Military awards related to the Vierdaagse

These are medals and badges that have been awarded by military bodies over the years in relation to the Vierdaagse.

Royal Dutch Army medal for first place at the Nijmegen Vierdaagse.

A bronze medal with a diameter of 40 mm, made by the company of van Veluw of Zeist. The obverse bears the army badge and the inscription ‘Koninklijke Landmacht' or ‘Royal Army’. The reverse inscription: ‘Uitgereikt door bls wegens het behalen van de 1e plaats bij de Vierdaagse van Nijmegen’ translates as ‘Awarded for gaining 1st place at Nijmegen Vierdaagse`. Since 2000 awards have a ball and ring suspension, although it is not presented with a ribbon and is not intended for wear.

This medal is awarded each year to the Royal Dutch Army detachment judged as having the best conduct during the Marches in terms of training, dress, external appearance and behaviour. Similar medals are also awarded to the best Royal Dutch Navy (including Marines) and Air Force detachments. Navy medals are awarded with a long narrow red, white and blue ribbon to enable them to be worn round the neck when presented.

Finishing ahead of other detachments is not, of course, one of the award criteria, since the marches are not a race. In 1928, the first year foreign military detachments took part, the Norwegian group did treat the event as a race and finished first each day. They were disqualified and denied both the Vierdaagse Cross and the Group Medal!

Air Training Corps Nijmegen Brassard Badge. (United Kingdom) .

The Air Training Corps (ATC) is the British Royal Air Force's cadet force. The ATC send about 20 teams to the Marches each year, each of 2 adults and 10 cadets.

ACT uniform includes a brassard on the right arm on which qualification badges earned while a cadet are worn. With large numbers of cadets completing the Marches, an unofficial practice developed of wearing the Vierdaagse Cross or its ribbon bar on the brassard.

In 2003 the system was regularised when the Vierdaagse Cross ribbon bar was authorised for wear on the brassard. In 2005, a committee reviewing ATC badges decided to replace this with a specific ATC brassard badge, to be awarded to each cadet who successfully completed the marches from 2006. As the marches that year were cancelled after the first day, the badge was first awarded in 2007.

The cloth badge is 4cm wide and is 3cm at its highest point. It is only awarded once, even if a cadet completes the march again in a subsequent year. It is not given to adult staff, who are not permitted to wear it even if previously earned while a cadet. The exact position to wear the badge on the brassard depends on the cadet’s other badges.

With thanks to Richard Courtney for supplying relevant information and the close up photograph of the badge.