Médaille militaire - Misplaced Pages

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Médaille militaire
Badge of the Médaille militaire (obverse)
Type	Military decoration
Awarded for	Valour in combat or long service
Presented by	France
Eligibility	Privates, NCOs, Commanders-in-chief generals and admirals
Status	Currently awarded
Established	January 22, 1852

Ribbon of the Military Medal

Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Liberation
Next (lower)	National Order of Merit

The Médaille militaire (English: 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, after the Legion of Honour, a civil and military order, and the Order of Liberation, a Second World War-only order. The Médaille militaire is therefore the most senior entirely military active French decoration.

During World War I, 230,000 médailles were awarded, when 1,400,000 French Army soldiers were killed and 3,000,000 wounded. For comparison, the UK Military Medal was awarded on 115,000 occasions in World War I, when 673,375 British Army soldiers were killed and 1,643,469 wounded. There were 628 awards to 627 recipients of the Victoria Cross, the United Kingdom's highest military decoration.

The award was first established in 1852 by the first President of the French Republic, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte who may have taken his inspiration from a medal established and awarded by his father, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland.

After the First World War, the Military Medal was also temporarily awarded for wounds received in combat.

Statute

Like many other French awards, the médaille can be awarded for different reasons. It can be awarded to foreign nationals serving with or alongside the French armed forces.

To members of the military other than commissioned officers (including enlisted ranks, non-commissioned officers and aspirants or Officer Designate).
- As an award for valour, it is the second highest award ranking immediately after the Legion of Honour.
- As an in between medal for enlisted members, NCO and O(D) awarded the Legion of Honour for "combat actions", nowadays mostly done posthumously.
- As a service medal, for long-serving NCOs.
To generals and admirals who have been commanders-in-chief, as a supreme award for leadership. These general officers must already have been awarded the grand cross of the Legion of Honour.

Award description

The Médaille militaire is a silver laurel wreath, 28 mm (1.1 in) in diameter, wrapped around a central gold medallion bearing the left profile of Marianne, effigy of the French Republic, the original 2nd Empire variant bore the left profile of Emperor Napoleon III. The central gold medallion is surrounded by a blue enamelled ring bearing the gilt inscription "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" (English: "FRENCH REPUBLIC") with a small gilt five-pointed star at the bottom for a 4th Republic award, three stars for a 5th Republic variant, the 3rd Republic variant bore the date 1870, the 2nd Empire variant bore the gilt inscription "LOUIS-NAPOLEON" in lieu of "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" and had flowers on both sides of the small star at the bottom. The original variant was topped by a silver imperial eagle with a loop through which the suspension ring passed, all other variants were and are topped by a device composed of a breastplate superimposed over crossed cannons, a naval anchor, sabres, swords and battle axes, to which the suspension ring passes through a loop for attachment to a ribbon. The reverse of the medallion is common to all variants since inception of the award, it bears the relief inscription on three lines "VALEUR ET DISCIPLINE" (English: "VALOUR AND DISCIPLINE") and is surrounded by a blue enamelled ring.

The ribbon of the Médaille militaire is 37 mm (1.5 in) wide, yellow in color with 6 mm-wide (0.24 in) green stripes on each edge. This ribbon was borrowed from the Order of the Iron Crown which it effectively replaced in France.

2nd Empire 1852–1870	3rd Republic 1870–1940	4th Republic 1946–1958	5th Republic 1958–present	Reverse common to all variants

Recipients

The Médaille militaire was awarded in some number to British and allied forces (allies of the French Empire) during the Crimean War of 1854-56 and in reasonably large numbers to allied forces in the 1914-18 war. During the Second World War, the Médaille reached its highest numbers of foreign bestowals, most often to members of the British Army as well as to the United States military. The general's médaille was awarded to Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Josip Broz Tito, as supreme commanders of the UK, US and Yugoslav military forces, but to also effective military leaders, such as General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower, and to Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope.

Unit award

In addition to the individual medal, the Médaille militaire is also authorized as a unit award to those military commands who display the same criteria of bravery as would be required for the individual medal. The médaille is displayed on the flag of these units. It is one of the rarest unit awards in the French military.

This unit award should not be confused with the fourragère de la médaille militaire, which is a cord suspended from the shoulder of a military uniform worn by members of units which had been mentioned in despatches. A fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la médaille militaire (fourragère in the colours of the ribbon of the médaille militaire) is worn by units which had been mentioned four times, a fourragère aux couleurs de la légion d'honneur et de la médaille militaire (fourragère in the colours of the ribbons of the légion d'honneur and the médaille militaire) for units mentioned twelve times. Ten American units can wear the fourragère de la médaille militaire.

Notable French and foreign recipients (partial list)

The individuals listed below were recipients of the "Médaille Militaire:

Recent Recipients for Valour

Name	Unit	Rank	Date of effect	Notes
Adrien Moulard	Army, Armored Cavalry	Master Corporal (brigadier-chef)	November 20, 2013	WIA
Renan Thierry	Army, Armored Cavalry	Master Corporal (brigadier-chef)	November 20, 2013	WIA
Thomas Guillebaut	Air Force	Master Corporal (caporal chef)	December 13, 2013	KIA Also knight of the Legion of Honour
John Conte	Army, Foreign Legion	Private First Class (soldat de première classe)	April 29, 2014	WIA
Geraldino Hoareaeu	Army, Foreign Legion	Private First Class (soldat de première classe)	April 29, 2014	WIA
Marcel Kalafut	Army, Foreign Legion	Staff Sergeant (sergent-chef)	May 12, 2014	KIA Also knight of the Legion of Honour
Dejvid Nikolic	Army, Foreign Legion	Master Warrant Officer (adjudant-chef)	July 17, 2014	WIA Nikolic later died from his wounds and was created knight of the Legion of Honour
Antoine Le Quinio	Army, Troupes de Marine	Corporal (caporal)	July 19, 2014	KIA Also knight of the Legion of Honour
Nicolas Vokaer	Army, Troupes de Marine	Corporal (caporal)	July 19, 2014	KIA Also knight of the Legion of Honour
Teiva Li Hip	Army, Troupes de Marine	Corporal (brigadier)	July 28, 2014	WIA
Alex Tite	Army, Troupes de Marine	Master Corporal 1st class (caporal-chef de première classe)	July 28, 2014	WIA
Mickaël Galeran	Army, Artillery	Master Corporal (brigadier-chef)	October 2, 2014	WIA
Thomas Dupuy	Air Force	Warrant Officer (adjudant)	November 3, 2014	KIA Also knight of the Legion of Honour
Samir Bajja	Armed Forces Fuel Service	Warrant Officer (agent technique en chef)	December 3, 2014	KIA Also knight of the Legion of Honour
François Fernandez	Army, Signal Corps	Warrant Officer (adjudant)	December 5, 2014	WIA
Rémy Boullé	Air Force	Master Corporal (caporal-chef)	January 16, 2015	WIA
Ludovic Sailly	Air Force	Warrant Officer (adjudant)	January 30, 2015	WIA
Damien Legrand	Air Force	Staff Sergeant (sergent-chef)	January 30, 2015	WIA
Mathieu Paulet	Air Force	Staff Sergeant (sergent-chef)	January 30, 2015	WIA
Franck Poirot	Air Force	Master Corporal (caporal-chef)	January 30, 2015	WIA
Yann Pollet	Army, Corps of Engineers	Staff Sergeant (sergent-chef)	March 13, 2015	WIA
Aurélie Salel	Army, Corps of Engineers	Sergeant (sergent)	March 18, 2015	WIA Later died from her wounds and made Knight of the Legion of Honour
Florian Dumont	Army, Corps of Engineers	Master Corporal (caporal-chef)	May 4, 2015	WIA Later died from his wounds and made Knight of the Legion of Honour
Nicolas Caron	Army	Staff Sergeant (sergent-chef)	October 16, 2015	WIA

Notes

Also awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor, the British Distinguished Conduct Medal, and the Croix de guerre for bravery displayed in Hamel, France.

References

historique de la société d'entraide des médaillés militaires (in French)
^ Battini, Jean; Zaniewicki, Witold (2003). Guide pratique des décorations françaises actuelles (in French). Paris: LAVAUZELLE. pp. 51–58. ISBN 2-7025-1030-2.
"Bluethenthal, Arthur "Bluey"". Jewsinsports.org. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
Joseph Siegman (2000). Jewish sports legends: the International Jewish Hall of Fame. Brassey's. ISBN 1-57488-284-8. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
^ Décret du 8 février 2016 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
^ Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant nomination
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant concession de la Médaille militaire
Décret du 14 septembre 2015 portant nomination
Décret du 8 février 2016 portant concession de la Médaille militaire

External links

France Phaléristique (in French)
Médaille Militaire information held by the Grande Chancellerie de la Légion d'honneur (in French)

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

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