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Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)

February 15, 2024

The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (English: War Cross) is a French military decoration, the first version of the Croix de Guerre. It was created to recognize French and allied soldiers who were cited for valorous service during World War I, similar to the British mentioned in dispatches but with multiple degrees equivalent to other nations' decorations for courage.

Croix de Guerre 1914–1918
1914–1918 Croix de guerre with three citations
2 bronze palms
1 silver gilt star
TypeMedal
Awarded forMilitary duty during World War I, valor in battle
Presented by France
StatusClosed
Established2 April 1915
Total2,065,000[1]


Ribbon bar & streamer of the French Croix de guerre 1914–1918
Precedence
Next (higher)Médaille nationale de reconnaissance aux victimes du terrorisme
Next (lower)Croix de guerre 1939–1945
Fourragère of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918

Soon after the outbreak of World War I, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created. At that time, the Citation du jour ("Daily Citation") already existed to acknowledge soldiers, but it was just a sheet of paper. Only the Médaille Militaire and Legion of Honour were bestowed for courage in the field, due to the numbers now involved, a new decoration was required in earnest. At the end of 1914, General Boëlle, Commandant in Chief of the French 4th Army Corps, tried to convince the French administration to create a formal military award. Maurice Barrès, the noted writer and parliamentarian for Paris, gave Boëlle support in his efforts.[1]

On 23 December 1914, the French parliamentarian Georges Bonnefous proposed a legislative bill to create the Croix de la Valeur Militaire ("Cross of Military Valour") signed by 66 other parliamentarians. Émile Driant, a parliamentarian who served in the war zone during much of this time, became its natural spokesman when he returned to the legislature. On 18 January 1915, Driant submitted this bill but the name of the military award was renamed to Croix de guerre ("War Cross"). After parliamentary discussions, the bill was adopted on 2 April 1915.[1]

World War I began in 1914 and ended in 1918, so the final name adopted is "Croix de guerre 1914–1918".

Award statute edit

Every Croix de guerre awarded carries at least one citation for gallantry or courage to a member of any rank of the French military or of an allied army. Ribbon devices indicate the importance or degree of the soldier's role during the action cited. The lowest degree is represented by a bronze star and the highest degree is represented by a bronze palm. The cross is only awarded once and subsequent actions worthy of citations will be limited to additional ribbon devices on the originally received insignia. The number of ribbon devices on a Croix de guerre is not limited, some awards, especially to ace fighter pilots, had extremely long ribbons with dozens of stars and palms.[1]

The Croix de guerre 1914-1918 was attributed to:

  • French and allied soldiers individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry;[2]
  • Civilians and militarized personnel individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry;[2]
  • Automatically to soldiers and civilians not specifically cited for a Croix de guerre but awarded the Légion d'honneur or Médaille militaire for the highest acts of wartime valour and gazetted in the Official Journal of the French Republic;[2]
  • Collectively, to army units, ships or air squadrons;[2]
  • To cities and villages, martyrs of war, destroyed, ravaged or bombed by the enemy (2952 towns received the Croix de guerre 1914–1918, in this case, always awarded with palm).[2]

Soldiers who were/are members of units recognized by a collective unit award of the Croix de guerre may wear the Fourragère of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 as long as they remain members of that unit. Soldiers who actively took part as members of units during repeated feats of arms recognized by more than one collective award of the Croix de guerre may continue to wear the fourragère even after leaving the meritorious unit.[1] Battle streamers in the colours of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 are affixed to the colours of recipient units.

Award description edit

The cross was designed by the sculptor Paul-Albert Bartholomé. It is 37 mm wide, Florentine bronze cross pattée, with two crossed swords pointing up between the arms. The obverse centre medallion bears the relief image of the French Republic in the form of the bust of a young woman wearing a Phrygian cap surrounded by the circular relief inscription RÉPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE (FRENCH REPUBLIC). Not knowing how long the war would last, the reverse centre medallion bears the dates 1914–1915, 1914–1916, 1914–1917 and finally 1914–1918.[1]

The cross is suspended by a ring through a suspension loop cast atop the upper cross arm. It hangs from a 37 mm wide green silk moiré ribbon with seven narrow 1,5 mm wide vertical red stripes evenly spaced and two 1 mm red edge stripes.[2]

 
Reverse of the four variants of the World War I Croix de Guerre

The lowest degree is represented by a bronze star and the highest degree is represented by a silver palm. The cross was worn with the appropriate attachments to signify the singular or multiple awards of the decoration.

  • Bronze star (étoile de bronze): for those who were mentioned at the regiment, battalion[3] or brigade level.[2]
  • Silver star (étoile d'argent): for those who were cited at the division level.[2]
  • Silver gilt star (étoile vermeil): for those who were cited at the corps level.[2]
  • Bronze palm (palme de bronze): for those who were cited at the army level.[2]
  • Silver palm (palme d'argent): could be worn in lieu of five bronze palms.[2]

Award Ribbons edit

  •  
    Étoile de bronze
    Bronze star
  •  
    Étoile d'argent
    Silver star
  •  
    Étoile de vermeil
    Silver gilt star
  •  
    Palme de bronze
    Bronze palm
  •  
    Palme d'argent
    Silver palm

Notable French recipients (partial list) edit

 
Colonel René Fonck, a recipient of the 1914-18 Croix de guerre with 29 citations
 
Fighter ace captain Georges Guynemer, a recipient of the 1914-18 Croix de guerre with 26 citations
 
Canadian General Sir Arthur William Currie, a foreign recipient of the 1914-18 Croix de guerre with palm
 
American General Douglas MacArthur, a foreign recipient of the 1914-18 Croix de guerre with palm and gilt star

Notable foreign recipients (partial list) edit

French recipient units (partial list) edit

Allied recipient units (partial list) edit

Recipient cities (partial list) edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Marc Champenois. "Croix de guerre 1914–1918" (in French). France-phaleristique.com. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Décret du 23 avril 1915 relatif à l'application de la loi du 8 avril 1915 instituant une croix de guerre.
  3. ^ "Croix de Guerre 14-18". 2 May 2022.
  4. ^ Barker, Robert M. (1930). "Obituary, John William Barker". Sixty-first Annual Report of the Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy. Newburgh, NY: Moore Printing Company. pp. 239–242 – via West Point Digital Library.
  5. ^ "Gen. Johnson Awarded Honors". The Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, NY. February 19, 1919. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Keene, George Lawson (1898–1956)". Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  7. ^ Schindler, John R.; Cavaciocchi, Alberto; Ungari, Andrea (2004). Gli italiani in guerra. Milano: Ugo Mursia Editore s.r.l. ISBN 8842550647.
  8. ^ a b Boraston and Bax p.277
  9. ^ Boraston and Bax p.278
  10. ^ "15th Field Artillery Regiment Lineage and Honors". Center for Military History, United States Army. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Communes décorées de la Croix de guerre 1914-1918" (PDF) (in French). Association du Mémorial des batailles de la Marne. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 2016-12-28.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France).
  • France Phaléristique (in French)
  • (in French)

February 15, 2024
croix, guerre, 1914, 1918, france, croix, guerre, 1914, 1918, english, cross, french, military, decoration, first, version, croix, guerre, created, recognize, french, allied, soldiers, were, cited, valorous, service, during, world, similar, british, mentioned,. The Croix de guerre 1914 1918 English War Cross is a French military decoration the first version of the Croix de Guerre It was created to recognize French and allied soldiers who were cited for valorous service during World War I similar to the British mentioned in dispatches but with multiple degrees equivalent to other nations decorations for courage Croix de Guerre 1914 19181914 1918 Croix de guerre with three citations2 bronze palms1 silver gilt starTypeMedalAwarded forMilitary duty during World War I valor in battlePresented byFranceStatusClosedEstablished2 April 1915Total2 065 000 1 Ribbon bar amp streamer of the French Croix de guerre 1914 1918PrecedenceNext higher Medaille nationale de reconnaissance aux victimes du terrorismeNext lower Croix de guerre 1939 1945Fourragere of the Croix de guerre 1914 1918Soon after the outbreak of World War I French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created At that time the Citation du jour Daily Citation already existed to acknowledge soldiers but it was just a sheet of paper Only the Medaille Militaire and Legion of Honour were bestowed for courage in the field due to the numbers now involved a new decoration was required in earnest At the end of 1914 General Boelle Commandant in Chief of the French 4th Army Corps tried to convince the French administration to create a formal military award Maurice Barres the noted writer and parliamentarian for Paris gave Boelle support in his efforts 1 On 23 December 1914 the French parliamentarian Georges Bonnefous proposed a legislative bill to create the Croix de la Valeur Militaire Cross of Military Valour signed by 66 other parliamentarians Emile Driant a parliamentarian who served in the war zone during much of this time became its natural spokesman when he returned to the legislature On 18 January 1915 Driant submitted this bill but the name of the military award was renamed to Croix de guerre War Cross After parliamentary discussions the bill was adopted on 2 April 1915 1 World War I began in 1914 and ended in 1918 so the final name adopted is Croix de guerre 1914 1918 Contents 1 Award statute 2 Award description 2 1 Award Ribbons 3 Notable French recipients partial list 4 Notable foreign recipients partial list 5 French recipient units partial list 6 Allied recipient units partial list 7 Recipient cities partial list 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksAward statute editEvery Croix de guerre awarded carries at least one citation for gallantry or courage to a member of any rank of the French military or of an allied army Ribbon devices indicate the importance or degree of the soldier s role during the action cited The lowest degree is represented by a bronze star and the highest degree is represented by a bronze palm The cross is only awarded once and subsequent actions worthy of citations will be limited to additional ribbon devices on the originally received insignia The number of ribbon devices on a Croix de guerre is not limited some awards especially to ace fighter pilots had extremely long ribbons with dozens of stars and palms 1 The Croix de guerre 1914 1918 was attributed to French and allied soldiers individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry 2 Civilians and militarized personnel individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry 2 Automatically to soldiers and civilians not specifically cited for a Croix de guerre but awarded the Legion d honneur or Medaille militaire for the highest acts of wartime valour and gazetted in the Official Journal of the French Republic 2 Collectively to army units ships or air squadrons 2 To cities and villages martyrs of war destroyed ravaged or bombed by the enemy 2952 towns received the Croix de guerre 1914 1918 in this case always awarded with palm 2 Soldiers who were are members of units recognized by a collective unit award of the Croix de guerre may wear the Fourragere of the Croix de guerre 1914 1918 as long as they remain members of that unit Soldiers who actively took part as members of units during repeated feats of arms recognized by more than one collective award of the Croix de guerre may continue to wear the fourragere even after leaving the meritorious unit 1 Battle streamers in the colours of the Croix de guerre 1914 1918 are affixed to the colours of recipient units Award description editThe cross was designed by the sculptor Paul Albert Bartholome It is 37 mm wide Florentine bronze cross pattee with two crossed swords pointing up between the arms The obverse centre medallion bears the relief image of the French Republic in the form of the bust of a young woman wearing a Phrygian cap surrounded by the circular relief inscription REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE FRENCH REPUBLIC Not knowing how long the war would last the reverse centre medallion bears the dates 1914 1915 1914 1916 1914 1917 and finally 1914 1918 1 The cross is suspended by a ring through a suspension loop cast atop the upper cross arm It hangs from a 37 mm wide green silk moire ribbon with seven narrow 1 5 mm wide vertical red stripes evenly spaced and two 1 mm red edge stripes 2 nbsp Reverse of the four variants of the World War I Croix de Guerre The lowest degree is represented by a bronze star and the highest degree is represented by a silver palm The cross was worn with the appropriate attachments to signify the singular or multiple awards of the decoration Bronze star etoile de bronze for those who were mentioned at the regiment battalion 3 or brigade level 2 Silver star etoile d argent for those who were cited at the division level 2 Silver gilt star etoile vermeil for those who were cited at the corps level 2 Bronze palm palme de bronze for those who were cited at the army level 2 Silver palm palme d argent could be worn in lieu of five bronze palms 2 Award Ribbons edit nbsp Etoile de bronze Bronze star nbsp Etoile d argent Silver star nbsp Etoile de vermeil Silver gilt star nbsp Palme de bronze Bronze palm nbsp Palme d argent Silver palmNotable French recipients partial list edit nbsp Colonel Rene Fonck a recipient of the 1914 18 Croix de guerre with 29 citations nbsp Fighter ace captain Georges Guynemer a recipient of the 1914 18 Croix de guerre with 26 citations nbsp Canadian General Sir Arthur William Currie a foreign recipient of the 1914 18 Croix de guerre with palm nbsp American General Douglas MacArthur a foreign recipient of the 1914 18 Croix de guerre with palm and gilt starGeneral Charles de Gaulle 1 citation Fighter ace lieutenant Charles Nungesser 30 citations Fighter ace captain Georges Guynemer 26 citations General Edgard de Larminat 4 citations General Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert 7 citations Colonel Theophile Marie Brebant 4 citations General Jean Vallette d Osia 6 citations General Raoul Salan 1 citation Fighter ace colonel Rene Fonck 29 citations General Marie Pierre Kœnig 2 citations General Raoul Magrin Vernerey 11 citations Fighter ace lieutenant colonel Charles Nuville 10 citations Fighter ace captain Georges Madon 10 citations Marshal Joseph Joffre 1 citation General Robert Nivelle 3 citations Notable foreign recipients partial list editBrigadier General John William Barker nbsp United States 4 Fighter ace Air Marshal William Avery Billy Bishop VC nbsp Canada Field Marshal Petar Bojovic nbsp Kingdom of Serbia Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton nbsp United States Major General Charles Budworth nbsp United Kingdom Corporal Eugene Bullard French Air Force nbsp United States Fighter ace Captain Vernon Castle nbsp United Kingdom Carrier Pigeon Cher Ami Lost Battalion World War I nbsp United States Fighter ace Air Vice Marshal Raymond Collishaw nbsp Canada General Sir Arthur William Currie nbsp Canada Fighter ace major Roderic Dallas nbsp Australia Private Herman Davis nbsp United States Brigadier General Edward Terence Donnelly nbsp United States Brigadier General Lucius Loyd Durfee nbsp United States Field Marshal John French 1st Earl of Ypres nbsp United Kingdom Director General Stephen Galatti American Field Service nbsp United States Lt William F Howe 2nd Battle of Marne w Gold Star nbsp United States Brigadier General Evan M Johnson nbsp United States 5 Sergeant Henry Johnson nbsp United States Sergeant George Lawson Keene nbsp United States 6 Fighter ace captain Robert A Little nbsp United Kingdom General Douglas MacArthur nbsp United States Lieutenant Giuseppe Franchi Maggi 7 Royal Italian Army nbsp Italy General George C Marshall nbsp United States Fighter ace major James McCudden nbsp United Kingdom Corporal Harry Miner VC nbsp Canada Field Marshal Zivojin Misic nbsp Kingdom of Serbia Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park nbsp New Zealand General George S Patton nbsp United States Sergeant John Ranner 282nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery nbsp United Kingdom Captain Eddie Rickenbacker nbsp United States Private Needham Roberts nbsp United States Lt Quentin Roosevelt nbsp United States General Sir Archibald Paris nbsp United Kingdom Philanthropist Julia Hunt Catlin Park DePew Taufflieb nbsp United States Lieutenant Stephen W Thompson Lafayette Escadrille nbsp United States Sergeant First Class Wilson H Williams Red 227th Aero Squadron Toul Sector nbsp United States Sergeant Alvin C York nbsp United States Mad Harry Murray 1 French recipient units partial list edit1st Infantry Regiment 1 54th Infantry Regiment 1 126th Infantry Regiment 1 2nd Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa 1 1st Cuirassier Regiment 1 12th Cuirassier Regiment 1 6th Dragoon Regiment 1 9th Hussar Regiment 1 1st Artillery Regiment 1 2nd Dragoon Regiment 1 1st Moroccan Division 1 French battleship Bouvet 1 French battleship Gaulois 1 French submarine Bernouilli 1 Lafayette Escadrille nbsp France nbsp United States 1 Allied recipient units partial list editPortuguese Expeditionary Corps 15th Infantry Battalion nbsp Portugal 1 Russian Expeditionary Force Russian Legion Battalion nbsp Russia 1 The Black Watch nbsp United Kingdom 1 Devonshire Regiment nbsp United Kingdom 8 5th Battery R F A nbsp United Kingdom 8 2nd Motorized Field Ambulance nbsp United Kingdom 1 24th Field Ambulance nbsp United Kingdom 9 5th Field Artillery Regiment nbsp United States 1 2nd Infantry Division nbsp United States 1 15th Field Artillery Regiment nbsp United States 10 3rd Infantry Division nbsp United States 1 4th Infantry Division nbsp United States 1 16th Infantry Division nbsp United States 26th Infantry Division nbsp United States 1 32nd Infantry Division nbsp United States 1 119th Field Artillery Regiment nbsp United States 1 93rd Infantry Division nbsp United States 1 39th Infantry Regiment nbsp United States 1 104th Infantry Regiment nbsp United States 1 369th Infantry Regiment nbsp United States 1 370th Infantry Regiment nbsp United States 1 5th Marine Regiment nbsp United States 1 6th Marine Regiment nbsp United States 1 Recipient cities partial list editReims 11 Paris 11 Dinant 11 nbsp Belgium Montdidier 11 Calais 11 Epernay 11 Lille 11 Nancy 11 Amiens 11 See also edit nbsp France portalRibbons of the French military and civil awards Croix de guerre 1939 1945 Croix de guerre des theatres d operations exterieures Croix de Guerre Belgium References edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Marc Champenois Croix de guerre 1914 1918 in French France phaleristique com Retrieved 2014 05 23 a b c d e f g h i j k Decret du 23 avril 1915 relatif a l application de la loi du 8 avril 1915 instituant une croix de guerre Croix de Guerre 14 18 2 May 2022 Barker Robert M 1930 Obituary John William Barker Sixty first Annual Report of the Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy Newburgh NY Moore Printing Company pp 239 242 via West Point Digital Library Gen Johnson Awarded Honors The Brooklyn Citizen Brooklyn NY February 19 1919 p 1 via Newspapers com Keene George Lawson 1898 1956 Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association Retrieved 13 January 2022 Schindler John R Cavaciocchi Alberto Ungari Andrea 2004 Gli italiani in guerra Milano Ugo Mursia Editore s r l ISBN 8842550647 a b Boraston and Bax p 277 Boraston and Bax p 278 15th Field Artillery Regiment Lineage and Honors Center for Military History United States Army Retrieved 20 April 2022 a b c d e f g h i Communes decorees de la Croix de guerre 1914 1918 PDF in French Association du Memorial des batailles de la Marne 14 December 2014 Retrieved 2016 12 28 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Croix de guerre 1914 1918 France France Phaleristique in French Museum of the Legion of Honour in French Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Croix de guerre 1914 1918 France amp oldid 1206553842, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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