Hendrik

Dan, Here's one but you'll find more on my website : Hendrik's Medal Corner Happy viewing, Hendrik [attachmentid=35273]

M?daille d'Honneur des Epid?mies Created on 31 March 1885 and originally awarded by the Ministry of Commerce (Hygiene Dept.). Later the responsability for this medal's attribution changed quite a number of times or was shared with other ministries which lead to the following types, in chronological order :- Commerce Int?rieur Hygi?ne Sant? Publique Guerre Alg?rie (within the framework of the Ministry of the Interior) Marine Colonies France d'Outre Mer (= type replacing the previous, colonial, one) and, finally, the present type as awarded by the Ministry of Health (Sant?) The medal is, of course, designated to reward those that rendered distinguished services during epidemics and was created following a cholera epidemic in 1884. Other important epidemics casualtywise had to be combatted in 1892-93 (cholera), 1893 and 1908 (typhus) and there was also the widespread flu epidemic at the close of WWI (1918-19). Source : Guide des Ordres Civils fran?ais et ?trangers, des m?dailles d'honneur et des m?dailles de soci?t? - Author : Andr? Souyris-Rolland

Christophe, Well spotted !!! It is indeed not the correct ribbon but one that has blue (and a lighter shade at that) and red inverted and I've been puzzled by it myself. I gave up on identifying it after not finding it among the French colonial awards. My best guess is that it might belong to a non-official veterans' society award but I'm clueless on those. Cheers, Hendrik

Please do !!! I'm quite enjoying reading this thread ... Captain Oudenne's awards are exceptional - Do you have the texts of the 8 citations as well ? Hendrik

Hello Chris, Too right ! In view of its history, you've done excellently Hendrik

Reverse of the Epidemics Medal [attachmentid=35126]

And closing for today : an Epidemics Medal as awarded by the War Ministry, obverse and case of issue [attachmentid=35125]

And now for some military enamel : Order of the Combattant Merit (for lack of a better translation of "Ordre du M?rite Combattant"). [attachmentid=35124]

More enamel for Dan : a Knight's class of the Order of Agricultural Merit [attachmentid=35123]

Hello Ed, I think (and it is indeed only an assumption of mine) that, as the fourrag?re is a unit distinction worn on the uniform, veterans use these mini-fourrag?res once they're out of the armed forces and in civilian clothing to show their having been awarded one. They are, of course, non-regulationary ! Cheers, Hendrik

...and a bit more enamel for Dan : Commander of the Order of Social Merit [attachmentid=35120]

Guess these will make Jan's eyes go all watery [attachmentid=35111]

More enamel ? Like on the one below ? The subject of French ODM's is a large one : lots of nicely designed military and civilian ones, non-official or semi-official medals (e.g. the WWI commemorative medals such as the Verdun medals, Chateau-Thierry, Somme etc. etc. etc.) and, in a class of their own, French colonial awards ... I agree : "Keep 'em coming" Happy Easter, Hendrik [attachmentid=34920] [attachmentid=34921]

Hello Jan, Yes, even a private could get these medals awarded to him although it's fairly safe to say he would not remain one for long : the action(s) for which he received the Leopold II with palm and the War Cross would, in my opinion, be likely to entail a promotion if the recipient was a sergeant or lower in rank. In any case, he was not a professional soldier as the Civil Decoration (for long service in the administration) shows. Happy Easter ! Hendrik

Alas no : no maker's marks etc. (at least none that I can see) or any other information available from the then seller ... Hendrik

Just finished scraping myself off the floor rolling with laughter till tears poured from my aged eyes ... mirth galore ! Thanks for making my day Ed !!!

Hello Dan, Just wished I had the old China one to show - alas, my medal collecting purse doesn't hold that much coinage If anyone of the Forum's Gents could post a picture of that ... ? In the meantime and just for the fun of it, a Legion d'Honneur breast star (cost me less than the aforementioned China medal !). Have a great Easter ! Joyeux Paques !! Vrolijk Pasen !!! Frohes Ostern Hendrik [attachmentid=34836]

Hello Igor, In your group there's the Commemorative Medal of WWI missing. Have you the name of the soldier (and even better : name + unit) that had those medals awarded to him ? If so, it might be possible to find out what devices should be on the ribbon of the Commemorative Medal and see if one can be found ... Cheers, Hendrik

I'll second that : always nice to see French ODMs. Three different sizes of Croix de Guerre in that picture - lovely !!! Here's one with a cute ribbon ... Cheers, Hendrik [attachmentid=34745]

Hello Kevin, Excellent bit of very useful research - Many thanks for your efforts !!! Cheers, Hendrik

I thought it might be of interest to show some of the manufacturer's marks on the various types of the official Italian Victory Medal types as designed by Gaetano Orsolini (there are a number of reissues, repros and unofficial types) ... First, my favourite, the Lorioli type : just that fractionally more refined than the others : - on the obverse in the exergue : left "Orsolino Mod." - right, in two lines "F.M. Lorioli & Castelli / Milano" - reverse : no die sinker's name [attachmentid=34329] Next, the nice Sacchini type : - obverse exergue : left "Orsolino Mod." - right "Sacchini - Milano" - reverse : right, just above the exergue, the die sinker's name "G. Villa" [attachmentid=34332] Thirdly, the Johnson type : - obverse exergue : left "Orsolino Mod." - right "S. Johnson - Milano" - reverse : right, just above the exergue, the die sinker's name "G. Villa" [attachmentid=34333] Two more official types are mentioned in the excellent book "The Interallied Victory Medals of World War I" by A. Laslo : both are without a maker's reference but one does have the Orsolini name in place, the other doesn't. The latter further differs from the others by having "MCMXV" as the starting year on the reverse inscription - it actually correctly reflects Italy's entry into the war. Cheers, Hendrik

I agree completely : years ago I visited the landing beaches and other interesting spots in Normandy and found that even the small local museums had managed to have some medals and their recipient's stories on display - always nice to gather the historical background on those ribboned pieces of metal Christophe, thanks for the link to the Normandie-Niemen - I very much enjoyed visiting the site. Hendrik

An obvious one, Imperial War Museum ... the site links to - the London IWM - the Duxford IWM - the IWM North - the Churchill Museum and Cabinet Rooms - HMS Belfast

Well now, I beg to differ Although I agree the Legion of Honour is in a class of its own, I quite like the various French orders (most of them out of use by now) designwise and that includes this Arts et Lettres one. I find it compares well and even exceeds the design of the Palmes Acad?miques series ... As the French saying goes : les gouts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas Guess we're all entitled to our own likes and preferences - So, my thanks to Guy for posting this topic Keep them coming ! Hendrik

Jacques, Stunning, wonderfully gorgeous ... you name it, it is just that ! Although not an avid collector of TR awards, the design and, especially, the requirements to get this one awarded are quite exceptional. I've been mopping up the drool ever since clapping eyes on your picture ! Hendrik