| Political deportation and internment medal | |
| Type: | Commemorative medal |
| Eligibility: | French citizens |
| Awarded For: | Deportation or internment by the enemy for political motives |
| Campaign: | World War II |
| Status: | No longer awarded |
| Established: | 9 September 1948 |
| Total Awarded: | ~ 60,000 |
The Political deportation and internment medal (French: Médaille de la déportation et de l'internement politique) is a commemorative medal awarded by the Ministry for veterans and war victims of the French Republic to its citizens who were deported or interned by the German occupation forces during World War II.
It was created by a law of 9 September 1948 defining the status of political deportees and internees declaring in its opening article “The Republic, grateful to those who contributed to the salvation of the country, bowed before them and before their families, determined the status of political deportees and internees, proclaim their rights and those of their successors”.[1]
Possession of the Political deportee or Political internee card, issued by the National Office for Veterans Affairs, established the right to wear the medal, the insignia being common to either status, but hanging from different ribbons sometimes also bearing distinctive clasps.[2]
The Title of political deportee giving the right to wear the Political deportation and internment medal with political deportee ribbon is bestowed to French citizens living in France or abroad, who were, apart from being interned for common or criminal offences and for a period of at least three months:
The Title of political internee giving the right to wear the Political deportation and internment medal with political internee ribbon is bestowed to French citizens living in France or abroad, interned by the enemy or the Vichy government, for any reason other than for common or criminal offences, who were:
A decree of January 6, 1955 modified articles A.186-2 and A.186-3 of the Code of military invalidity pensions and victims of war to include political internees and deportees of the First World War and introduced a “1914-1918” clasp to the medal in both its variants.[2]
The Political deportation and internment medal, a design of French artist engraver Arthus Bertrand, is a 30 mm in diameter circular medal struck from bronze or gilt bronze. Its obverse bears the relief image of four vertical chain links protruding from the medal circumference with the upper one forming the ribbon suspension loop. Within the chain link at the center of the medal, a small relief image of the map of France with six rays of light protruding out to the medal's outer edges. Above the upper most rays, the relief semi-circular inscription along the medal circumference (French: RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE) (FRENCH REPUBLIC). The reverse bears the same chain links but without the map of France or the rays, instead, at its center can be found the years in relief “1940” and “1945” on two lines, with the relief inscription along the medal circumference (French: MÉDAILLE DE LA DÉPORTATION ET DE L’INTERNEMENT) (POLITICAL DEPORTATION AND INTERNMENT MEDAL).[1] The deportee's medal hangs from a 36 mm wide silk moiré ribbon with 2 mm wide yellow edge stripes framing four blue and three white alternating equal vertical stripes. The internee's medal hangs from a 36 mm wide silk moiré ribbon with 2 mm wide yellow edge stripes framing diagonal alternating stripes of blue and white.
Three clasps are allowed for wear on the ribbon: