France What happened when....

[Chris Boonzaier]

A guy who had the colonial medal was still serving and recieved a medal Outre Mer with a bar or two?

1) Did he wear both ? (I dont think so as the colonial and Outre Mer are basically the same medal, just 2 versions

2) Did he add the Outre Mer bars to his colonial?

3) Did he change his colonial for an outre mer and put all the bars on that?

Best

Chris

[Veteran]

Good question Chris

The answer is PROBABLY that he would wear the new clasp(s) on the ribbon of his M?daille coloniale. The M?daille d'Outre-Mer is NOT a different award. It replaced the previous medal since its name was had lost its significance (no mone Colonies). I know of no instance of anyone wearing two ribbons side by side. Would simply not make sense.

One has to find now a M?daille coloniale with both bars INDOCHINE and EXTREME-ORIENT, for instance. I believe the last clasp to the M?daille coloniale was MADAGASCAR.

Let's see what other opinions crop up.

Regards

Veteran

Edited March 1, 2008 by Veteran

[pinpon590]

Hello !

I give you this adress about french colonial's medal and "Outre-Mer" medal (it's the same article):

http://www.france-phaleristique.com/accueil.htm

Maybe you don't know it...

It's an excellent web site about french decorations and orders, but in french... But, you will find a lot of informations !

Greetings

Jean-Baptiste

Edited March 1, 2008 by pinpon590

[Chris Boonzaier]

I saw a Outre mer with Tchad and Madagascar bars.

He must have just have bought one for wear and not really taken note.

best

Chris

[Veteran]

I saw a Outre mer with Tchad and Madagascar bars.

He must have just have bought one for wear and not really taken note.

best

Chris

Bonjour Jean Baptiste & Chris

Thank you for the very useful thread to the French site, which is indeed one of the best. It confirms the fact that the M?daille d'Outre-Mer received its first clasp with THAD, in the 1970s.

The medal Chris mentions is quite possible; the man would have been in the forces for a little over 20 years, nothing special. If he first had a M?daille coloniale for MADAGASCAR with its clas, and lost it, after the M?daille coloniale was replaced, he then would have received or bought the M?daille d'Outre-Mer since it was available, and the same award in many ways. Your observation clicks quite well with the case I reported in my first answer.

In other words, all kinds of combinations were technically possible with the late clasps of the Coloniale and early clasps of the M?daille d'Outre-Mer.

The only instance which I would consider improbable would be simultaneous wear of two medals or ribbons.

Best regards

Veteran