The Honour medal for courage and devotion (French: "Médaille d’honneur pour acte de courage et de dévouement") is a French decoration than can be bestowed to individuals and whole units. It is awarded for acts of courage during a rescue. The Honour medal for courage and devotion was created on 2 March 1820 by King Louis XVIII. It has gone through several designs during its long history.[1] The award was given its present name by a decree of 16 November 1901.[1]
Honour medal for courage and devotion
Honour medal for courage and devotion in silver 2nd Empire (obverse)
Any person who risks his or her life to come to the rescue of one or many persons in danger, may be recognized with the medal. When the act of rescue does not warrant award of the medal, a letter of congratulations for a successful rescue or an honorable mention for a recognized meritorious act in the form of an official certificate type scroll may be granted.[2]
The Honour medal for courage and devotion is divided into five grades:[2]
Bronze grade: awarded if the rescuer exposed himself or herself to a life-threatening condition, or to lesser risk if previously awarded a letter of congratulations and an honorable mention.[2]
Silver grades 1st and 2nd class: awarded only if previously awarded the bronze grade following a new act of courage during a rescue. The two grades are awarded for successive acts of courage.[2]
Silver-gilt grade: awarded only for the most intrepid acts to the bearer of two silver grade medals.[2]
Gold grade: awarded as an outstanding testimony to a person having distinguished himself or herself through exceptional acts towards his or her fellow citizens.[2]
The Honour medal for courage and devotion may also be collectively awarded to emergency and rescue units where the personnel present during the rewarded acts may wear a tricolour (blue-white-red) fourragère.[1]
Award descriptionedit
The design of the Honour medal for courage and devotion changed many times through the decades. It is now a 27mm in diameter circular medal struck in bronze, silver, silver-gilt or gold. Its obverse bears the relief image of a standing woman holding palms and crowns surrounded by scenes of rescues under the relief inscription "DÉVOUEMENT" (English: "DEVOTION"). The reverse bears along its upper circumference, the relief inscription "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" (English: "FRENCH REPUBLIC"), at its center, the inscription "MINISTÈRE DE L'INTÉRIEUR" (English: "INTERIOR MINISTRY") over a framed rectangular area destined to receive the name of the recipient and year of the award.[2]
The medal hangs from a 3 cm wide silk moiré tricolour ribbon of equal width blue, white and red vertical stripes. The 3 cm wide and 22mm high ribbon suspension loop is cast as an integral part of the medal in the form of oak leaves. The leaves of the suspension loop change colour depending on the grade of the award, bronze for the bronze grade, silver for the silver grade second class, silver-gilt for the silver grade first class and silver-gilt grade, and gold for the gold grade.[1]
Different devices may be worn on the service ribbon to denote the grade of the award when only the ribbons are worn. A plain ribbon is worn for the bronze grade, the silver grade second class is denoted by the addition of a silver five pointed star, a silver and a silver-gilt star for the silver grade first class, a silver-gilt star for the silver-gilt grade and a rosette for the gold grade.[2]
Gold grade obverse & ribbon
Silver-gilt grade obverse & ribbon
Silver grade 1st cl. obverse & ribbon
Silver grade 2nd cl. obverse & ribbon
Bronze grade obverse & ribbon
Common reverse to all grades
Noteworthy recipients (partial list)edit
King Oscar II with the medal on his breastPhilippe Kieffer, a recipient of the Honour medal for courage and devotion, bronze gradeGendarmerie general Denis Favier, a recipient of the Honour medal for courage and devotion, gold gradeInsignia of the Paris Fire Brigade, a recipient unit of the Honour medal for courage and devotion
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The Honour medal for courage and devotion French Medaille d honneur pour acte de courage et de devouement is a French decoration than can be bestowed to individuals and whole units It is awarded for acts of courage during a rescue The Honour medal for courage and devotion was created on 2 March 1820 by King Louis XVIII It has gone through several designs during its long history 1 The award was given its present name by a decree of 16 November 1901 1 Honour medal for courage and devotionHonour medal for courage and devotion in silver 2nd Empire obverse TypeDecorationAwarded forAct of courage and devotionPresented by FranceEligibilityMilitary and civiliansStatusCurrently awardedEstablished2 March 1820PrecedenceNext higher Medaille d honneur des personnels civils relevant du ministere de la defenseNext lower Medaille d honneur du service de sante des armeesBronze level 3rd Republic variant between 1871 and 1899 Contents 1 Award statute 2 Award description 3 Noteworthy recipients partial list 4 Recipient units partial list 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksAward statute editAny person who risks his or her life to come to the rescue of one or many persons in danger may be recognized with the medal When the act of rescue does not warrant award of the medal a letter of congratulations for a successful rescue or an honorable mention for a recognized meritorious act in the form of an official certificate type scroll may be granted 2 The Honour medal for courage and devotion is divided into five grades 2 Bronze French Bronze Silver 2nd class French Argent de 2eme classe Silver 1st class French Argent de 1ere classe Silver gilt French Vermeil Gold French Or Bronze grade awarded if the rescuer exposed himself or herself to a life threatening condition or to lesser risk if previously awarded a letter of congratulations and an honorable mention 2 Silver grades 1st and 2nd class awarded only if previously awarded the bronze grade following a new act of courage during a rescue The two grades are awarded for successive acts of courage 2 Silver gilt grade awarded only for the most intrepid acts to the bearer of two silver grade medals 2 Gold grade awarded as an outstanding testimony to a person having distinguished himself or herself through exceptional acts towards his or her fellow citizens 2 The Honour medal for courage and devotion may also be collectively awarded to emergency and rescue units where the personnel present during the rewarded acts may wear a tricolour blue white red fourragere 1 Award description editThe design of the Honour medal for courage and devotion changed many times through the decades It is now a 27mm in diameter circular medal struck in bronze silver silver gilt or gold Its obverse bears the relief image of a standing woman holding palms and crowns surrounded by scenes of rescues under the relief inscription DEVOUEMENT English DEVOTION The reverse bears along its upper circumference the relief inscription REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE English FRENCH REPUBLIC at its center the inscription MINISTERE DE L INTERIEUR English INTERIOR MINISTRY over a framed rectangular area destined to receive the name of the recipient and year of the award 2 The medal hangs from a 3 cm wide silk moire tricolour ribbon of equal width blue white and red vertical stripes The 3 cm wide and 22mm high ribbon suspension loop is cast as an integral part of the medal in the form of oak leaves The leaves of the suspension loop change colour depending on the grade of the award bronze for the bronze grade silver for the silver grade second class silver gilt for the silver grade first class and silver gilt grade and gold for the gold grade 1 Different devices may be worn on the service ribbon to denote the grade of the award when only the ribbons are worn A plain ribbon is worn for the bronze grade the silver grade second class is denoted by the addition of a silver five pointed star a silver and a silver gilt star for the silver grade first class a silver gilt star for the silver gilt grade and a rosette for the gold grade 2 Gold gradeobverse amp ribbon Silver gilt gradeobverse amp ribbon Silver grade 1st cl obverse amp ribbon Silver grade 2nd cl obverse amp ribbon Bronze gradeobverse amp ribbon Common reverseto all grades nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Noteworthy recipients partial list editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Honour medal for courage and devotion news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2024 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp King Oscar II with the medal on his breast nbsp Philippe Kieffer a recipient of the Honour medal for courage and devotion bronze grade nbsp Gendarmerie general Denis Favier a recipient of the Honour medal for courage and devotion gold grade nbsp Insignia of the Paris Fire Brigade a recipient unit of the Honour medal for courage and devotionGendarmerie general Denis Favier Paris firefighter Joseph Maigrot Rescue helicopter pilot Jean Boulet General Jean Bouffet Rescue helicopter pilot Rene Romet Navy commander doctor Eric Dumont Police commissioner Robert Blemant Paris firefighter lieutenant colonel Frederic Curie Gendarmerie colonel Olivier Kim Firefighter colonel Antoine Battesti Military rabbi Paul Haguenauer Navy commander Philippe Kieffer Police detective Roger Borniche Writer and historian Olivier Raoul Hugues Chebrou de Lespinats Police commissioner Christophe Gavat Oscar II King of Sweden 3 Mamoudou Gassama who climbed the outside of an apartment building to rescue a toddler hanging from a balcony Kenneth John Bellamy and Richard Jebbett of Lincolnshire UK who jumped into the River Seine in Paris and rescued a drowning woman Recipient units partial list edit17th Parachute Engineer Regiment Paris Fire BrigadeSee also editRibbons of the French military and civil awardsReferences edit a b c d France Phaleristique web site in French Marc Champenois 2004 01 01 Retrieved 2013 10 11 a b c d e f g h Battini Jean Zaniewicki Witold 2003 Guide pratique des decorations francaises actuelles Paris LAVAUZELLE pp 227 229 ISBN 2 7025 1030 2 Sveriges regenter Fran forntid till nutid Lars O Lagerqvist Norstedts Stockholm 1997 ISBN 91 1 963882 5 p 394External links edithttp www france phaleristique com accueil htm https web archive org web 20110710193646 http www entente combattants herault com decorations html Portal nbsp France Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Honour medal for courage and devotion amp oldid 1206497287, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
