Share your favorites on Show & Tell

WWI French Victory Medal with Companions

In Military and Wartime > Military Medals > Show & Tell and Military and Wartime > World War One > Show & Tell.
WWI Victory Medal Series23 of 33British Victory Medal, War Medal, and Mailing Package.Belgian Victory Medal and It’s Companions
5
Love it
0
Like it

antiqueroseantiquerose loves this.
walksoftlywalksoftly loves this.
blunderbuss2blunderbuss2 loves this.
officialfuelofficialfuel loves this.
miKKoChristmas11miKKoChristmas11 loves this.
See 3 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 11 years ago

    Chrisnp
    (310 items)

    For the French, eligibility for the Victory Medal (Pictures 1 & 2, Left) was quite involved, but essentially it was reserved for military personnel who served in combat for three months, as well as several special categories: nurses, prisoners of war, German defectors who later joined the French, etc.

    These companion medals are usually seen worn beside the Victory Medal:

    The Medaille Commemorative Francaise 1914-1918 (French Commemorative medal of 1914-1918) is at the center of pictures 1 and 2. It was awarded to all personnel who served in WWI. In addition to all military, it was awarded to the Merchant Navy, civilian medical personnel, local authorities, and police and firemen who responded to shelling of cities, etc.

    The Croix du Combattant (Combatant's Cross) is at the right in pictures 1 and 2. This cross was awarded to all military personnel who fought on the front. Holders of this medal were entitled to assistance from the French National Office for Combatants. Those who served again as a combatant in WWII wore two bars on the ribbon "1914-1918" and "1939-1945".

    Picture 4 is my favorite example of someone wearing the French Victory Medal and the Commemorative Medal of 1914-18 beside his Legion of Honor.

    Further information on the French Victory medal is at http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/36149-the-wwi-victory-medal-series-france

    logo
    Military Medals
    See all
    Vintage 1991 Liberation of Kuwait Medal Iraq Gulf War Desert Storm Military Army
    Vintage 1991 Liberation of Kuwait M...
    $9
    WWI Period Distinguished Flying Cross Full Size Medal
    WWI Period Distinguished Flying Cro...
    $132
    PRISONER OF WAR, MEDAL & Ribbon Bar w/Original Box Military Issue 12/87 VTG MIL
    PRISONER OF WAR, MEDAL & Ribbon Bar...
    $12
    ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL & RIBBON SET NOS 1995 USGI ISSUE FULL SIZE VTG
    ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL & ...
    $12
    logo
    Vintage 1991 Liberation of Kuwait Medal Iraq Gulf War Desert Storm Military Army
    Vintage 1991 Liberation of Kuwait M...
    $9
    See all

    Comments

    1. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      Very beautiful medals and medals ensemble! Very interesting account. No surprises there. However, I was surprised to see villain Capt. Louis Renault featured in Photo 4, and under the banner of your "favorite example of someone wearing the French Victory Medal and the Commemorative Medal of 1914-18 beside his Legion of Honor". "Casablanca" is one of my favorite movies, and here's one of my favorite Capt. Renault quips.

      (The following exchange takes place in context of Capt. Renault's praise of Richard Blaine, "Rick", portrayed by Humphrey Bogart.)

      Gestapo Major Strasser: You give him credit for too much cleverness. My impression was that he's just another blundering American.

      Captain Renault: We mustn’t underestimate "American blundering". I was with them when they "blundered" into Berlin in 1918.
    2. Chrisnp Chrisnp, 11 years ago
      Thanks MiKKo. Based on Capt. Renault’s decorations, he could have seen them “March through Berlin” in 1918. For such a great line I’m willing to forget for a moment that he war ended in an armistice as the Americans were still crossing the Meuse River. Although an unrepentant womanizer, Renault does seem to find his honor again at the end of the movie, when he conceals Rick’s killing of Major Strasser, and we see them walking away together to go join a Free French Garrison in the closing scene.
    3. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      Thank you, sir! Re the Armistice, I should know better than to quarrel with a scholar. : )

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.