France For Corea CdG and medaille

[Igor Ostapenko]

& unknow for me para basic badge

[Chris Boonzaier]

I did not think those were awarded for Korea? Do you have a document for the award?

Best

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

At a guess I would say some kind of para wing for Morocco? dont know the variation though...

[Igor Ostapenko]

:cheers:

Médaille Française des Opérations en Corée

&

Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures

BUT BADGE ?

(sorry for bad picture )

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

my error, they were awarded for korea, although they are not awarded for all actions overseas.

[Igor Ostapenko]

At a guess I would say some kind of para wing for Morocco? dont know the variation though...

Mauritanian ? https://www.militaria-agent.com/catalog/MAURITANIA_MILITARY_PARATROOPER_BADGE_1.html

[Chris Boonzaier]

Well spotted... I was going to increase my guess to Algerian prototype, but you nailed it.

[Brett Hendey]

Igor

Do you have the name of the man to whom the medals were awarded?

The book "Honors, Medals and Awards of the Korean War 1950 - 1953" by Kevin R Ingraham gives a good summary of the medals awarded to the French Battalion in Korea. He wrote that the battalion had "an enviable combat record". 3 763 men served of which 280 were killed, 1 008 wounded, 12 were POW's and 7 were missing.

The unit won many awards and medals, including 2 898 Croix de Guerre des T O E.

Ingraham goes on to record that the "'Battalion Coree', consisting mostly of Korea veterans, was wiped out by the Viet-Minh in one of the final, tragic battles of the First Indochina War".

The medals of any one of these gallant men must be highly prized.

Shown below is a made-up French Korean War group in my collection. It lacks the "Croix du Combattant Volontaire" with "Coree" bar.

Edited January 9, 2010 by Brett Hendey