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Panama Awards and Decorations | |||||||||||||||||||
The following Panama 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 government of the Republic of Panama, and intimating the British sovereigns permission for it to be accepted and worn by the recipient. |
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Although the Republic of Panama
did not participate actively in the First World War, they did issued a medal to commemorate
their solidarity with the aims of the allies in the defence of right and liberty. |
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Medal of Solidarity (Medal of La
Solidaridad) The Republic of Panama instituted this medal in 1918, 36mm in diameter, in three classes; 1st Class Gold (silver-gilt) for the commanders-in-chief of the allied armies. 2nd Class (Silver) for generals and senior officers, distinguished by a rosette on the ribbon. 3rd Class (Bronze) for all other officers and other ranks. The obverse shows a female figure representing the republic, standing, left, holding in her left hand a shield with the arms of the state; beside her is an altar marked, PATRIA, and bearing the inscription, LA GUERRA Di DERECHO (The war of right). The outer rim has a laurel wreath, with the arms of a cross showing at the cardinal points. (N.B. The cross does not extend outside the circle of the medal). The reverse has the arms of Panama flanked by four flags, with an eagle above, its wings expanded. The border is as the obverse, but with the dates, 1917 (top) and 1918 (bottom). The ribbon is 36mm wide, red with a 6mm blue central stripe flanked by 4mm white stripes. |
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It is reported that only a hundred medals were given to each of the allied countries, so the medal is quite
rare. |
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First World War (1918-1920) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Lieutenant Herbert James, V.C.,
M.C. Born in Birmingham on the 13th November 1888, he was the only
Worcestershire Regiment soldier to receive the Panama Medal of Solidarity. As
a 2nd Lieutenant with the 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment he was
decorated with the Victoria Cross for his actions at Krithia, Gallipoli in
1915. He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre in 1917. As a Staff
Captain at Amiens in 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross. He later rose
to the rank of Major before retiring from the army. He died at Kensington,
West London, age of 69, on the 15th August 1958. His funeral took place at
St. Mary Abbot, Kensington and his grave is at the West London Crematorium, Kensal Green. |
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