France Medaille de la Reconnaissance Francaise

[Hendrik]

I'm well trained in bureaucracy in Belgium... for 2 months (!!!!) I've been trying to get cable TV installed in my house... you'd think they'd be happy to get a paying customer...

... Brussels area ?

Have a look on eBay : item no. 120358803432 ...

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Bob]

Sweet, thanks!

Indeed, Brussels...

[Veteran]

Hi Bob

Did you eventually get the M?daille de la Reconnaissance fran?aise you wanted ?. If not, you could try the Paris Mint where they are for sale practically at cost + VAT.

Greetings

Veteran

[Herr General]

I know two Gootzen's who live close to Sint Odili?nberg !

[Bob]

I know two Gootzen's who live close to Sint Odili?nberg !

Small world - of course, Sint Odilienberg isn't very big and there's quite some Gootzens in that area:)

[Bob]

Hi Bob

Did you eventually get the M?daille de la Reconnaissance fran?aise you wanted ?. If not, you could try the Paris Mint where they are for sale practically at cost + VAT.

Greetings

Veteran

Yep - although that Paris Mint tip is a useful one! :)

[Bob]

Did get a good medal, now for the archives...

After some laziness i called the local French embassy and they (i.e. a very charming and helpful english speaking french lady!) promptly provided me with the contact details of the SECRETARIAT D'ETAT AUX ANCIENS COMBATTANTS. Will be sending off a letter in coming days. Fingers crossed to see if something can surface!

[Herr General]

Did get a good medal, now for the archives...

After some laziness i called the local French embassy and they (i.e. a very charming and helpful english speaking french lady!) promptly provided me with the contact details of the SECRETARIAT D'ETAT AUX ANCIENS COMBATTANTS. Will be sending off a letter in coming days. Fingers crossed to see if something can surface!

Would you like me to get you in contact with the military Attaché to the Netherlands? I also can get you in contact with the two leading experts on decorations and medals to dutchmen.... PM me!

[Bob]

Would you like me to get you in contact with the military Attaché to the Netherlands? I also can get you in contact with the two leading experts on decorations and medals to dutchmen.... PM me!

PM sent

By the way, my grandfather to whom this award/documents were given was born, lived his whole life, and died in a house in St Odilienberg below the "hill" on which the church stands and close to a forest where there was quite some fighting during the war.

[Bob]

Would you like me to get you in contact with the military Attaché to the Netherlands? I also can get you in contact with the two leading experts on decorations and medals to dutchmen.... PM me!

Thanks Herr General:)

Very, very, VERY useful info you sent me via PM. I take the liberty to put 2 links here (also so I can always find 'm back:))

http://www.operation-blackcock.com/

Website of a family member (!!!) who i didn't know and is specialized in the battle right around where my grandfather lived. A great slideshow highlighting the battle to push Germans over the Roer.

http://dissertations.ub.rug.nl/faculties/arts/1994/a.p.m.cammaert/

http://irs.ub.rug.nl/ppn/123909783

Dissertation about resistance etc. in this area... incl. reference to French POWs fleeing back to allied territory via Limburg: "Only 125 to 150 of the pilots succeeded in traversing the long overland route. The others nearly all fell into German hands." - hopefully French archives confirm the story as I heard it from family, i.e. a French pilot from the Elzas was aided by my grandfather in evading the Germans. Just had my mother on the phone, and turns out there's more documents available to illustratie this story... letters / postcards from the French pilot to my grandfather from long after the war. Apparently he was grateful for the assistance he received to the extent of feeling it saved his life. Will have to brush up on my French to read those documents. Next step now to contact the archives.

Research is great, but when it also comes more close and personal it is truly exciting!

[Veteran]

16 Euros for risking a Nazi firing squad and concentration camp for the whole family, if not hostages from the community as well!!!! <img src="http://gmic.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banger.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="banger.gif" />

Ahhhh, the "retail market!" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/speechless.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="speechless.gif" />

The "Pieta" type 1st model is what I've seen-- maybe named beause those recipients were British?

Bob

You have an OUTSTANDING lot of diplomas which deserve without doubt the company of the appropriate medal. This can very simply be obtained by writting :

Administration des Monnaies et Médailles

Quai de Conti

75006 PARIS FRANCE

This medal is normally sold at its current price (I don't know how much but I would doubt it is as much as 25 Euro). The reverse of WW2 type does not have much room for name engraving, which was never officially done. But this can be privately done, wich was also the cas for the WW1 issues.

You have every reason to take value this part of your family history.

Hope this proves useful

Regards

Veteran

Edited February 24, 2010 by Veteran

[Furness]

I thought I should add a couple of points to this topic as I faced a similar situation in relation to the Medaille de la Reconnaissance Francaise. My grandmother was awarded this medal in 1918 along with a number of other medals. At some stage (I believe in the 1960s) after her death the medal was removed from the set. Who did this and why I have no idea but a medal set should never be broken up.

About four years ago I was entrusted with the families medals and went after this lost medal. After around a year of seaching on and off I managed to obtain another which was apparently award to an Italian in 1918. That Italian became Minister for Ceremonies under Mussolini's government. I examined the medal and found no trace of any name engraved on it - result I have now a full set.

My advice for what it is worth, you should be able to hunt one down but don't expect it to be easy. Try and ensure you get a good ribbon with it otherwise you will have a major problem in obtaining one.

I've uploaded a picture of the set for reference.

Regards

Jeremy

[Veteran]

This medal was first meant to be given to people who, mostly in countries other than France, had actively supported the French side during the Great War. It was also, rather sparingly, awarded to Frenchmen/women who had been very active during the war and for whom no specific award was available.

Issued un-named, it was often privately engraved in the UK, generally by their owners. It was not meant to be, but that was quite all right. The very low cost of these awards comes from the fact that most French awards are bought at the awardee's expense, the Government issuing a certificate or publishing a announcement of the award. The French Mint has a duty to make them available at low cost. In the old days, illegal wear of decorations was quite severely punished.

Regards

Veteran

Edited March 18, 2012 by Veteran