France Foreign Legion Member in the Great War

[Hugh]

I had thought that the Medaille Militaire was senior to the Croix de Guerre, no? Is it not a bravery award? Perhaps someone could write a few notes comparing the circumstances for each?

Thanks,

Hugh

[Veteran]

The M?daile militaire is indeed a superior gallantry award. Several croix de guerre (=citation = mention in dispaches at various levels) were usually necessary before a M?daille militaire could be obtained for bravery. In some instances of great distinction in combat, an immediate M?daille militaie was given with an additional croix de guerre with palm. This is the top award level for a NCO or lower ranks.

Repeated outstanding gallantry could even earn a Legion d'honneur for an NCO or other rank who had previously earned the M?daille militaire, which can only be bestowed once upon the same man.

What complicates the matter is that the M?daille militaire is also a long service and outstanding conduct award after 15 years at least service, in peace or/and in war. All ORs don't automatically receive it and often more than 15 years services are required.

Generally speaking, a M?daille militaire worn by any man under 30 with a croix de guerre with palm or a Valeur militaire with palm will have been awarded for extreme combat gallantry, or for very severe wounds received during a particular act of bravery.

An older NCO with a M?daille militaire without the additionnal award of croix de guerre/valeur militaire with palm will probably be wearing a long and exemplary service award.

I hope this leads to better understanding of thiese confusing uses of the M?daille militaire.

Regards

Veteran

Edited January 13, 2009 by Veteran

[Hugh]

Thanks, Veteran, very helpful.

Hugh

[Francois]

Very interesting document .....So glad I was able to read you all !!

Concerning the Medaille Militaire, this medal was created for non commissioned officers, this medal is the equivalent to the Legion of Honneur for soldiers and Sailors as well . You may gain it in combat or for very good service, generally after 15 years of service.

Anybody receiving it may apply to the "Carte du Combattant".

My Grand-Father got it after WWII, my father who was an officer did not , he got the "red" instead" ( Legion of Honnor).

The Medaille Militaire is not a croix de Guerre, the creator was the Emperor Napoleon III in 1852.

Edited January 13, 2009 by Francois

[Hugh]

So is it accurate to say that no officer may qualify for the Medaille Militaire?

Hugh

[Francois]

This is correcte, anybody under the rank of Sous-Lieutnant, even and Caporal can,( he better be shot in the leg first)...

My Grand-Father got it was he was Adjudant-Chef.

[Veteran]

Bonjour Fran?ois

Very interesting message.

I beg to differ on one point : the "Carte du combattant" is not automatically given to holders of a Medaille militaire. Conditions are 3 months in combat areas and/or taking part in five "combats class?s". This can be waived for men who were wounded in combat or received a "citation" (mention in dispaches) for gallantry. This would be the case for a gallantry award of the M?daille militaire.

The M?daille militaire can also be awarded for exemplary long service, without any war experience at all, or with non-comabattant units (i.e. Medical Corps). In which case the Carte du Combattant is not given.

Regards

Veteran

[Great Dane]

"no officer may qualify for the Medaille Militaire"

Are there exceptions to this rule? For high(est) ranking officers?

I know that Field-Marshal John French was awarded the Medaille Militaire in March 1915 while being Commander-in-Chief for the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF).

He was awrded the Legion d'Honneur GC in 1903.

/Mike

[Hendrik]

Quite right, Mike ...

Paragraphe 3 : Concession de la M?daille Militaire aux Officiers G?n?raux

R. 140. La M?daille Militaire peut ?tre exceptionnellement conc?d?e par d?cret pris en conseil des ministres aux mar?chaux de France et aux officiers g?n?raux, Grand-croix de la L?gion d?honneur, qui, en temps de guerre, ont exerc? un commandement en chef devant l?ennemi ou qui ont rendu des services exceptionnels ? la d?fense nationale.

which, translated, means the Field Marshals and General Officers that already had been awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour could, exceptionally, be awarded the Military Medal by France's ministers united in council, for exceptional services in the nation's defence while being a commander-in-chief in wartime and opposing an enemy.

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Francois]

I know some people who got it for less than that...

But thank you for the correction VETERAN, you were correcte on the Carte du Combattant.

3 months in combat it is.

Edited January 14, 2009 by Francois

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Quite right, Mike ...

Paragraphe 3 : Concession de la M?daille Militaire aux Officiers G?n?raux

R. 140. La M?daille Militaire peut ?tre exceptionnellement conc?d?e par d?cret pris en conseil des ministres aux mar?chaux de France et aux officiers g?n?raux, Grand-croix de la L?gion d?honneur, qui, en temps de guerre, ont exerc? un commandement en chef devant l?ennemi ou qui ont rendu des services exceptionnels ? la d?fense nationale.

which, translated, means the Field Marshals and General Officers that already had been awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour could, exceptionally, be awarded the Military Medal by France's ministers united in council, for exceptional services in the nation's defence while being a commander-in-chief in wartime and opposing an enemy.

Cheers,

Hendrik

Hello readers:

two examples of General Officers who were bestowed the Medaille Militaire :

- Marshall Petain , during his trial after WW II the only decoration he wore was the Medaille Militaire;

- General Raoul Salan.

There are certainly others so decorated.

No political statement or similar is intended by posting the above.

It may also be of note that in these cases the precedence in wear is M.M. then L.oH. while N.C.O.'s also decorated with the L.o. H.after having received the M.M.the Legion d'Honneur does take precedence over the Medaille Militaire.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Veteran]

I believe General Eisenhower also received the M?daille militaire as Commander in Chief, Allied Forces in Europe.

Hope this is not mistaken

Regards

Veteran

Edited January 16, 2009 by Veteran

[Bison]

You are totally right, Veteran.

General Eisenhower received it in 1952.

There are also :

Marshal J.D.P. French in 1915

Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1947

Sir Winston Churchill in 1947

And, worth to be mentioned, Marshal Jozip Broz Tito in 1956 !

Regards

Bison

[Mark Brewer]

Hello readers:

two examples of General Officers who were bestowed the Medaille Militaire :

- Marshall Petain , during his trial after WW II the only decoration he wore was the Medaille Militaire;

- General Raoul Salan.

There are certainly others so decorated.

No political statement or similar is intended by posting the above.

It may also be of note that in these cases the precedence in wear is M.M. then L.oH. while N.C.O.'s also decorated with the L.o. H.after having received the M.M.the Legion d'Honneur does take precedence over the Medaille Militaire.

Bernhard H. Holst

Are you sure about the order of precedence for Officers. My understanding was that the LoH always took precedence, as shown in the following group to a French pilot.

[Veteran]

Very nice group, Mark, espescially if it can be traced to its original owner. The stork was the badge of a very well known fighter squadron, "Les Cigognes", Capitaine Charles Guynemer was a member.

You are right about the precedence of the Legion d'honneur over all other French awards since 1830. The exception being the very scarce award to a commander in chief who previously was a Grand Cross of the Legion d'honneur before the M?daille militaire was bestowed upon him. In that particular case, and only in that case, the M?daille militaire is the supreme French award.

Best regards

Veteran

[Mark Brewer]

Cheers Veteran. The medal group is held in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre here in New Zealand. It appears in the thread on the Croix de Guerre, but here is a close up of the label denoting to whom they were awarded. Mark.

[Mark Brewer]

Some of the award citations from the information I found about Waddell.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Mark Brewer

[Mark Brewer]

The rest.

[Veteran]

Hello Mark

Great information about Col Waddell whose name appears often as related to the Regiment de Marche de la L?gion ?trang?re. I had not realised he was with the R?giment de Marche d'Afrique in the Dardannelles campaign. This was made up from one bataillon Legion + two batallions Zouaves.

The nice group to Lieutenant de Boigne is worth seing. I could not find anything about him, but his family is still in existence, with several military men.

Best wishes

Veteran

[Mark Brewer]

A brief summary of Waddell's Service, does this appear correct?

New Zealand's greatest link with French forces during the Great War is through James Waddell, a Dunedin born officer in the French Foreign Legion. Waddell had joined the British Army as an officer and served in India and South Africa, but as a Colonial was heavily bullied by his upper class colleagues. He married a French woman and was granted the unusual honour of a commission in the French Foreign Legion on 25 April 1900. After early service in the Boxer Rebellion, Algeria and French Indo-China, Waddell landed at Gallipoli as a company commander in the R?giment de Marche d'Afrique in 1915. He soon distinguished himself by his courage and tenacity and was awarded the Croix de Chevalier of the L?gion d'honneur and the Croix de Guerre on 4 July 1915 for bravery in leading his Battalion in a costly attack against Turkish Trenches on 21 June. Waddell subsequently served on the Western Front and was promoted to the Croix de Officier on 10 June 1917 for his actions on the Somme where his personal example helped carry an attack on a village.[ii] By the end of the War he had been awarded the Croix de Guerre seven times and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Described as 'a courageous leader and one of the most respected of all the Legion's officers'[iii] Waddell was promoted to the Croix de Commandeur in 1920.[iv] He served in Tunisia until retiring in 1926, but remained in North Africa until returning to New Zealand in 1950. James Waddell passed away at Levin in 1954 and is buried in the RSA section of the Levin cemetery.

Order No.73 of the Dardanelles Expeditionary Corps 4 July 1915, cited in E. Coppin, Victory Forever: "Waddell of Gallipoli" an amazing true story of the New Zealand Born Hero of the Foreign Legion, Levin: E. Coppin, 1957.

[ii] Official Gazette 10 June 1917, cited in E. Coppin, 1957.

[iii] J. Parker, Inside the Foreign Legion: The sensational story of the World's toughest Army, London: Judy Piatkus, 1998, p.69.

[iv] E. Coppin, 1957.

Edited January 23, 2009 by Mark Brewer

[Chris Boonzaier]

I must say.... this is a fantastic thread with many, many things to learn.... especially "Never say never..." when you hear of unlikely careers....

[Mark Brewer]

Team, thanks again for all your help with research on Lt Col Waddell and answering general questions on French awards. I have updated Waddell's entry in Wikipedia so that he will hopefully receive greater recognition of his service. Perhaps someone could ensure it is accessable from the French Language side, so that his deeds will continue to be recognised by the people of France.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Waddell_(French_Foreign_Legion)

[Chris Boonzaier]

He stands arguably as New Zealand's greatest war hero alongside Sir Charles Upham - even though he fought for the French Foreign Legion. But, as Paul Charman writes, the life and times of secretive Gallipoli hero James Waddell are celebrated more overseas and are proving difficult even to make into a book

He was a pint-sized Kiwi warrior who commanded French Foreign Legion troops at Gallipoli and became one of the most decorated combat soldiers of the Great War. However, efforts to showcase James Waddell's incredible exploits are so far being frustrated.

Film-maker Jasmine Pujji says few New Zealanders know anything about Waddell's remarkable story - but it's high time they did.

The saddler's son from Dunedin won the Croix de Guerre eight times and retired as Commander of the French Legion of Honour. Waddell came to Pujji's attention in 2009. She has worked on three of Maori Television's Anzac Day broadcasts and has been trying to piece together his life story ever since.

But, last year, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage turned down her application to fund a book on Waddell, the proposed first step in making a film. Meanwhile, the French Embassy plans to feature him prominently this Armistice Day and during 100-year commemorations of World War I, in 2014.

French Ambassador Francis Etienne rates Waddell's service to France alongside that of New Zealander Nancy Wake, the so-called "White Mouse", who was a British agent in occupied France during World War II.

"I am surprised there has not been a book or a documentary - we would certainly look at providing help for such a venture," says Etienne. "To me he was such a remarkable guy. He overcame so many difficulties, moved around the world in an era when travel was difficult, made a great contribution through his military leadership and rose to a high position in society. What a story to tell young people today."

But those seeking to tell Waddell's story have their work cut out. Even surviving grandchildren remember little about the larger-than-life colonel, who stood just 1.6m (5ft 4in) tall.

Part of the fault seems to have been Waddell's. During his lifetime he shunned publicity so carefully that little about him seems to have been written down.

We know he was subjected to intense bullying in the British Army then thrived in the French Foreign Legion after marrying a French woman who persuaded him that the French army was a better bet. He had charisma as a commander and - as he was married three times - probably also some charm with the ladies.

Growing up in 19th century Dunedin, the young Waddell was, in the words of his parents, "fair dinkum mad on soldiering as a boy", an obsession his surviving grandchildren say was helped by having an infamous great uncle in the American Civil War.

James Iredell Waddell captained the Confederate cruiser Shenandoah, which controversially attacked the United States-flagged whaling fleet in the South Atlantic weeks after the war had ended - because of poor communications at the time.

By the age of 19, the captain's nephew had studied for and gained a commission in the Duke of Wellington Regiment. Young Waddell sailed from Christchurch to Natal, South Africa, in 1896, just before the Boer War. He landed without money or friends and as the sole colonial among the sons of English gentry. It was an unhappy union. Over many months his fellow junior officers harassed and humiliated him, demanding he quit the regiment. He was beaten up, stripped naked, marched around the camp with his hands bound and humiliated before enlisted ranks.

He was different. He was a colonial with no class status and no money. The other subalterns made it clear he didn't fit in and bullied him so he would leave. His property was destroyed and his rooms ransacked, the attacks becoming so intense that at one point Waddell was forced to draw his sword to defend himself.

But Waddell had grit. He refused to move on.

When the extent of the bullying came to light, it set Britain's Colonial Office at odds with the Seddon Government in New Zealand. It was feared that if word got out, young colonials would hesitate to enlist to fight for the Mother Country. The five subalterns who tormented Waddell were eventually censured.

After his regiment was transferred to India, Waddell fell in love with and married a French woman, who persuaded him that the French army would be more democratic. Her relatives helped him to join the Legion in Algeria, at the rank of lieutenant.

Waddell spent many years soldiering round the world but his career took off when, in his early 40s, he found himself commanding battalions on the great battlefields of World WarI. He formulated and led many audacious attacks, always leading from the front, and seemingly able to inspire men to follow him against impossible odds.

One lightning raid he led on the Western Front captured many German guns and prisoners, with few Legionnaire casualties. His commanders had been adamant that the position must not be attacked but Waddell was equally confident that it could be taken, saying he knew his men.

The victory gained Waddell another palm for his Croix de Guerre - but had he failed he would have been court-martialled and shot.

His exploits in Gallipoli were also remarkable. A Legion battalion arrived at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, on April 28, 1915, three days after the initial landings. Casualties were heavy. There were three pitched battles in June and July.

The first of Waddell's citations came after he commanded the Legion battalion in a frontal attack which captured Turkish-held trenches. Four days later he was promoted to major.

His Gallipoli campaign ended when he was badly wounded leading his battalion in another successful attack. He was hit by shrapnel in one shoulder and by a bullet in the other but refused to leave until the next day when he was satisfied that the defence of the captured position had been organised.

Repatriated to France, Waddell was soon in action again - with a Legion battalion on the French front in October 1915.

HISTORIAN DAVID Scoullar, a retired Wanganui Chronicle journalist, has researched the inquiry into Waddell's ill treatment in the British army and his career in the Legion. He rates Waddell's very survival as astonishing.

"Waddell had postings including hot spots in Algeria, the Sahara, Morocco, China and two terms (seven years) in Vietnam. Considered among the best tactical commanders produced at the time by the Legion, he fought at Gallipoli, on the major battlefields of France. By the end of the war, 43,000 men had served in the Legion, while its casualties numbered 31,000 but, despite being wounded three times, somehow Waddell came through it all."

Following this brilliant service, he transferred to the French army, which culminated in him being appointed a governor in occupied Germany. He later retired to his farm in Tunisia.

In later life he was apparently among the wealthy and privileged, says a granddaughter, Claudia Klein of Tauranga.

"From what little we know, grandfather was no stranger to French high society; we believe he associated with White Russian and French aristocrats."

Yet, when he slipped back into his native country aboard a passenger ship in 1950, Waddell snubbed a phalanx of reporters gathered on the dock. He settled with his son and daughter-in-law in Tauranga and lived there quietly before visiting a son in Levin in 1954. There, he fell seriously ill but was visited several times before he died by an evangelist named Enoch Coppin.

Coppin wrote that Waddell shared his life story only after fixing the preacher with a searching glance, raising a finger, and saying, "no reporters, please".

From these conversations Coppin wrote Victory Forever, a tract based on Waddell's life and dramatic conversion. Outside of a few newspaper articles, it is the only attempt by a New Zealander to record Waddell's life - although, as he led many of the Americans who served with the Legion, he figures prominently in books recalling their service.

Pujji says telling Waddell's life story properly would demand research in New Zealand and the Francophone countries he was stationed in.

She says time is fast running out for such a venture, as even the children of those who knew Waddell are now well advanced in years.

"This intriguing character totally broke the mould as a Kiwi embedded in the senior ranks of the French Foreign Legion. His career coincided with some of most momentous conflicts of the last 150 years - he was a great soldier and seemed to be everywhere. But we'd all love to know more about the man behind the soldier."

[Veteran]

Thanks, Chris. A great story.

[Mark Brewer]

Chris, where the article on Waddell come from?