King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom

The King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom is a British medal instituted on 23 August 1945 to reward those, mainly foreigners, who during the Second World War with the danger of life had contributed to helping British military personnel to escape the enemy and escape from occupied areas or for other dangerous work for the British or Allied cause during the war.

Distribution of the medal began in 1947. Around 3,200 medals were awarded.

People who in less dangerous ways had made a deserving effort to further the British and Allied cause during World War II were eligible for the award of the King's Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom.

Description
The medal is silver and is 36 mm in diameter. Obverse shows King George VI left facing portrait. The portrait is surrounded by the inscription "GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: omn: REX ET IMP INDIAE:" Reverse bears the inscription "THE KING'S / MEDAL FOR / Courage / IN THE CAUSE OF / FREEDOM" of five lines, where the word courage is in larger font than other words. The inscription is surrounded by a chain. The medal is suspended from a white ribbon, which has two narrow blue centre stripes and red edge stripes.

Notable recipients

 * Petrus Wijtse Winkel (1909-2012), Dutch colonial administrator who rescued shipwrecked Britons and allowed them to escape the Japanese invaders by giving them his boat.