The third type of medal is the unit medal. The first one illustrated here is for the men of the 4th Battalion for service during 1914-18. The First World War saw the universal acceptance of steel helmets by all sides including the neutral Swiss. This medal shows the Swiss steel helmet in use. The unit designation is on the flag. With many of the Swiss unit medals one must look carefully to find the unit designation. The second medal was for the 1914-15 service of the 27th Fusilier (infantry) Battalion and shows a soldier wearing the standard pre-helmet issue cap which tells us that the Swiss like the Germans didn’t start using steel helmets until around 1916. Unit medals were most likely purchased by the men of the unit in one large order or provided by their officers.

 

Nice awards. Rich A. in Pa.