France Croix de Guerre 1914-1917

[Jim P]

Picked this one up a couple of weeks ago, a bronze Croix de guerre 1914-1917 with bronze palm and two bronze stars. Thought you guys would like it.

Jim

[Jim P]

back

[Tony]

How rare are these awards? There have been quite a few (with more palms/stars than your one Paul) cropping up and going for a couple of hundred $ each, sometimes more. The amount appearing put me off buying one.

Tony

[Ed_Haynes]

I have never thought of these as being rare (at least not in the common dates, like this one). Being unnamed and untracable, commercial purchase items . . . .

They are nice, if anonymous.

I have a couple in groups (one WWI, one WWII).

[Jim P]

I picked this one up for $30. The more the devices on the ribbon,the higher the price,so I felt that this one was a good deal. Although,without documentation,who is to say when the palms and stars where added to any of them.

Jim

[Tony]

I like your one Jim and at $30 you just can't grumble.

Tony

[Ed_Haynes]

No, that seems a fair deal. It is just when some dealers move into that third digit on the price . . . . . . OK, almost a century old (scary thought), but, still . . .

Edited July 15, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Paul L Murphy]

These cannot be described as rare by any stretch of the imagination. Even calling them scarce would be difficult. $30 was a fair price, anything more would be too high. You can easily pick these up at flea markets in France with no problem whatsoever.

[Tony]

Have a look at these:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...A:IT&ih=022

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...A:IT&ih=020

They are 2 examples of 5 or 6 I've seen over the last few weeks.

Tony

[Jim P]

Wow, maybe I should but mine up for sale on ebay Australia and then buy me 7 or 8 more. Way overpriced IMO.especially without any attribution.

Jim

Edited July 15, 2008 by Jim P

[Bison]

The topic of the WWI croix de guerre is very large.

Basically, one can find a lot of this cross which have been largely but legitimately awarded.

In a collection, the challenge is to gather all the years of WWI, more than palms or stars (note the different ribbons variation of colors) :

...and sizes:

...and coquetries:

...and eventually find a group, identified:

...or with the mention:

All that parameters could boost the price of this apparently common cross

Yours

[Bison]

... or find a souvenir ensemble:

these are my two grand fathers:

...which identified the owner. This kind of frame was current in the 30's, but nowadays more and more scarce...

[nesredep]

... or find a souvenir ensemble:

these are my two grand fathers:

...which identified the owner. This kind of frame was current in the 30's, but nowadays more and more scarce...

Hello!

Wow,very very nice.Never seen this before.Thanks for sharing. :jumping:

All the best

Nesredep

[Michael Johnson]

Bison, which company of the 3e G?nie was he with? My great uncle was a Capitaine in the 2/13e, and was wounded at Verdun as well, june 14, 1916. See my latest post.

[Bison]

Hello Michael

My grand father was aspirant, second and first lieutenant in the 3? G?nie. Ha spent the four years of war in the front, miraculously without to be wounded. He was in the 6? G?nie at the very beginning of the war, then in the 3?, and in 1917 instructor detached to the US troops.

Unfortunately, I do not know in which coy he was. My mother had his military papers and I'll have a look next time I go to her.

My other grandfather was corporal in the 8? G?nie, and he was severely wounded in Verdun on the 27 March 1916. He was let dead, and drawn back in a mass grave in which he suddenly awaked and crawled away... He was mentioned and received the Croix de Guerre for that.

He went back to the front and was responsible for the pigeons messagers and signals. He was mentioned a second time for having crossing the lines to place a telephone wire, and arrived with one bullet in the rollbox...

Then, he get the M?daille Militaire in 1918. But he was enlisted with a wrong name in his military ID and was demobilized. Then, eventually obtained this medal awarded in the 50's when the authorities succeed to find him... knowing only his town (in Algeria!) and its christian name.

Two (three, four?) miracles for the unprobable result I am writting to you this evening... and able to show their souvenirs cautiously kept by the family.

Regards

Bison

[Hendrik]

Hello Bison,

Memorable stories of your grandfathers ! Thanks for sharing them with us ... they are literally rising from the grave !

Hendrik

[Michael Johnson]

Thanks to Jean-Luc Dron, the history of the 3rd Regiment of Engineers is online:

http://tableaudhonneur.free.fr/3eRG.pdf

If you PM me your grandfather's name, I can have a look.

[Bison]

Thanks Michael !

PM is ongoing.

[Bison]

Hello Michael

Here is a picture of my grandfather, in uniform of the 3? G?nie. He was a second lieutenant at this time.

Regards

[Michael Johnson]

The French government has put the JMOs (the equivalent of War Diaries) online at the Memoire des Hommes website. You have to drill down a bit through the menus to find the regimental level units. Since we don't know his battalion or company it may be a matter of working through each one.

I've found an incredible amount on my great uncle (and I suspect that as Captain he was probably responsible for filling out the JMO - certainly the handwriting changes just after he was wouned). It lists killed and wounded.

Unfortunately, since it is handwriting there is no search facility for names.

[Bison]

Here is a little group of a L?gion d'honneur (chevalier) and a Croix de guerre 1914-1915 with two palms.

The Croix de guerre is silver gilt.

They are half size, 2,5cm.

I like this kind of group.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2008/post-2068-1225988113.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2008/post-2068-1225988199.jpg

Cheers

Bison

[Ulsterman]

Elegant, simple and succinctly says all that needs to be said.

:cheers:

[ccj]

Here is a little group of a L?gion d'honneur (chevalier) and a Croix de guerre 1914-1915 with two palms.

The Croix de guerre is silver gilt.

They are half size, 2,5cm.

I like this kind of group.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2008/post-2068-1225988113.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2008/post-2068-1225988199.jpg

Cheers

Bison

Bison, we the half size medals only for civilain clothing or could they be worn on the uniform as well?

I like your groups.

[ccj]

1916 with palme and bronze star

[ccj]

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