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Croix de Guerre 1939–1945

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Croix de Guerre1939–1945
Croix de Guerre1939–1945with2 silver-gilt (gold) stars
TypeBravery award
Awarded forMilitary duty during World War IImentioned in dispatches
Presented byFrance
Claspssilver-gilt palm
silver palm
bronze palm
silver-gilt star
silver star
bronze star
StatusNo longer awarded
Established26 September 1939
First awarded1939


Ribbon bar & streamer of the FrenchCroix de guerre1939–1945
Precedence
Next (higher)Croix de guerre1914–1918
Next (lower)Croix de Guerre TOE

TheCroix de Guerre1939–1945(English:War Cross 1939–1945) is aFrench military decoration,a version of theCroix de Guerrecreated on 26 September 1939 to honour people who fought with theAlliesagainst theAxis forcesat any time duringWorld War II.After Germany invaded and overran mainland France in theBattle of Francein May and June 1940, thisCroix de Guerrewas replaced by the pro-AxisVichy Frenchgovernment with anotherCroixwith a black-and-green ribbon, while the original was upheld byFree France.Since the triumph of the Free French side in World War II, this version is the only one officially recognized by theFrench government.

Award statute

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Due to the large extent of the war zone, recipients included those who fought during, with, at, or in the following:[1]

Award description

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Medal

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TheCroix de Guerrewas designed by the sculptorPaul-Albert Bartholomé.The medal is 37 millimetres (1.5 in) in size and is in the shape of aMaltese crosswith twoswordscriss-crossed through the center. In the center of the front is the profile of the French Republic crested by aPhrygian cap.Around this portrait, are the wordsRépublique française( "French Republic" ). On the reverse of the medal are the dates of the conflict: 1939–1940, 1939–1945, or simply 1940.[1]

Ribbon

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The suspension and service ribbon of the medal has a red background crossed with four green lines in its center.[2]

Devices

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On every medal andribbon,there is at least one ribbon device, either in the shape of a palm or of a star, and fashioned from eitherbronze,silver,orsilver-gilt(vermeil). The relative importance of the six possible combinations is detailed below. The total number of devices on a"Croix de Guerre"is not limited.

Award grades

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Reverse of the 1939–1945 War Cross

Mentioned in Despatches

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The lowest degree is represented by a bronze star while the highest degree is represented by a bronze palm:[2]

  • Bronze star (étoile en bronze) for those who had been mentioned at theregimentorbrigadelevel.
  • Silver star (étoile en argent), for those who had been mentioned at thedivisionlevel.
  • Silver-gilt star (étoile en vermeil), for those who had been mentioned at thecorpslevel.
  • Bronze palm (palme en bronze), for those who had been mentioned at thearmylevel.
  • Silver palm (palme en argent), represents five bronze ones.
  • Silver-gilt palm (palme en vermeil), for those who had been mentioned at theFree French Forceslevel (World War II only).[1]

The clasps are awarded for gallantry to any member of the French military or its allies and are, depending on the degree, roughly the equivalent to the U.S.Bronze StarandSilver Staror UKMilitary CrossandMilitary Medal.

Vichy France version

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Following the German invasion and occupation of France in May 1940, the French collaborationist government (Vichy France;officially calledÉtat français,the "French State" ) created twocroixduring World War II, both utilizing a black-and-green ribbon pattern instead of the original red-and-green. Thesecroixwere both disavowed by the Free French government and the postwar French government, and wearing them is illegal in France. The VichyCroix de Guerreemployed the same tiered citations for the award as the officially-recognised version, excluding the added gilt palm.

Ribbon Awards
Croix de guerre(Vichy France;for World War II service)
Croix de guerre de laLégion des Volontaires Français(forEastern FrontWorld War II service)

Notable non-French recipients

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See also

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References

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  1. ^abcMarc Champenois."Croix de guerre 1939–1945"(in French). France-phaleristique.Retrieved1 November2013.
  2. ^ab"Croix De Guerre, France".The Institute of Heraldry. Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2017.Retrieved3 October2017.
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