French Wound insignia

[Wilco]

Is there anyone that can give an overvieuw on the French Wound insignia for Military, Civilian and the criteria?

I know that around 1916 they started out with a small starr to be worn on the ribbon of "campaign" medals. That after WW2 a medal was instituted (different grades), but also that in 1952 a clasp with red star was instituted. My main question is which decoration did wounded World War Two receive, but I think a total overvieuw might also be interesting for others here.

1952 clasp

Edited March 30, 2007 by Wilco

[Chris Boonzaier]

That is very interesting... are you sure it is French? I thought they just put stars on the ribbon for further awards, but have never seen a bar!!

[Wilco]

That is very interesting... are you sure it is French? I thought they just put stars on the ribbon for further awards, but have never seen a bar!!

According to the sources I have found:

- H.T. Dorling, Ribbons and Medals

- Jean Battani et Witold Zaniewicky, Decorations, Medailles et Recompenses Francaises

- French Medals Hendrik Messchaart

This one is correct also and was a first replacemente for the star that was to be found from 1916 onwards. But also I am not sure of its use, so thats why I placed my questions and contribution here.

Edited March 30, 2007 by Wilco

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

its a subject I know little about, that is why I ask.

All the best

Chris

[Hendrik]

I know that around 1916 they started out with a small starr to be worn on the ribbon of "campaign" medals. That after WW2 a medal was instituted (different grades), but also that in 1952 a clasp with red star was instituted. My main question is which decoration did wounded World War Two receive, but I think a total overvieuw might also be interesting for others here.

Hello Wilco,

The proper official decoration for military wounded as far as I know is the "Insigne Sp?cial des Bless?s" instituted on 11 December 1916 (and which would thus also be the official one for WW2 wounded). It consists of a ribbon bar with a red enamelled 5-pointed star on it.

Normally worn separately, I have this one - mounted on a Croix de Guerre - in my collection :

As you mentioned in your question, one does encounter campaign medals with either the red enamelled star on them as a ribbon emblem (sometimes even more than one, indicating the number of wounds received) or the later 1952 silvered bar with that star.

For civilian wounded, the official "decoration" is similar : a ribbon bar (different colours being used) with a white enamelled star.

Both civilian and military wound medals were manufactured later on (although to my knowledge not in different "grades" as you mentioned ... maybe you were thinking of type variations ?) but these have never been officially instituted although their wearing seems to be condoned.

For the sake of completeness, there were also a couple of pre-1916 insignia (a small round medal and a pinbacked oval one which existed in bronze, silver and gold classes), both of them also unofficial.

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Wilco]

Thanks Hendrik, this makes it a bit completer for every one here, including me.

Any photos or more info is welcome.

[leigh kitchen]

The French Insignes des Blesses Militaire ribbon with red enamel star was introduced 22/7/16, but apparently was disliked by the troops who preferred to purchase one of the unofficial Medailles Blesses Militaires big red enamelled stars suspended from the same pattern of ribbon, which were produced from 1919 or 1920?

The unofficial Medaille Des Blesse Civils De Guerre was produced 1918?

[Hendrik]

The French Insignes des Blesses Militaire ribbon with red enamel star was introduced 22/7/16,

It would interest me to know how you came to that date ...

The unofficial Medaille Des Blesse Civils De Guerre was produced 1918?

Quite a bit later I would have thought but I'm open to suggestions ...

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Hendrik]

Any photos or more info is welcome.

Hello Wilco,

I'm sure somewhere on the forum some pictures of the well known "unofficial" medals are available. As to the 1915-16 unofficial ones ... I'll downsize my pictures tomorrow as they are currently too large to meet the forum's requirements and will post them tomorrow (dinner time here and guests arriving in just a few minutes ...)

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Jef]

Thanks Hendrik, this makes it a bit completer for every one here, including me.

Any photos or more info is welcome.

Hello Wilco,

I believe I posted this ribbon on another occasion....

kind regards,

Jef

[Wilco]

Nice one, thanks Jef

[Hendrik]

As promised, pictures of the early (ca. 1915) unofficial wound badges. Diameter across is 2.5 cm so they are pretty small. To my knowledge there's no ribbon to go with the round medal and it was probably worn on some kind of fastening pin.

Note that both badges are somewhat similar in design as they show the arms of the then allied countries.

First, the older of the two, the round medal :

[Hendrik]

And the oval pinbacked slightly later one :

Cheers,

Hendrik

[leigh kitchen]

It would interest me to know how you came to that date ...

Quite a bit later I would have thought but I'm open to suggestions ...

Cheers,

Hendrik

Info from Howard Williamsons "The Collectors & Researchers Guide To The Great War".

[Hendrik]

Info from Howard Williamsons "The Collectors & Researchers Guide To The Great War".

Hello Leigh,

I do not have that particular book but believe the official civilian insignia (ribbon + star) was instituted on 18 July 1918 (I've come across one source that mentions 1 July of that year, probably a typo). It seems to me that an unofficial civil wounded medal becoming available in the same year is rather doubtful.

Furthermore, a law of 1921 specified the military wounded device (red enamelled star) should henceforth be worn on the WWI Commemorative Medal. It is generally accepted that around that time, as veterans rather disliked this regulation, the unofficial military wounded medal started to be commercially produced. I think it's likely the unofficial civilian medal would not have been produced earlier ...

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Megan]

The Insigne des Bless?s Militaires was created by a law passed 11 December 1916, laying down that an enamelled red star should be worn on the planned M?daille comm?morative de la Guerre 1914-1918 (only of course they didn't know what the dates would be at that time!). So the star was pinned on to a special piece of ribbon, the size of a conventional 'undress' ribbon bar.

The Insigne des Bless?s Civils was created by a law of 18 July 1918 (as Hendrik says), for civilian victims of warfare. It was a white enamelled star, also worn on a piece of ribbon, of a different pattern from the military version.

The medals marketed and worn for both these awards are unofficial, but as they exist they need to be recorded!

[Butch]

That's a interesting looking Medal. IMO "Which means Nothing" the Red Star makes it look like it came from North Vietnam. Just a thought mind you. Butch

[Hendrik]

Hello Butch,

Perish the thought !

What about saying it's the star as used on French War Crosses to denote a citation but red enameled to indicate the blood spilled ... ?

Cheers,

Hendrik

[paul wood]

Dear Hendrick,

I may be as thick as the proverbial short planks but how do we know these unofficial badges are French, you would have thought the cockerel would have been at 12 o' clock. Just curious.

Paul

And the oval pinbacked slightly later one :

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Hendrik]

how do we know these unofficial badges are French

Hello Paul,

They are described as such in French reference works on the subject.

Perhaps a little background history would not go amiss :

Maurice Barr?s, president of the "Ligue des Patriotes" is the instigator of the French Wounded insignia. Already in 1914 he was thinking about a distinctive badge and on 28 March 1915 he launched a first appeal in a Paris newspaper (L'Echo de Paris) for the creation of a badge to recognize "men whose wounds, infirmity or illness were caused by an act of war". He would renew the appeal on 10 June of the same year.

After long debates in the French Chambre of Representatives (equivalent to the House of Commons in Britain), the Insignia for the Military Wounded was approved on 11 December 1916.

However, manufacturers anticipating the eventual result of the debates and the official texts and regulations that would emerge, produced two badges which were distributed from 1915 onwards ... the round and oval ones above.

I have no information on the designer(s) of these nor on why the rooster is in the place it is ...

One French publication worth reading in this respect is "Petite Histoire de la Grande Guerre au travers des D?corations attribu?es aux Poilus" by Andr? Pascual.

Cheers,

Hendrik

[paul wood]

Hendrick,

Many thanks for enlightening me.

Paul

Hello Paul,

They are described as such in French reference works on the subject.

Perhaps a little background history would not go amiss :

Maurice Barr?s, president of the "Ligue des Patriotes" is the instigator of the French Wounded insignia. Already in 1914 he was thinking about a distinctive badge and on 28 March 1915 he launched a first appeal in a Paris newspaper (L'Echo de Paris) for the creation of a badge to recognize "men whose wounds, infirmity or illness were caused by an act of war". He would renew the appeal on 10 June of the same year.

After long debates in the French Chambre of Representatives (equivalent to the House of Commons in Britain), the Insignia for the Military Wounded was approved on 11 December 1916.

However, manufacturers anticipating the eventual result of the debates and the official texts and regulations that would emerge, produced two badges which were distributed from 1915 onwards ... the round and oval ones above.

I have no information on the designer(s) of these nor on why the rooster is in the place it is ...

One French publication worth reading in this respect is "Petite Histoire de la Grande Guerre au travers des D?corations attribu?es aux Poilus" by Andr? Pascual.

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Bison]

Hello

This subject about the French Wound insignia is very interesting.

I would like to mention the best study made about it : "Les Insignes des bless?s de la Premi?re guerre mondiale ? nos jours" written by Christophe de Sola and Jean Hass.

In the years 1924 - 1925, the veterans were not satisfied with the wound insignia as described above; Then, they created a non official medal, which was progressively tolerated. Nowadays, this unofficial medal is accepted to be worn by the wounded.

There is currently a project in France to create a new -and official - medal.

Here are two different models (there are many others):

[Bison]

And this one, probably made by Arthus Bertrand.

Note that the medal = 1 wound, and each little additional red star a wound more. Therefore, this one with three stars means four wounds.

[Hugh]

And here's a picture of one I bought at Arthus Bertrand in the summer of '88 with the metal bar. (Took the picture through the glass of it's frame, so sorry for the image)

In this case, does the bar indicate a second wound?

Note also that the Republic of Viet Nam wound medal is very

similar - The blue of the French ribbon is replaced with green, and the red star is six pointed vice five pointed. Probably to avoid confusion with their northern neighbors. I can also post a picture (possibly equally bad) of that if needed.

Hugh

Edited October 19, 2008 by Hugh

[Hugh]

Oh, well, here's the Vietnamese one (no extra charge). I got it in Saigon in 1969. Obviously locally made, and the "enamel" is a little less than the European standard.

Hugh

Edited October 19, 2008 by Hugh