Spanish Medal For Suffering

[Scott C.]

I found this while conducting a search on the 'net. I've seen the Spanish Medal for Suffering ribbon with green stripes for Spanish military members, and with red stripes for foreign military members, but I've not seen a ribbon that combines green and red stripes. What is the explanation? Is this from the Spanish Civil War period? (the medal itself is 30mm in diameter)

Thanks!

[pedroMM]

Not sure about this one.

Technically, that ribbon combination might be possible. The foreigners ribbon should be the same than the ribbon for nationals (yellow with green stripes for wounded) with only the addition of the national flag in the middle..
But what I have always seen is that the awarded medals to foreigners had a plain yellow ribbon with the Spanish flag in the middle but without green stripes.

I have checked some books and articles and haven't found any picture of a medal with the ribbon you present.
The only images of it I have found are from dubious sellers.
Curiously, there is an official Army magazine from 1984 which shows a picture of such a ribbon, but from the sources I have checked there aren't enough evidences to consider it wartime.

[Scott C.]

Thank you Pedro, it looked odd to me too. Here's the one I have in my collection - I'm not certain of its authenticity.

[pedroMM]

Hi Scott.
Although I maintain my initial assessment, there are some who think that the ribbon of the medal you presented is correct.
I am not saying that it is against the regulations that instituted the medal, only saying that I am not aware of any war time medal with that ribbon. All the examples I have seen are quite recent, and all the medals for foreigners I have seen have a ribbon like the one you post now.
By the way, do you have a picture of its reverse?
These medals for foreigners usually come in silver finish and not enameled, like those given to Spaniards

[Scott C.]

The reverse is plain polished metal, like the medal in my first post. From what I've read, the silver Medal for Suffering is for enlisted troops while the gold & enamel medal is for officers. https://coleccionesmilitares.com/medallas/texto/msp.htm

[pedroMM]

There are some sources that claim that, but I don't recall seeing any non enameled medal apart from the foreigners medal.

What has been said by several authors about those enameled foreigners medal is that there are Italian made

[Scott C.]

What has been said by several authors about those enameled foreigners medal is that there are Italian made

That is interesting. Of the few Medal for Suffering I have seen on Legion Condor medal bars, I've not seen an enameled one, but I have seen an enameled one on an Italian veteran of the Spanish Civil War.

[pedroMM]

I wouldn't consider it as a definitive proof, but it may make sense.
By the way, that bar presents another interesting feature, as the second red cross from the left is a pre 1931 version but with a later crown (1936 onwards) version.
Sometimes seen in full size medals but first time for me seeing it in a mini

[Scott C.]

On another forum, Antonio Prieto (from the link in post #5 above) informed me the ribbon I was asking about in my first post is actually the Spanish Medal for Suffering for Foreigners following an order from March 11, 1941. So the ribbon is not from the 1936-39 Civil War era.

[pedroMM]

Hi Scott.
Antonio Prieto is an expert who has dedicated a lot of his life to study not only the Spanish medals as physical pieces but also the regulations that instituted them, etc..

I knew that there was a regulation that stabilised that the foreigners ribbon should be like that, but I ignored the date of institution.. and now I understand why all the real awarded medals had the yellow ribbon without green stripes.
Apart from that, I am not aware of any of those medals awarded to foreigners after the civil war or after the 41 (although it might have been awarded to Germans who took part in operations with the Blue Division).. so for the those medals are seen as just instituted but never awarded pieces.