The Overseas Medal

• Time Period: Post-WW2
• Institution: 6 June 1962
• Country: France

The Overseas Medal (or Médaille d’Outre-Mer) is a commemorative or campaign medal issued to members of the French Armed Forces for participating in operations outside national territory. It replaced the French Colonial Medal by decree on 6 June 1962.

The areas of service are indicated by a gilt silver campaign clasp, there are currently 13 available:

• Cambodge (Cambodia)
• Liban (Lebanon)
• Tchad (Chad), awarded to all French personnel, military or otherwise, who served in Chad regardless of the length of service from March 15, 1960 to January 27, 2008 . As of January 28, 2008, the campaign clasp is awarded for fifteen days of consecutive service or a cumulative equivalent of non-consecutive days.
• Mauritanie (Mauritania), awarded to all French personnel, military or otherwise, who served in Mauritania from November 1977 to July 1990, regardless of length of service.
• Moyen-Orient (Middle East)
• Ormuz (Hormuz)
• République centrafricaine (Central African Republic)
• République de Côte d’Ivoire (Republic of Côte d’Ivoire)
• République démocratique du Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo)
• République du Congo (Congo)
• Rwanda (Rwanda)
• Somalie (Somalia)
• Zaïre (Zaire)
• Sahel (Mali)

The Overseas Medal Design

The medal’s design is the work of engraver Georges Lemaire, and it’s made in silver. The obverse shows a helmeted allegorical effigy of a woman as the personification of the French Republic, circled by the words “République française“. The reverse shows a terrestrial globe on top of trophies of military conquest with the words “MEDAILLE D’OUTRE-MER“.

The ribbon is sky blue and has three vertical white bands, the two side ones of 2mm and the central one of 7mm. The link is a silver laurel branches and the bars are gilt, showing the territory where the campaign occurred.