History

The Medal for Merit on the Field of Glory was established by the leader of the Polish 1st Infantry Division in 1943 as an extension of the Order of Virtuti Militari. It was permanently discontinued in 1992 following the collapse of the communist regime.

The Medal was awarded to Polish military personnel in recognition of bravery, courage, and sacrifice in combat, as well as to foreigners who made contributions to Polish combat missions. It could be awarded multiple times to the same recipient in which case each subsequent award was denoted by a bar on the ribbon in the same material as the medal.

There are two versions of the I Class Medal that differ in engraving and inscription. The first version, awarded until 1944, features Polish and Soviet flags and a crowned eagle, while the second version does not feature flags, and has an uncrowned eagle. Both versions have a reverse inscription that translates to "Merit on the Field of Glory." The first version has an additional inscription that refers to the Battle of Lenino, whose combatants were the first to receive the Medal in 1943.

There may be additional versions of the I Class Medal that differ in size.