.S.O. | Henry Wrixon | Major (T/Lieut.-Col.) | - | 04/09/1919 |
| Bilton, C.M.G. | Louis Leonard | Lieut.-Col. | - | 12/07/1918 |
| Birkinshaw | Douglas | Cpl. | 64011 | 04/09/1919 |
| Brown | Robert | Sgt. | 9333 | 12/07/1918 |
| Byron | Sidney Frank | C.S.M. | 9297 | 12/07/1918 |
| Carpenter, M.M. | Harold Leslie | Sgt. | 41788 | 04/09/1919 |
| Cayley, C.B., C.M.G. | Douglas Edward | Colonel (T/Major General) | - | 24/10/1919 |
| Chichester | Walter Raleigh | Lieut.-Col. | - | 12/07/1918 |
| Duffield | George Filby | Cpl. | 202588 | 12/07/1918 |
| Farley | Henry James | R.S.M. | 5661 | 12/07/1918 |
| Gabb | Samuel Alwyne | Capt. | - | 24/10/1919 |
| Grove | William | Sgt. | 12534 | 04/09/1919 |
| Harding, D.C.M. | Walter | Pte. | 41052 | 12/07/1918 |
| Hartles | Joseph William | Sgt. | 240251 | 12/07/1918 |
| Jeffery | Sydney Josiah | R.Q.M.S. | 8980 | 12/07/1918 |
| Johnson | William | Cpl. | 8535 | 12/07/1918 |
| Jones | Frederick Richard | Pte. | 201316 | 12/07/1918 |
| Kay | Albert Edward | L/Sgt. | 19702 | 12/07/1918 |
| Ladd | Alfred Caldier | T/Major (A/Lieut.-Col.) | - | 12/07/1918 |
| Lawley, M.M. | William Henry Frederick | Sgt. | 21728 | 04/09/1919 |
| Leek | William A. | Pte. | 40564 | 24/10/1919 |
| Marryatt | Richard Herbert | Lieut. (A/Major) | - | 04/09/1919 |
| Marston | Albert Ernest | Pte. | 242026 | 12/07/1918 |
| Millage | Charles | Sgt. | 24056 | 12/07/1918 |
| Morgan, D.C.M. | David George Llewellyn | R.S.M. | 9077 | 12/07/1918 |
| Muggeridge | Thomas | Sgt. | 64750 | 24/10/1919 |
| Palmer | Frederick | Pte. | 200627 | 12/07/1918 |
| Roberts | William Joseph | C.Q.M.S. | 5833 | 12/07/1918 |
| Sheasby | Charles | Sgt. | 8059 | 04/09/1919 |
| Smith | Hezekiah | Pte. | 201571 | 12/07/1918 |
| Stacke | Henry Fitz Maurice | Capt. | - | 16/01/1920 |
| Tyler | Thomas Maurice | Sgt. | 12362 | 12/07/1918 |
| Walker | John Henry | Sgt. | 24943 | 12/07/1918 |
Major (T/Lieut.-Col) H. W. Becher, D.S.O. of the West Riding Regiment was commanding the 17th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment when he received his award.
Lieut. (A/Major) R. H. Marryatt of the 5th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment was attached to the 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment when he received his award.
| Decoration Militaire (Belgian) | ||||
| Surname | Forename/s | Rank | Number | Gazette Date |
| Green | Frank | Sgt. | 201073 | 05/04/1919 |
| Leek | William A. | Pte. | 40564 | 24/10/1919 |