Indochina Medals - Cambodia - CM07 Medal of National Defense

CM07	MEDAL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
	Médaille de la Défense Nationale (Meday Karpear Cheat) three classes - established September 9, 1948 by ordinance 115
	For:	acts of bravery accomplished for the defense of the national territory, and for the repression of acts of rebellion and piracy
	Design:	round breast badge, bronze then later gold/silver/bronze, 35mm across, with suspension ribbon
		Obverse:	round as if penetrated by two 50mm swords with hilts visible below the points above, with in center image of monkey king Hanuman with sword (the ally of Rama who rescued Sita, the wife of Vishnu, in the fight against Ravanna and the army of giants), surrounded by circle of small curlicues;
		Reverse:	plain
	Ribbon:	Original ribbon: 36mm; blue 3mm, red 6mm, blue 2mm, red 6mm, blue 2mm, red 6mm, blue 2mm, red 6mm, blue 3mm
		Current ribbon (after 1993): 36mm; blue 3mm, red 8mm, blue 3mm, red 8mm, blue 3mm, red 8mm, blue 3mm

This medal is the Cambodian equivalent of the French Croix de Guerre. It has been widely bestowed by the Kingdom, the Khmer Republic, and by the revived Kingdom. A number of foreigners (French, Americans, Australians, etc) also received it.

The Medal of National Defense was also given as a unit award, for instance to the 1st Cambodian Light Infantry Battalion for an action near Takeo in 1960 and to the 6th Light Infantry Battalion for an action in front of the palace in 1953. The fourragere would be red and blue for a citation at the Kingdom level, and in the colors of the Sena Jayaseddh for three such citations.

The awards of the revived Kingdom appear very close to the earlier ones, and may again have been manufactured in France. The medal has also been manufactured in the United States, and also Australia. It closely resembles the French or Cambodian made ones, but has the usual American bound edge ribbon. It has been seen in bronze, and also in gold, and may exist also in silver.

The medal of the Kingdom and the Republic in bronze are fairly common, the gold and silver ones much less so.

It has been revived by the current Kingdom.

Examples of service ribbons apparently for early awards of this medal for the revived Kingdom were made locally of wrapped thread with very large gold stars.

7/A	Version of the Kingdom (1948 – 1970)
	Design:	the suspension a royal Cambodian crown
	Device:	originally awarded in bronze with:
		- Gold Star (Talabat Meas) for mention in dispatches at the level of the Kingdom
		- Silver Star (Talabat Prak) for mention in dispatches at the level of the Army or Khet (province)
		- Bronze Star (Talabat Samrit) for mention in dispatches at the level of the Battalion or Khum (village)
		- Bronze palm, originally as the Croix de Guerre

Medal of National Defence Bronze
CM07/A Bronze

Later the three classes were presented not in bronze with star devices on the ribbon, but in the badge metal colors gold, silver, and bronze sometimes with on the suspension ribbon. The service ribbons continued to have star devices in the respective metals.

Medal of National Defence Gold
CM07/A/1 Gold (gilt)

Medal of National Defence Silver
CM07/A/2 Silver

Medal of National Defence Bronze
CM07/A/3 Bronze

7/B	Version of the Republic (1970 – 1975)
	Design:	the suspension a flower like design with curlicues below and fleur-de-lis above
	Device:	small star on service bar according to metal of award (not always)

7/B/1	Gold / Médaille de Vermeil / (Meday Meas)
	For:	mention in dispatches at the level of the Kingdom or Republic

7/B/2	Silver / Médaille d'Argent / (Meday Prak)
	For:	mention in dispatches at the level of the Army or Khet

7/B/3	Bronze / Médaille de Bronze / (Meday Samrit)
	For:	mention in dispatches at the level of the Battalion or Khum

Medal of National Defence Bronze
CM07/B/3 Bronze

7/B/v	Version manufactured in the U. S. (also apparently in gold/silver/bronze)
	Design:	close to the Cambodian version
	Ribbon:	with American style bound edges
	Device:	small American style bronze star

Medal of National Defence Bronze
CM07/B/v Bronze US Made

CM07/B/v Miniature Bronze US Made

CM07/B/v Miniature Bronze Austrialian Made

7/C	Version of the Revived Kingdom (1993 – present)
	Design:	the suspension a flower like design with curlicues below and fleur-de-lis above
	Device:	small star on service bar according to metal of award (not always)

7/C/1

Gold / Médaille de Vermeil / (Meday Meas)

7/C/2

Silver / Médaille d'Argent / (Meday Prak)

Medal of National Defence Silver
CM07/C/2 Silver

7/C/3

Bronze / Médaille de Bronze / (Meday Samrit)

Documents / Brevets:

Awarded 1 Spetember 1966 to the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Monsieur Couve de Murville - Certificate No 560

Medal of National Defence Brevet

The Cambodian National Defense Medal was bestowed upon Monsieur Couve de Murville for the part he played in ensuring Cambodian stability on the world stage after independence.

Other Insignia:

The same design of military connotation is used, for instance, on the unit badge for the 1er bataillon du regiment de march du Cambodge organized in February 1947.

Variations:

1.1 possibly early 1948 type (bronze only)	1.2 later Kingdom type (found in bronze, silver, gold)

- pendant	- pendant
1.3 late Kingdom type in gold (gilt) with maker mark	1.4 late Kingdom type - different suspension
- suspension	- suspension
- pendant
- maker mark (any identification ?)
1.5 Republic type (Cambodian made ?)	1.6 Republic type (US made)
- suspension	- suspension
- pendant	- pendant
1.5 Current Kingdom type	1.6 Current Kingdom type (another variation)
- suspension	- suspension
- pendant	- pendant

Device Variations:

First Kingdom (on bronze medal)	First Kingdom (later type – on gold medal)

Found on first Kingdom type (on bronze medal) (is this a correct, or just a concoction ?)	Found on first Kingdom type (on bronze medal) (is this a correct, or just a concoction ?)	First Kingdom type (from Oldham)

Republic (on bronze medal)	Republic – US made version (on bronze medal)	Republic – US made version - miniature (on bronze medal)

Current Kingdom (on silver medal)	Found on a current kingdom medal – small star

THE ORDERS AND MEDALS OF THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA