France CdG with 8 citations?

[Chris Boonzaier]

How easy, difficult is it/was it for a "Other Rank" in WW1 to win 8 citations in the infantry?

Does anyone have a rough idea?

Thanks

Chris

[Paul L Murphy]

Pretty bloody difficult ! The chances of you surviving that amount of combat were probably pretty slim. If you assume a couple at the bronze star level for being wounded in action you must still have five or six citations for bravery. I have a WWII C de G with 5 palms, 1 silver star and 2 bronze stars to a Legionnaire who was with the 6 REI and then switched sides to the 13 DBLE (the 6 REI went Vichy) and his was the result of five years of almost constant combat.

In WWI it would have been no different so your recipient would have had to spend most of his four years in the trenches while not keeping his head down all the time ! Have you got a bunch of documents or just the medal ?

Cheers,

Paul

[Chris Boonzaier]

Pretty bloody difficult ! The chances of you surviving that amount of combat were probably pretty slim. If you assume a couple at the bronze star level for being wounded in action you must still have five or six citations for bravery. I have a WWII C de G with 5 palms, 1 silver star and 2 bronze stars to a Legionnaire who was with the 6 REI and then switched sides to the 13 DBLE (the 6 REI went Vichy) and his was the result of five years of almost constant combat.

In WWI it would have been no different so your recipient would have had to spend most of his four years in the trenches while not keeping his head down all the time ! Have you got a bunch of documents or just the medal ?

Cheers,

Paul

Documents and medals on the way.

He was on the Yser, at Verdun and in the Champagne as a messenger it seems.

I just HAD to have the group :-)

[Veteran]

Hello Chris

A very unusual amount of citations to any infantryman. Not only was it necessary for you to be lucky and plucky, but you also had to keep the same captain long anough for him to get a chance to single you out when "medal-time" came after the battle..... and captains were frequent casualties.

The fact that he was a messenger may account for the number of citations, since he would have been employed close to head-quaters, where his repeated acts of bravery could be observed an appreciated by the officers who write-up citations

His service-papers will no doubt tell a good part of the story. Certainly a good piece. Congratulations

Veteran

[Paul L Murphy]

Documents and medals on the way.

He was on the Yser, at Verdun and in the Champagne as a messenger it seems.

I just HAD to have the group :-)

Photos pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Chris Boonzaier]

Usually I dont even mention items until they arrive... i believe it is a jinx and they will get lost in the mail...

I will have to wait with pics till they arrive.

best

Chris

[ccj]

Usually I dont even mention items until they arrive... i believe it is a jinx and they will get lost in the mail...

I will have to wait with pics till they arrive.

best

Chris

Has it come it yet?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Has it come it yet?

Yup, some links to the man and his medals...

http://www.kaiserscross.com/60401/141501.html

http://www.kaiserscross.com/60401/134143.html

http://www.kaiserscross.com/40056/139001.html

More to come :-)

Best

Chris

[Daniel Krause]

Hi,

interesting thread!

Here my small contribution with 6 devices:

from the Med. Militaire I?m sure it is as well an NCO.

Best regards

Daniel

[Chris Boonzaier]

That is nice!!!

If you consider the CdG TOE and the Valeur Militaire to be more or less the same thing, he has 8 citations as well.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Another write up about our 8 star man....

http://www.kaiserscross.com/40056/146301.html