France Sahara clasp to Colonial Medal

[Chris Boonzaier]

I have been trying to find out what the Criteria were for the Sahara clasp, as opposed to the Algeria or Morocco ones.

Does anyone have an idea?

Thanks

Chris

[TacHel]

Sahara clasp:

-Created by decree on 26 September 1900 for award to civil servants and military personnel for participation in operations in the extreme South of Algeria between 25 December 1899 and 26 September 1900.

-(11 Dec 1900 decree) Awarded to French and indigenous military personel and goumiers who were part of the support and resupply column of the Foureau et Lamy mission that operated between Temassinine and Tadent from October 1898 to March 1899.

-(24 Aug 1904 decree) Awarded to French and indigenous military personel who took part in the police operations in Southern Oran in April and May 1904, under the command of infantry batallion commander Pierron, operations that caused the incidents at Taouz ( 26 April ), at Ghabet Kerkour and Oglat Berda (3 May).

-(24 Dec 1904 decree) Awarded to military personel who took part in the 1904 operations in Touareg country in the massif of Adrar.

-(24 June 1905 decree) Awarded to French and indigenous military personel as well as to indigenous auxiliaries who took part in battle of Garat-Bouifa (Southern Oran) on 31 December 1904.

-(9 Nov 1905 decree) Awarded to French and indigenous military personel who took part in the reconnaissance carried out in the Iguidi region under the command of the captain in charge of the Sahara Touat company from 1 November 1904 to 8 Januaryr 1905.

There are another 45 or so decrees awarding this clasp for the Colonial medal. You can find it at http://www.france-ph...com/accueil.htm then click on Décorations (at left) then scroll down to Médaille Coloniale (1893).

If you wish, I can translate the lot for you, tonight though, I'm simply too tired and am hitting the sack.

Cheers!

Edited October 4, 2012 by TacHel

[Chris Boonzaier]

Super, thanks,

This is my favourite clasp :-)

I guess there is no total of how many were awarded :-(

[Chris Boonzaier]

ething not clear to me here... it may be a simple ommision of the mention of the clasp...

Décret du 26/09/1900 : Décret attribuant le droit à la médaille coloniale aux fonctionnaires civils et aux militaires qui ont pris part aux opérations de l'extrême-sud de l'Algérie du 25 décembre 1899 au 26 septembre 1900.

Décret du 11/12/1900 : Art. 1

er

. — Le droit à l'obtention de la médaille coloniale avec l'agrafe « Sahara » est acquis aux militaires européens et indigènes et aux goumiers qui ont fait partie de la colonne organisée pour le soutien et le ravitaillement de la mission de MM.

Foureau

et

Lamy

et qui a opéré entre Temassinine et Tadent du mois d'octobre 1898 au mois de mars 1899 inclus.

Does the first decree say the Medal will be awarded... and the second decree say a clasp will be awarded?

i.e. Ops in Southern Algeria (Decree 1) gets a Colonial medal... and the decrees aftzer that talk of a colonial clasp?

I assume it should be a clasp for all decrees...

[TacHel]

It is a "Sahara" clasp for each individual decree, it's an omission from the web master, I'll e-mail him about it.

Edited October 5, 2012 by TacHel

[peter monahan]

'in the extreme south of Algeria' !! Sounds like a well earned clasp, even if 'all' you did was sit in an outpost somewhere and count camel saddles! I've been, briefly, in the extreme north of Niger - not too far from the extreme south of Algerie - and as they say, "If God wanted to give the world an enema..." :(