Croix De Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
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The ''Croix de guerre 1914–1918'' ( en, War Cross) is a French
military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...
, the first version of the '' Croix de Guerre''. It was created to recognize French and
allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
soldiers who were cited for valorous service during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, similar to the British ''
mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
'' but with multiple degrees equivalent to other nations' decorations for courage. Soon after the outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, 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 The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...
and
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
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. 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 Émile Augustin Cyprien Driant (11 September 1855 – 22 February 1916) was a French writer, politician, and army officer. He was the first high-ranking casualty of the Battle of Verdun during World War I. Biography Born at Neufchâtel-sur-Aisn ...
, 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. World War I began in 1914 and ended in 1918, so the final name adopted is "''Croix de guerre'' 1914–1918".


Award statute

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 Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
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. The Croix de guerre 1914-1918 was attributed to: *French and
allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
soldiers individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry; *Civilians and militarized personnel individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry; *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; *Collectively, to army units, ships or air squadrons; *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). Soldiers who were/are members of units recognized by a collective unit award of the Croix de guerre may wear the
Fourragère The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fou ...
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. Battle streamers in the colours of the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 are affixed to the colours of recipient units.


Award description

The cross was designed by the sculptor Paul-Albert Bartholomé. It is 37 mm wide, Florentine bronze
cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...
, 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. 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. 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 A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
,
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
or
brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...
level.. * Silver star (étoile d'argent): for those who were cited at the
division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
level. * Silver gilt star (étoile vermeil): for those who were cited at the
corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
level. * Bronze palm (palme de bronze): for those who were cited at the army level. * Silver palm (palme d'argent): could be worn in lieu of five bronze palms. File:CroixdeGuerreFR-BronzeStar.png, Étoile de bronze File:CroixdeGuerreFR-SilverStar.png, Étoile d'argent File:CroixdeGuerreFR-VermeilStar.png, Étoile de vermeil File:CroixdeGuerreFR-BronzePalm.png, Palme de bronze File:CroixdeGuerreFR-SilverPalm.png, Palme d'argent


Notable French recipients (partial list)

*General
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
(1 citation) *Fighter ace lieutenant Charles Nungesser (30 citations) *Fighter ace captain
Georges Guynemer Georges Guynemer (, 24 December 1894 – 11 September 1917 MIA) was the second highest-scoring French fighter ace with 54 victories during World War I, and a French national hero at the time of his death. Guynemer's death was a profound s ...
(26 citations) *General
Edgard de Larminat Edgard de Larminat (29 November 1895 – 1 July 1962) was a French general, who fought in two World Wars. He was one of the most important military figures who rejoined the renegade Free French forces under the British in 1940. He was awarded ...
(4 citations) *General Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert (7 citations) *Colonel
Théophile Marie Brébant Théophile Marie Brébant (24 May 1889 – 20 February 1965) was a French Army officer during World War I and World War II. He ended his career in 1946 with the rank of colonel. Career Brébant served from 23 July 1908 to 14 June 1946 in the Fre ...
(4 citations) *General
Jean Vallette d'Osia Jean Vallette d'Osia (16 August 1898 - 28 February 2000) was a French officer best known for his action in the French Resistance during World War II in Haute-Savoie, notably supervising the liberation of Lyon. He ended his career in 1958 with the ...
(6 citations) *General
Raoul Salan Raoul Albin Louis Salan (; 10 June 1899 – 3 July 1984) was a French Army general. He served as the fourth French commanding general during the First Indochina War. He was one of four retired generals who organized the 1961 Algiers Putsch op ...
(1 citation) *Fighter ace colonel
René Fonck Colonel René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894 – 18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Entente fighter ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries are also considered, Fonc ...
(29 citations) *General
Marie-Pierre Kœnig Marie Joseph Pierre François Kœnig or Koenig (10 October 1898 – 2 September 1970) was a French general during World War II during which he commanded a Free French Brigade at the Battle of Bir Hakeim in North Africa in 1942. He started a pol ...
(2 citations) *General
Raoul Magrin-Vernerey Raoul Charles Magrin-Vernerey, also known as Ralph Monclar (born 7 February 1892, died 3 June 1964) was a French officer and 2nd Inspector of the Foreign Legion who fought in World War I, World War II within the ranks of the Free French Force ...
(11 citations) *Fighter ace lieutenant-colonel
Charles Nuville Lieutenant Colonel Charles Marie Joseph Leon Nuville LH (March 1889—18 January 1965) was a French World War I flying ace credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories. He served as a professional soldier throughout the interwar years, and ...
(10 citations) *Fighter ace captain
Georges Madon Georges Félix Madon (28 July 1892 – 11 November 1924) was the fourth ranked French ace pilot of the First World War. His lengthy career and wide variety of aviation experiences were remarkable. Early years Madon was born in Bizerte, Tunisia, ...
(10 citations) *Marshal
Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regroupi ...
(1 citation) *General
Robert Nivelle Robert Georges Nivelle (15 October 1856 – 22 March 1924) was a French artillery general officer who served in the Boxer Rebellion and the First World War. In May 1916, he succeeded Philippe Pétain as commander of the French Second Army in th ...
(3 citations)


Notable foreign recipients (partial list)

*Corporal
Eugene Bullard Eugene Jacques Bullard (born Eugene James Bullard; October 9, 1895 – October 12, 1961) was one of the first black American military pilots, although Bullard flew for France, not the United States. Bullard was one of the few black combat pilo ...
, French Air Force *Major General Charles Budworth *General
George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
*General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
*General
George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry ...
*Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton *Brigadier General Edward Terence Donnelly *Brigadier General Lucius Loyd Durfee *Fighter ace Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop V.C. *Field Marshal
Petar Bojović Petar Bojović (, ; 16 July 1858 – 19 January 1945) was a Serbian military commander who fought in the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First Balkan War, the Second Balkan War, World War I and World War II. Following the bre ...
*Fighter ace Air Vice Marshal Raymond Collishaw *Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park *General Sir Arthur William Currie *Fighter ace captain
Robert A. Little Robert Alexander Little, (19 July 1895 – 27 May 1918), a World War I fighter pilot, is generally regarded as the most successful Australian flying ace, with an official tally of forty-seven victories. Born in Victoria (Aus ...
*Corporal Harry Miner V.C. *Captain
Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.Needham Roberts Needham Roberts (April 28, 1901 – April 18, 1949) was an American soldier in the Harlem Hellfighters and recipient of the Purple Heart and the Croix de Guerre for his valor during World War I. Early life Roberts was born in Trenton, New Jersey ...
*General Sir Archibald Paris *Philanthropist Julia Hunt Catlin Park DePew Taufflieb *Private Herman Davis *Field Marshal John French, 1st Earl of Ypres *Field Marshal
Živojin Mišić Field Marshal Živojin Mišić ( sr-cyrl, Живојин Мишић; 19 July 1855 in Struganik – 20 January 1921 in Belgrade) was a Field Marshal who participated in all of Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918. He directly commanded the First ...
*Fighter ace major
James McCudden James Thomas Byford McCudden, (28 March 1895 – 9 July 1918) was a British flying ace of the First World War and among the most highly decorated airmen in British military history. Born in 1895 to a middle class family with military traditions ...
*Fighter ace major
Roderic Dallas Roderic Stanley (Stan) Dallas, (30 July 1891 – 1 June 1918) was an Australian fighter ace of World War I. His score of aerial victories is generally regarded as the second-highest by an Australian, after Robert Little, b ...
*Sergeant John Ranner 282nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery *Sergeant Alvin C. York *Sergeant George Lawson Keene *Brigadier General
Evan M. Johnson Evan M. Johnson (September 26, 1861 – October 13, 1923) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Apache Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, occupation of Veracruz, and World War I, he was most notab ...
*Sergeant Henry Johnson *Director General
Stephen Galatti Stephen Galatti (August 6, 1888 — July 13, 1964) was for many years the Director General of the AFS, American Field Service. He transformed the AFS from a volunteer medical corps during World Wars I and II into an international educational excha ...
,
American Field Service AFS Intercultural Programs (or AFS, originally the American Field Service) is an international youth exchange organization. It consists of over 50 independent, not-for-profit organizations, each with its own network of volunteers, professional ...
*Lieutenant Stephen W. Thompson,
Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...
*Lieutenant Giuseppe Franchi Maggi, Royal Italian Army *Carrier Pigeon
Cher Ami Cher Ami (French for "dear friend", in the masculine) was a male homing pigeon who had been donated by the pigeon fanciers of Britain for use by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France during World War I and had been trained by American pigeoners. ...
,
Lost Battalion (World War I) The Lost Battalion is the name given to the nine companies of the US 77th Division, roughly 554 men, isolated by German forces during World War I after an American attack in the Argonne Forest in October 1918. Roughly 197 were killed in acti ...
*Lt William F. Howe, 2nd Battle of Marne - w Gold Star *Lt
Quentin Roosevelt Quentin Roosevelt I (November 19, 1897 – July 14, 1918) was the youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt and First Lady Edith Roosevelt. Inspired by his father and siblings, he joined the United States Army Air Service where he became a pu ...
*Fighter ace Captain
Vernon Castle Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. They are credited with reviving the popularity of modern dancing. Castle was a st ...
*Sergeant First Class Wilson H Williams (Red) 227th Aero Squadron Toal Sector


French recipient units (partial list)

* 1st Infantry Regiment * 54th Infantry Regiment * 126th Infantry Regiment * 2nd Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa * 1st Cuirassier Regiment * 12th Cuirassier Regiment * 6th Dragoon Regiment * 9th Hussar Regiment * 1st Artillery Regiment * 2nd Dragoon Regiment * 1st Moroccan Division * French battleship Bouvet *
French battleship Gaulois ''Gaulois'' was one of three Charlemagne class battleship, ''Charlemagne''-class pre-dreadnought battleships built for the French Navy () in the mid-1890s. Completed in 1899, she spent most of her career assigned to the Commander-in-Chief, Medit ...
* French submarine Bernouilli *
Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...


Allied recipient units (partial list)

*
Portuguese Expeditionary Corps The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP, Portuguese: ''Corpo Expedicionário Português'') was the main military force from Portugal that fought in the Western Front, during World War I. Portuguese neutrality ended in 1916 after the Portuguese ...
15th Infantry Battalion * Russian Expeditionary Force Russian Legion Battalion * The Black Watch *
Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...
Boraston and Bax p.277 *5th Battery R.F.A. *2nd Motorized Field Ambulance *24th Field Ambulance * 5th Field Artillery Regiment * 2nd Infantry Division ** 15th Field Artillery Regiment * 3rd Infantry Division * 4th Infantry Division * 26th Infantry Division * 32nd Infantry Division :* 119th Field Artillery Regiment * 93rd Infantry Division * 39th Infantry Regiment * 104th Infantry Regiment * 369th Infantry Regiment * 370th Infantry Regiment * 5th Marine Regiment * 6th Marine Regiment


Recipient cities (partial list)

*
Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...
*
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
* Dinant * Montdidier *
Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
*
Épernay Épernay () is a commune in the Marne department of northern France, 130 km north-east of Paris on the mainline railway to Strasbourg. The town sits on the left bank of the Marne at the extremity of the Cubry valley which crosses it. Ép ...
*
Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
* Nancy *
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...


See also

*
Ribbons of the French military and civil awards This is a list of the ribbons of the French military and civil awards. French national orders French ministerial orders French military decorations Medals of Honor French commemorative awards Other awards Order of precedence Official ...
* Croix de guerre 1939–1945 * Croix de Guerre des Théatres d'Opérations Exterieures * Croix de Guerre (Belgium)


References


External links


France Phaléristique

Museum of the Legion of Honour
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France) 1915 establishments in France Awards established in 1915 Courage awards Military awards and decorations of France Military awards and decorations of World War I France in World War I Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)