Bosnia-Herzegovina Commemorative Medal 1908 Accession Number: RELAWM14759

Description

Bosnia-Herzegovina Commemorative Medal 1908. Unnamed as issued. Obverse: The bust of the Emperor Franz Joseph I looking to the right. The Latin inscription of 'FRANC. IOS. I. D. G. IMP. AVSTR. REX BOH. ETC. AP. REX HVNG', (Franz Joseph I. Kaiser of Austria, King of Bohemia etc. Apostolic King of Hungary). Reverse: A laurel-tree is shown, holding in the branches the coat of arms from these provinces - a crowned shield bearing an armoured arm holding a scimitar - in the leaves on both sides of this shield the Latin date 'DIE V." and "OCT. - MCMVIII' and on the roots an enrolled banner with the inscription 'IN MEMORIAM'. The medal is fitted with a loose ring suspender and a piece of 40 mm half red and half yellow ribbon (the colours of Bosnia-Herzegovina) folded in triangle format.

Contextual Description

After the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877/78 the major powers agreed during the Congress of Berlin, on 13 June 1878, that Austria-Hungary should take over the administration of the former Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 29 July 1878 the Austro-Hungarian XIII Army Corps crossed the Save River and after heavy fighting the city of Sarajevo and its surrounding territory was occupied on 1 October 1878. During the following decades this area remained under army administration. Besides the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Gendarmerie, four infantry regiments and one Feldjägerbataillon of the regular army were raised from the occupied area and over the years the 'Bosniaks', as they were called became known as one of the most loyal and elite units in the empire. Thirty years after the occupation of the area, which had still the legal status of occupied territory, was formally annexed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 5 October 1908. The new provinces belonged to neither the Austrian nor the Hungarian part of the monarchy, but were administrated by newly created federal authorities. To commemorate the day of the annexation, when Bosnia and the Herzegovina became legal constituent parts of the Empire, Emperor Franz Joseph I introduced the Bosnia-Herzegovina Commemorative Medal on 30 August 1909. It was awarded to all people who had been on active duty with the military or civilian administration of Bosnia and the Herzegovina on 5 October 1908. From the 3000 medals produced approximately 2800 were awarded. This medal is part of a collection assembled by the late Hon. Sir Thomas Hughes, Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. It was presented to the Memorial in memory of his son, Captain Roger Forrest Hughes, Australian Army Medical Corps, who died of wounds in France on 11 December 1916 and his grandson, Flying Officer Peter Roger Forrest Hughes, 12 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, who was killed on active service while flying in the Northern Territory on 3 October 1942.