RobW

The last two appear to be general orders. This one is dated 6 August 1918.

And the second page.

Here is the next and last two documents from this group. The first one appears to be a recitation of the citations awarded, at different authority levels, that contributed to the Regiment being awarded the Red Fourragere. Regards, Rob

To all, As there appears to be little to no traffic in this area here is a relatively early and low numbered award certificate to a member of the Russian Legion. It was awarded on 4 July 1922. The certificate is slightly longer than my scanner hence the truncated ends. Regards, Rob

I do still have a couple of other photostat documents that were inside the service record which I shall scan and post when I have time. I hope that has been of some interest. More to follow. Regards, Rob

Further details.

And the inside.

Interestingly here is what appears to be the subsequent mobilisation card for the soldier in the next war. Given his date of birth in 1891 that would have made him 48 in 1939. Still young enough to be called up to fight in another war. I don't have any other documents for any subsequent service post 1939.

And here is the actual medal in the box of issue.

And the other side.

Here is a couple of pictures of what I believe to be the forwarding slip or official correspondence for the award of the Medal Militaire.

And the inside of the first section. Regards, Rob

As mentioned before here are the next batch of pics. This first set are of what I have assumed is the soldiers issue and/or service book. There are a few sections in this where it looks like all the uniforms and equipment issued to the member have been recorded. The second section appears to be more of a service record where all the personal details are listed, as well as vaccinations, while the last section appears to be the conduct record with any charges etc… Not being able to read French at all makes for a fascinating document. While I am primarily a victory medal collector I couldn't allow this grouping to be broken and obtained the lot. There is always something interesting to find out in these documents. It would be good for those with the knowledge to let me know how accurate I have been with my initial thoughts. More pictures to follow. Regards, Rob

Any further information? If this example was French produced there may be a marking like BRONZE or a hallmark on the rim. Regards, Rob

Hello Ralstona, These 'ribbon authority' certificates are not that easy to find and while they seem to follow a similar format there is also great variety as well. In regards your certificate where is/was Saida? You may want to post your item in the French victory medal section of the 'Interallied Victory Medal' forum in the Special Interest Section. There are always new items appearing that are worthy of posting pics. Regards, Rob

To all, I have posted this item on a related thread on the French medal section, that is ongoing, but there is also relevance to post it here as it is specific to the vic series. It is an authority document to wear the ribbon for the French victory medal. Of note is that this document, which is dated 12 February 1920, only provides the authority for the wearer to wear the ribbon and not the medal as it had not yet been approved. The reference to the decree establishing the medal, including the colour of the ribbon is contained at the top of the document (29 October 1919) which was followed by another Ministerial Instruction of 4 November 1919. There is no mention of the subsequent law instituting the actual medal which occurred on 22 July 1922 nor of the implementing Ministerial Instruction of 7 October 1922. This would be pertinent given the award date of February 1920. I have a couple of these 'ribbon authorities' and they are a bit more difficult to find than the latter French victory medal certificate. Regards, Rob

To all, Here is another of the award documents to this gentleman. In this case it is the authority to wear the ribbon for the victory medal. Of note is that this document, which is dated 12 February 1920, only provides the authority for the wearer to wear the ribbon and not the medal as it had not yet been approved. The reference to the decree establishing the medal, including the colour of the ribbon is contained at the top of the document (29 October 1919) which was followed by another Ministerial Instruction of 4 November 1919. There is no mention of the subsequent law instituting the actual medal which occurred on 22 July 1922 nor of the implementing Ministerial Instruction of 7 October 1922. This would be pertinent given the award date of February 1920. I have a couple of these 'ribbon authorities' and they are a bit more difficult to find than the latter French victory medal certificate. More items to follow when I have time to scan them. Regards, Rob

To all, Here is the best effort I have been able to achieve with a re-scan of the close-up of the previous document. I have not been able to transcribe it, because I can't read french and the writing is very faint. I have tweaked the contrast so that it hopefully is of more use to others to read. Regards, Rob

Hello Lambert, That is a nice small group to a member of the MIDDLESEX Regiment. Of interest is the ribbon of the MBE. It appears that the ribbon was originally the military style ribbon with a central white stripe. This appears to have been rubbed out to represent the civilian ribbon. Do you have any background on this miniature group that may explain such a modification? Regards, Rob

When I have time I will scrutinise the text and transcribe it for posting. My French is poor so I am hopeful the meaning can be gleaned from the transcription. It would appear, at this stage that the gentlemen is at least entitled to: * Medal Militaire. * Croix de Guerre (with three citations). * Combattant Cross. * Victory medal. * War Commemorative Cross. I am searching through the other paperwork to determine if the recipient has any wounds recorded. Regards, Rob

Chris, Just to clarify the Medal Militaire it was presented in 1935. I have the official correspondence from the Bureau De Recruitment indicating the date of the decree (19 Dec 1934) and the official date the award was conferred (16 Jan 1935). Again when I have time I shall post the pics. Regards, Rob

Hello Chris, I have some more of his documents including his Medal Militaire and diplome, and some form of service book (voir le tascicule de mobilisation en tete livret). The service book is in poor condition which is making further research difficult. There is also some other documents in French which appear to War Ministry announcements or orders. The Medal Militaire is in the original red mottled box and the diplome is still contained in the original presentation tube. There is also the authority to wear just the victory medal ribbon, dated 12 February 1920. It indicates the gentleman in question was in the Armee of North Africa, Oran Division, and belonging to the 6th Regiment De Tiralleurs Indigines. When I have time I shall get around to scanning the others and post the pics. Regards, Rob

Hello Lambert, I would echo what Tim has mentioned. Yes it appears to be a French produced item, most likely by the Paris firm of Janvier-Berchot by the looks of the triangle makers mark. The BRONZE mark is seen quite often on French produced medals. Considering the large quantity of the official strike these French produced versions are not seen all that often and are often overlooked as a standard official strike. Regards, Rob

To all, Here is a nice Belgian mini trio with a Decoration Militaire. Interestingly the Decoration Militaire is of the Leopold II variety. The Belgian vic is only 13.4 mm in diameter. Regards, Rob

I recently picked up a small collection of French medals and documents. Among the documents were a citation for the Croix de guerre to a gentleman from what appears to be the 136th Infantry Regiment. The document appears to be a standard form type with areas for specific detail to be included where necessary, including the recipients name and details of the circumstances of the award. While my French is poor I can make out that the text refers to just this award, however a bit further toward the bottom of the award it indicates in parenthesis (3 citations). I am trying to determine if it is likely that the recipient was eventually awarded three citations or just the one indicated on this citation. Any help from those more knowledgeable than I will be appreciated. Regards, Rob