The Military Cross (Dutch: Militaire Kruis, French: Croix Militaire) is a military long service decoration of Belgium. It was established by Royal Decree on 11 February 1885 and is awarded to commissioned officers in the Belgian Armed Forces for loyal and uninterrupted service. Approximately 300 Military Crosses are awarded annually.
The Military Cross is awarded in two classes to commissioned officers of the Belgian armed forces on the basis of their length of service:
Military Cross First Class: Awarded after 25 years of meritorious service as a commissioned officer;
Military Cross Second Class: Awarded to a commissioned officer after 25 years of meritorious service in the Belgian military.
Officers of the military reserve can also be awarded this decoration, on the condition that they participated in the yearly training period every year.
The Military Cross is a black enamelled Maltese cross with a 1mm gilt edge, the cross arms end in eight 2mm in diameter gilt spheres. Gilt crossed swords pointing up are positioned between the arms of the cross. The obverse central medallion bears the Belgian "lion rampant", pre 1952, the reverse medallion bore the royal cypher of the reigning monarch, post 1952, the reverse is identical to the obverse.
Suspension is by means of a ribbon through a suspension ring passing through the orb of a pivot mounted crown. The green silk moiré ribbon has two 5 mm wide red stripes set 1 mm from the ribbon's edges. The Military Cross First Class differs only from the second class award in the form of a rosette on the ribbon in the same colours as the ribbon.
The individuals listed below were awarded the Military Cross 1st class:
Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Piron
Brigadier General Frank, Viscount De Winne
Lieutenant General Alphonse Ferdinand Tromme
Lieutenant General Baron Charles de Cumont
Lieutenant General Albert Baron Crahay
Cavalry Lieutenant General Marcel Jooris
Lieutenant General Roger Dewandre
Lieutenant General Ernest Engelen
Lieutenant General Sir Louis Teysen
Lieutenant General Constant Weyns
Police Lieutenant General August Van Wanzeele
Aviator Lieutenant General Armand Crekillie
Lieutenant General Roger Maes
Major General Maurice Jacmart
Divisional Admiral Léon Lurquin
Aviator Vice Admiral Sir André Schlim
Vice Admiral Jozef De Wilde
Cavalry Major General Jules François Gaston Everaert
Lieutenant General Jules Joseph Pire
Cavalry Lieutenant General Sir Maximilien de Neve de Roden
Cavalry Lieutenant General Baron Victor Van Strijdonck de Burkel
Lieutenant General Georges Deffontaine
Lieutenant General Alphonse Verstraete
Major General Baron Georges Danloy
Lieutenant General Baron Raoul de Hennin de Boussu-Walcourt
Lieutenant General Joseph Leroy
Cavalry Lieutenant General Jules De Boeck
Lieutenant General Fernand Vanderhaeghen
Lieutenant General Robert Oor
Lieutenant General Libert Elie Thomas
Lieutenant General Léon Bievez
Cavalry Major General Baron Beaudoin de Maere d’Aertrycke
Major General Lucien Van Hoof
Major General Jean Buysse
Aviator Major General Norbert Leboutte
Police Lieutenant General Louis Joseph Leroy
Major General Paul Jacques
Aviator Major General Norbert Leboutte
Police Lieutenant General Louis Joseph Leroy
Police Lieutenant General Oscar-Eugène Dethise
Lieutenant General Harry Jungbluth
Cavalry Lieutenant General Baron Albert du Roy de Blicquy
Lieutenant General Sir Antonin de Selliers de Moranville
Lieutenant General Félix Wielemans
Lieutenant General Baron Louis de Ryckel
Lieutenant General Baron Émile Dossin de Saint-Georges
Lieutenant General Count Gérard-Mathieu Leman
Lieutenant General Victor Bertrand
Lieutenant General Joseph Jacquet
Lieutenant General Baron Jules Jacques de Dixmude
Lieutenant General Albert Lantonnois van Rode
Lieutenant General Baron Armand de Ceuninck
Lieutenant General Aloïs Biebuyck
Cavalry Lieutenant General Baron Léon de Witte de Haelen
Cavalry Lieutenant General Vicount Victor Buffin de Chosal
The individuals listed below were awarded the Military Cross 2nd class:
Aviator Lieutenant Colonel Baron Willy Coppens
Lieutenant General Alphonse Ferdinand Tromme
Lieutenant General Alphonse Verstraete
Count Hubert Pierlot
Other recipients include:
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Lloyd Samuel Breadner
Charles I. Carpenter
Matthew Frew
Elvet Jones
Åge Lundström
Douglas MacArthur
Carl Petersén (born 1883)
Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr.
Ingvald M. Smith-Kielland, Sr.
John Marlow Thompson
Christoffel Venter
