Croix de Guerre 1939–1945

(Redirected from Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)) French military decoration

Award

Croix de Guerre 1939–1945
Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with 2 silver-gilt (gold) stars
Type	Bravery award
Awarded for	Military duty during World War II mentioned in dispatches
Presented by	France
Clasps	silver-gilt palm silver palm bronze palm silver-gilt star silver star bronze star
Status	No longer awarded
Established	26 September 1939
First awarded	1939

Ribbon bar & streamer of the French Croix de guerre 1939–1945

Precedence
Next (higher)	Croix de guerre 1914–1918
Next (lower)	Croix de Guerre TOE

The Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (English: War Cross 1939–1945) is a French military decoration, a version of the Croix de Guerre created on 26 September 1939 to honour people who fought with the Allies against the Axis forces at any time during World War II. After Germany invaded and overran mainland France in the Battle of France in May and June 1940, this Croix de Guerre was replaced by the pro-Axis Vichy French government with another Croix with a black-and-green ribbon, while the original was upheld by Free France. Since the triumph of the Free French side in World War II, this version is the only one officially recognized by the French government.

Award statute

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

Award description

Medal

The Croix de Guerre was designed by the sculptor Paul-Albert Bartholomé. The medal is 37 millimetres (1.5 in) in size and is in the shape of a Maltese cross with two swords criss-crossed through the center. In the center of the front is the profile of the French Republic crested by a Phrygian cap. Around this portrait, are the words République française ("French Republic"). On the reverse of the medal are the dates of the conflict : 1939–1940, 1939–1945, or simply 1940.

Ribbon

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

Devices

On every medal and ribbon, there is at least one ribbon device, either in the shape of a palm or of a star, and fashioned from either bronze, silver, or silver-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

Mentioned in Despatches

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

Bronze star (étoile en bronze) for those who had been mentioned at the regiment or brigade level.
Silver star (étoile en argent), for those who had been mentioned at the division level.
Silver-gilt star (étoile en vermeil), for those who had been mentioned at the corps level.
Bronze palm (palme en bronze), for those who had been mentioned at the army level.
Silver palm (palme en argent), represents five bronze ones.
Silver-gilt palm (palme en vermeil), for those who had been mentioned at the Free French Forces level (World War II only).

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 Star and Silver Star or UK Military Cross and Military Medal.

Vichy France version

Following the German invasion and occupation of France in May 1940, the French collaborationist government (Vichy France; officially called État français, the "French State") created two croix during World War II, both utilizing a black-and-green ribbon pattern instead of the original red-and-green. These croix were both disavowed by the Free French government and the postwar French government, and wearing them is illegal in France. The Vichy Croix de Guerre employed 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 la Légion des Volontaires Français (for Eastern Front World War II service)

Notable non-French recipients

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References

^ Marc Champenois. "Croix de guerre 1939–1945" (in French). France-phaleristique.com. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
^ "Croix De Guerre, France". The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.

Orders, decorations, and medals of France

Orders

National	Order of the Legion of Honour Order of Liberation Order of Merit
Ministerial	Order of Academic Palms Order of Agricultural Merit Order of Maritime Merit Order of Arts and Letters
Territorial	Order of Tahiti Nui

Decorations and medals

Civilian

Military

Commemorative medals

1852 – 1871: Second Empire	Saint Helena Medal Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign Commemorative medal of the 1860 China Expedition Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition
1871–1914: Belle Époque	Commemorative medal of the 1870–1871 War Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal (1885) Dahomey Expedition commemorative medal (1892) Madagascar Expeditions commemorative medal Colonial Medal China Expedition commemorative medal (1901) Morocco commemorative medal (1909)
1914–1918: World War I	1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal Dardanelles campaign medal Orient campaign medal Commemorative medal of the 1914–1918 War Medal of French Gratitude Medal for Victims of the Invasion Medal for civilian prisoners, deportees and hostages of the 1914-1918 Great War
1918–1939: Interwar	Syria-Cilicia commemorative medal
1939–1945: World War II	Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France Italian Campaign medal Medal for deportation and internment for acts of resistance Political deportation and internment medal Commemorative medal of the 1939–1945 War Medal of a liberated France Recusant's insignia
1945–1964: Decolonisation	United Nations operations in Korea commemorative medal Indochina Campaign commemorative medal Middle East operations commemorative medal North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal
Since 1964	Medal of the Nation's Gratitude North Africa medal United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon medal French commemorative medal Medal for the Military Protection of the Territory

Defunct orders

Royal & Imperial	Order of Saint Michael Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint Louis Order of Military Merit Order of the Iron Crown Order of the Three-Golden Fleeces Order of the Reunion Decoration of The Lily Decoration of the Bordeaux Armband Decoration of the Fidelity Medal of the wounded Order of the Cross of July
Ministerial	Order of Merit for Veterans Order of Military Merit Order of Civil Merit Order of Social Merit Order of Labour Merit Order of Touristic Merit Order of the National Economy Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit Order of Artisan Merit Order of Public Health Order of Postal Merit Order of Sport Merit
Colonial	Order of Indochinese Merit Order of Saharan Merit Order of the Black Star Order of the Star of Anjouan Order of Nichan el Anouar Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam Royal Order of Cambodia Order of Merit of Madagascar and dependencies Order of Merit of Cameroon