Belgium's First Airship the Belgique, A Bronze Plaquette, by D Weygers of Louis Godard's Airship 'Belgique' Circa 1910

Most rare early aeronautical medal of one of the very earliest airships, from Belgium, issued by the towns of d’Auderghem and Watermael-Boitsfort.

It depicts a semi-draped nude figure holding informative scroll, looking up at the airship, 52mm x 70mm. Engraved on the reverse Souvenir of the Derigible 'Belgique' the type of construction by Louis Godard. The "Belgique" was a 4.200m3 airship constructed by Louis Goddard at Paris and used by the Service Aérostatique from 1910 onwards.

The Belgique III was in fact the third extensive modification of the basic Belgique airship previously owned by Mrs. Goldschmidt and Solvay, who donated the machine to King Albert. Transferred to the Compagnie d'Aérostiers du Génie, the Belgique III was used up to September 1914 from Wilrijk, Antwerp. When the Germans took this town, the machine was disassembled and transported to France.

Still manned by the Belgian Commandant Soucy, the Belgique III was equipped with the gondola of the vedette Zodiac to become the VZ 5 based at La Rochelle and later Rochefort for coastal surveillance duties.

The VZ 5 having been operational until at least 1919 was offered back to Belgians but the government didn't have any use for an airship anymore.

Code: 24175