France French Ribbon Bar Quiz

[Dave Danner]

Actually, not just French, but a wide ranging assortment. If you know whose these ribbons are or if you figure it out, please let others have a chance to ID the ribbons.

First image is regular size, from the scan. It is included for clarity, but is too small to make out a lot of detail. Second image is magnified, so a bit fuzzier.

There are 11 rows, so here is a template to copy for filling in your answers. I filled in a random few to get you started:

1st row:

1.

2.

3.

2nd row:

1. Croix de guerre 1914 -1918 with a number of citations (palms and stars)

2.

3.

3rd row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

4th row:

1.

2.

3. Croix du combattant volontaire de la R?sistance/Cross of the Voluntary Combatant of the Resistance

4.

5th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

6th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

7th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

8th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

9th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

10th row:

1. Croix de guerre (Belgium)

2.

3.

4.

11th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

[Jacky]

I think that the top row bar is quite strange,

but also the others......

The image had been mirrored....!!!!

But we see;

There are 11 rows, so here is a template to copy for filling in your answers. I filled in a random few to get you started:

1st row:

1. medaille militaire, France

2. legion d'honneur, grade commander, France

3. Ordre d'liberation, France

2nd row:

1. Croix de guerre 1914 -1918 with a number of citations (palms and stars), France

2. croix d'guerre des theatres d'exterieures with a number of citations, France

3. Croix d'guerre 1940 -1945, France

3rd row:

1. Medaille d'resistance avec rosette, France

2.

3. Croix d'Combattante volontaire 1914, France

4. Croix d'combattante volontaire 1940, France

4th row:

1.

2.

3. Croix du combattant volontaire de la R?sistance/Cross of the Voluntary Combatant of the Resistance, France

4.

5th row:

1. Victory medal, France

2.

3.

4. Wounded Medal, France

6th row:

1. Bronze star USA

2.

3.

4.

7th row:

1.

2.

3. Corea War medal, Corea

4. UN Corea Medal, United Nations

8th row:

1. Order of the British Empire, presumably Officer or Member, United Kingdom

2. Legion of merit, commander, USA

3. Silver star, USA

4.

9th row:

1. Virtuti Militari, Poland

2. Militairy Cross, United Kingdom

3.

4. Order of Polonia Restitutia, commander or grand officer, Poland

10th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

11th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

[Dave Danner]

Good start, but...

- The L?gion d'Honneur is a Grand croix, not a Commandeur

- 3rd row, #4 is, I believe, a M?daille des ?vades.

- 6th row, #1: not a U.S. Bronze Star, although it is very similar. A hint: all ribbons on that row are from the same country.

- 8th row, #1: I suppose there's actually no way to tell on a foreign ribbon bar, but that's a CBE.

- 8th row, #2: Correct on the LoM, but the grade is Chief Commander

- I think I agree with you on the Polonia Restituta, but it's odd that it is separated from the other Polish decoration. Also, this person's bio mentions the Virtuti Militari but does not mention a Polonia Restituta. So maybe there's something else that's similar (like that other ribbon being similar to the Bronze Star).

Also, we might nitpick a little on the grammar, but only in good spirits. Lib?ration and r?sistance, for example, are feminine, so it should be Ordre de la Lib?ration and M?daille de la R?sistance.

And it is not mirrored.

[Christophe]

The hierarchy and order of preseance of some of the French awards is... surprising!!!

Ch.

[Jacky]

Well Surprising??

The medaille militaire isn't that surprising, it was a medal with very strict rules, thus quite highly prised!!!

But then the ordre d LA lib?ration still really should have precedence over the legion d'Honneur!!!

Kind regards,

Jacky

[ErikMuller]

6th row (Norwegian)

- War Cross

- Order of Saint Olav (Grand Cross?)

- Participation Medal

- War Medal

[ErikMuller]

7th row

2. French Korea Medal

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

The medaille militaire isn't that surprising, it was a medal with very strict rules, thus quite highly prised!!!

But then the ordre d LA lib?ration still really should have precedence over the legion d'Honneur!!!

Well it isn't. I guess it has been the rule for generals awarded with Medaille militaire to have the GC of LoH before.

Also ##1,2 in 4th row are the two ribbons of the Medaille Coloniale (or Outre-mer), but the French manner of adding clasps makes them hardly visible.

#4 in9th row is Morocco's Ouissam-Alauite rather than Polonia Restituta.

#1, 6th row can be the Norwegian Krigskorset, but the ribbon IS of the Bronze Star (white edges!)

OK, I've got to go to work - and want to give other folks a chance! Happy hunting!

Lukasz

[Dave Danner]

Well it isn't. I guess it has been the rule for generals awarded with Medaille militaire to have the GC of LoH before.

Also ##1,2 in 4th row are the two ribbons of the Medaille Coloniale (or Outre-mer), but the French manner of adding clasps makes them hardly visible.

#4 in9th row is Morocco's Ouissam-Alauite rather than Polonia Restituta.

#1, 6th row can be the Norwegian Krigskorset, but the ribbon IS of the Bronze Star (white edges!)

OK, I've got to go to work - and want to give other folks a chance! Happy hunting!

Lukasz

It is the Krigskorset, but apparently another example of "close enough". Perhaps he got a piece of replacement Bronze Star ribbon while in Korea.

So here is where we stand so far:

1st row:

1. M?daille Militaire

2. Ordre National de la L?gion d'Honneur - Grand croix

3. Ordre de la Lib?ration

2nd row:

1. Croix de guerre 1914 -1918 with a number of citations (palms and stars)

2. Croix de guerre des Th??tres d'op?rations ext?rieures with a number of citations

3. Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with a number of citations (three palms, actually)

3rd row:

1. M?daille de la R?sistance avec rosette

2.

3. Croix du Combattant Volontaire 1914 -1918

4. M?daille des ?vades

4th row:

1. M?daille Coloniale with what appears to be two clasps

2. M?daille Coloniale with what appears to be three clasps

3. Croix du combattant volontaire de la R?sistance/Cross of the Voluntary Combatant of the Resistance

4.

5th row:

1. M?daille Interalli?e 1914 -1918 dite ?M?daille de la Victoire?/Interallied Victory Medal

2.

3.

4. M?daille des Bless?s Militaires with seven stars

6th row:

1. Krigskorset/War Cross

2. Kongelige Norske St. Olavs Orden/Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olaf - Grand Cross

3. Deltagermedaljen 9. april 1940-8. mai 1945/Participation Medal 1940-45

4. Krigsmedaljen/War Medal

7th row:

1.

2. M?daille comm?morative des Op?rations de l'O.N.U. en Cor?e/Commemorative Medal for UN Operations in Korea

3. Republic of Korea War Service Medal

4. United Nations Service Medal

8th row:

1. Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division

2. Legion of Merit, Chief Commander (USA)

3. Silver Star (USA)

4.

9th row:

1. Virtuti Militari (Poland)

2. Military Cross (United Kingdom)

3.

4. Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco)

10th row:

1. Croix de guerre (Belgium)

2.

3.

4.

11th row:

1.

2.

3.

4.

So that leaves a few. One mystery: the last ribbon is the same as the Syrian Medal for Bravery. However, that Syrian decoration was established the same year this guy died. This guy did serve in Syria in 1941, however. So apparently their was a French Syrian decoration of the colonial era which used the same ribbon.

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

These are my types (in italics):

1st row:

1. M?daille Militaire

2. Ordre National de la L?gion d'Honneur - Grand croix

3. Ordre de la Lib?ration

2nd row:

1. Croix de guerre 1914 -1918 with a number of citations (palms and stars)

2. Croix de guerre des Th??tres d'op?rations ext?rieures with a number of citations

3. Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with a number of citations (three palms, actually)

3rd row:

1. M?daille de la R?sistance avec rosette

2. Medaille de la France Libre

3. Croix du Combattant Volontaire 1914 -1918

4. M?daille des ?vades

4th row:

1. M?daille Coloniale with what appears to be two clasps

2. M?daille Coloniale with what appears to be three clasps

3. Croix du combattant volontaire de la R?sistance/Cross of the Voluntary Combatant of the Resistance

4. Croix du combattant

5th row:

1. M?daille Interalli?e 1914 -1918 dite ?M?daille de la Victoire?/Interallied Victory Medal

2. Medaille commemorative 1914-1918

3. Medaille commemorative 1939-1945 (again with clasps)

4. M?daille des Bless?s Militaires with seven stars

6th row:

1. Krigskorset/War Cross

2. Kongelige Norske St. Olavs Orden/Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olaf - Grand Cross

3. Deltagermedaljen 9. april 1940-8. mai 1945/Participation Medal 1940-45

4. Krigsmedaljen/War Medal

7th row:

1. Ordre royal du Cambodge

2. M?daille comm?morative des Op?rations de l'O.N.U. en Cor?e/Commemorative Medal for UN Operations in Korea

3. Republic of Korea War Service Medal

4. United Nations Service Medal

8th row:

1. Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division

2. Legion of Merit, Chief Commander (USA)

3. Silver Star (USA)

4. Belgium Order of Leopold (?)

9th row:

1. Virtuti Militari (Poland)

2. Military Cross (United Kingdom)

3. Syrian Order of Civli Merit (?)

4. Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco)

10th row:

1. Croix de guerre (Belgium)

2. Merite Libanais or Order of the Cedar

3.

4.

11th row:

1.

2. Ordre d'Etoile de Comore (?)

3. Dragon d'Annam

4.

I guess who these might belong to, but I don't want to spoil the fun.

Lukasz

[Dave Danner]

7th row, #1: Ordre royal du Cambodge - looks good to me. That is one I didn't know, but I do know he had the Grand Cross of this order.

8th row, #4: I believe is the Order of the Crown, not the Leopold I.

9th row, #3: Syrian Order of Civil Merit - also looks good to me; that is another one I didn't know.

10th row, #2: Ordre du m?rite libanais

11th row, #2: I'm not sure

11th row, #3: Ordre du Dragon d'Annam, Grand Officier

That leaves the 3rd and 4th ribbons on the 10th row, and the 1st and 4th ribbons on the 11th row, with a question about the 2nd ribbon on the 11th row. As noted, the 4th ribbon on the 11th row is apparently from French Syria.

[g_deploige]

I think it can be the next person

The french General Raoul Monclar

http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/686.html

Here the list of decorations as given on the site of the order of liberation

# Grand Croix de la L?gion d'Honneur

# Compagnon de la Lib?ration - d?cret du 1 er juin 1943

# M?daille Militaire

# Croix de Guerre 14/18 (11 citations)

# Croix de Guerre 39/45 (3 citations)

# Croix de Guerre des TOE (6 citations)

# M?daille de la R?sistance avec rosette

# M?daille des Evad?s

# M?daille des Bless?s (7 ?toiles)

# Croix du Combattant Volontaire 14/18

# M?daille Coloniale avec agrafes "Maroc 25-26", "Erythr?e"

# M?daille Comm?morative du Levant

# M?daille Comm?morative de Syrie-Cilicie

# M?daille Comm?morative de la Grande Guerre

# M?daille Comm?morative de la Victoire (Interalli?e)

# M?daille Comm?morative 39/45

# M?daille des Services Volontaires dans la France Libre

# Grand Officier du Dragon d?Annam

# Military Cross (GB)

# Commandeur de l?Ordre de l?Empire Britannique

# Silver Star (USA)

# Legion of Merit (USA)

# Commandeur de l?Ordre de la Couronne (Belgique)

# Croix de Guerre 14/18 (Belgique)

# Grand Croix de l?Ordre de Saint Olaf (Norv?ge)

# Croix de Guerre avec glaive (Norv?ge)

# M?daille Comm?morative Norv?gienne

# Virtuti Militari (Pologne)

# M?daille Comm?morative de Cor?e (ONU)

# M?rite Syrien

# M?rite Libanais

# Croix de Guerre Hell?nique

# Officier de l?Etoile de Roumanie avec glaives

# Military Merit Targuk avec ?toile d?argent (Cor?e)

# Grand Croix de l?Ordre Royal du Cambodge

# Grand Officier du Ouissam Alaouite (Maroc)

# Grand Croix de l?Etoile d?Anjouan (Comores)

My best regards

Guy

Edited January 20, 2007 by g_deploige

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

OK, the name of 3rd row #2 is actually M?daille des Services Volontaires dans la France Libre. The M?daille de la France Libre is a different medal.

The 11th row #1 looks like the Lithuanian Order of the Vytis Cross (???) and #4 like Syrian Order of Bravery. My assumption is that the latter may have been awarded also when the country was the French mandatory territory, although I don't have any sources to prove that. I cannot think of any other decoration with a ribbon like that.

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

I think it can be the next person

The french General Raoul Monclar

http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/686.html

Bingo!!!

In this case r10#4 is the Croix de Guerre Hell?nique and r11#1 Order of the Star of Romania.

Still unidentified remains r10#3. I'm just thinking if this cannot be the South Korean Order of Military Merit 'Taeguk' class, Monclar was also supposed to have. The ribbon ought to be light blue with four narrow white stripes on either side.

[Carol I]

r11#1 Order of the Star of Romania

The ribbon is for the type I of the award (before 1932).

[Dave Danner]

The ribbon is for the type I of the award (before 1932).

It would have been a World War I award. Romania and France (at least the Free French) were on the opposite sides in World War II.

[Carol I]

Romania and France (at least the Free French) were on the opposite sides in World War II.

Only up to the autumn of 1944.