France Medailles Militaires table medals

[Paul L Murphy]

I picked up these two beauties on ebay.fr since the price was too low to let them pass. Both are named to the same recipient and the silver one has a hallmark and date of 1975 on the rim. A lovely pair with some connection to the Medaille Militaire. I am presuming they are table medals from the society of recipients of the Medaille Militaire but if anyone has more specific information Iwould welcome it.

Paul

[Veteran]

Hello Paul

You are quite right to assume that these two medals relate to membership with the Medaille militaire holders' association. The difference between the signifcance of a bronze medal vs silver medal is something I don't kown. It might relate to duration of membership, since the two you have are obviously named to the same M?daille militaire holder.

The Medaille militaire is quite frequent, both in war-time and peace-time. In the first instance, it can be a true callantry award, in peacetime, it is the French equivalent to a Meritorious Service Medal. It is restricted to Warrant officers, NCO and enlisted personnel.

The exception being its award as the supreme Military Honor, to a general officer who must previously have received the Grand Cross of the Legion d'honneur and have been in victorious command of an Army or a Fleet.

All these people are eligible to become members of this Association.

The named table medals could well have been made available, close to or at cost, to the members who wished to buy them. I don't really think they reflect special services to the Association, but they might. Hopefully some other member of this forum might be able to clear this point.

Their stricking is absolutely tops, usually performed by the Pais Mint who also have a commercial activity when requested to work for legitimate private groups.

A very nice pair. You are quite right to observe that they are not particularly expensive on eBay, where I have sold one quite some time ago.

Regards

Veteran

Edited March 16, 2008 by Veteran

[Paul L Murphy]

Veteran,

Many thanks for confirming my suspicions. They are a beautiful pair of table medals. I have most versions of the Medaille Militaire (apart from the very first type) so I thought these would be a nice addition to that particular part of my collection.

Regards,

Paul

[Veteran]

Hello Boris

Your remarke is appropriate.

The trio Legion d'honneur + M?daille militaire + Croix de guerre was possible and occured a number of times during WW1; when worn by subaltern or field officers, it necessarily meant these men had been promoted through the ranks after gallant services as non-commissioned officers.

The fact that you noticed ALL officers to have this particular combination of awards is strange. But, if I remember the book, it was about a man who had discovered war was his natural "milieu". The producers of the film may have wanted to convey the idea that all the men in the story were like Capitaine Conan, experienced warriors.

I don't really know the answer, of course.

Regards

Veteran

Edited May 31, 2008 by Veteran

[Veteran]

Boris,

There is a third possibility, which may offer an other explaination for an officer to be wearing LdH+MM+CdG.

A member of the nobility would not have served in the ranks, nor would probably a man with a University degree in those days. The answer could be that these officers all received a Medaille Militaire during the period when they were officer-candidates (aspirants) who were treated as officers (or if they were a sufficient number as a category of their own); they would have the same command as a second-lieutenant ("peloton = troop" if mounted units, "section" otherwise). When they did very well they would not receive the LdH since they were not yet officers.

Once they were commissionned, they would be eligible to the LdH for gallantry.

Since "Capitaine Conan" was supposed to have happened at the end of the war, such officers may have been in sufficient numbers to explain the strange situation you mention. This situation was still the case when I served in WW2 and I served with an aspirant who had 4 citations to his croix de guerre and the M?daille militaire. He went on to earn the LdH in Indochina, where he was eventually killed in action.

All the best

Veteran

Edited May 31, 2008 by Veteran

[Veteran]

Hello veteran.

If an aspirant can be candidate to receive the Medaille Militaire, it can be possible but difficult to happen frecuently cause is an award not easy to get. It depent the time they past in this rank, the front, etc... of course you known better than me this kind of circunstances in French Army and it system.

Anyway this film have other strange happenings as the fight with Bulgarian troops in the mountains (which mountains?):

Or after six month of finish war didn't received as less the interallied:

My excuses to be so perfectionist, the true is that is one of the best WW1 films(and novel) i have seen whith " The officers room" and "king & Country".

Regards

Boris,

They would certainly have received those two commemorative medals ...... provided thay would wait until they were established i.e. 1921 & 1922 respectively. Thay would also expect the M?daille d'Orient special commemorative.

Regards

Veteran