Dardanelles campaign medal

• Name — Dardanelles campaign medal • Type — Campaign medal • Eligibility — French nationals and foreign nationals • Awarded For — Service with the French Dardanelles Expeditionary Corps prior to 9 January 1916 • Status — No longer awarded • Established — 15 June 1926 • Caption2 — Ribbon of the Dardanelles campaign medal • Illustration — General Albert d'Amade, a recipient of the Dardanelles campaign medal • Illustration — Admiral of the Fleet François Darlan, a recipient of the Dardanelles campaign medal

First proposed as a new clasp on the Colonial Medal, and then as a distinct medal in June 1917, it is finally and only on 15 June 1926 that this award will be officially established. The creation of the "1914-1918 war commemorative medal" (Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1914–1918) in 1920 and of the 1914-1918 "Interallied Victory Medal" (Médaille Interalliée de la Victoire 1914–1918) in 1922 will have placed enough pressure on the French Government to concede, even against the will of its defence minister, the need for official recognition of service in this theatre of operations. The new medal is officially called the "Orient and Dardanelles campaign medal" ("Médaille Commémorative d'Orient et des Dardanelles"), the intent being for a single medal for both campaigns albeit with different ribbons, but it is actually produced with different reverse inscriptions for the two fronts "ORIENT" or "DARDANELLES" and will only bear the "DARDANELLES" designation when bestowed for that front.

• General Henri Gouraud • General Albert d'Amade • Admiral Charles Perzo • Master gunner Louis Blasi • Lieutenant Gabriel de Champeaux de La Boulaye • Doctor Jean Clunet • Admiral of the Fleet François Darlan • Lieutenant Jean Giraudoux