This silver(ed) medal was instituted in 1893 but a number of bars were authorised in connection with the Second World War : "1940 - CÔTE DES SOMALIS - 1942" (26 December 1941), "ERYTHREE", "FEZZAN", "KOUFRA" and "LIBYE" (all on 26 March 1942), "ETHIOPIE" (1 August 1942), "BIR HAKEIM 1942" (1 October 1942, some variations in the writing on this bar are found), "FEZZAN-TRIPOLITAINE" (23 February 1943), "AFL" (Afrique Française Libre, 25 July 1943), "TRIPOLITAINE" (7 January 1944) and "TUNESIE 1942-1943" (17 April 1944).

The Vichy Colonial Medal

As did the French government in exile in London, the Vichy government instituted its own bar "1940 - CÔTE DES SOMALIS - 1941" in December 1941 for this existing medal.

For more extensive information on the French Colonial Medal, click HERE.