France Medal Militaire des generaux

[ccj]

Here's a very nice Medal Militaire typical of the quality awarded to Generals and special awards.

If anyone has more data please share.

[Chris Boonzaier]

That is fantastic quality!

Is it sure that these are Generals awards? Could they be privately purchased?

[ccj]

All the research I've done on this award over the years point to this being an issue piece for generals and VIPs.

I haven't found any proof of this but I would think since its so rare and is known to be an issued manufacture piece that it would be for special awards.

I post this here because I think we would all like to learn more about this deluxe model and this is the place to do it.

[Veteran]

This is a very well made Medaille militaire. Collectors in France sometimes refer to such luxury items as "médaille des généraux", simply because they were quite expensive to buy.

The award is by status restricted to non-commissioned officers and rankers in the French Armed forces. Officers NEVER receive it with ONE EXCEPTION. The médaille militaire is awarded to generals who have commanded armies and brought them to victory. Such general officers must have received the Grand Cross of the Legion of honor previously to receiving the médaille militaire, which in this case is the highest french military award.

It is generally understood that such generals would wear the very best medaille militaire available. One should remember that the french tradition is that recipients of orders and decorations buy their own badges (or friends arrange to present them with the award, sometimes it will be the military unit)/

But there is NO OFFICIAL ISSUE AS SUCH. But a general (and they were very few to be awarded a Médaille militaie) would probably like to wear a nicer one.

Such fine médailles militaires are prized by collectors of course. But they could have been worn by anyone who was intitled and had the money to buy one.

Regards,

Veteran

[ccj]

Thanks Veteran. I have been told awardees had to buy their own awards. How were award ceremoes held in which soldiers, officers, and foreigners awarded decorations and presented with these awards in person?

Would an award to a VIP foreigner be awarded at no charge? An example would be Pershing or French or Haig.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Thanks Veteran. I have been told awardees had to buy their own awards. How were award ceremoes held in which soldiers, officers, and foreigners awarded decorations and presented with these awards in person?

Would an award to a VIP foreigner be awarded at no charge? An example would be Pershing or French or Haig.

I never saw a serving soldier have to buy a medal in France, it was always given by the unit... but as Veteran says... not by the state.

So... where does the unit get the awards from then? I have always assumed from the "Caisse de Section" or "caisse Compagnie"... every month the guys have to give a sum of money to the Compagnie funds, and section funds (2 seperate funds)... these are used to fund things for the compagnie or secton that are not covered by the state. Mot really anything Military, but things like gifts for the guys leaving, X-Mas gifts for the guys etc....

[ccj]

Strange system.....

[Veteran]

Chris is right about serving soldiers receiving awards without having to pay for them. This is taken care of by regimental "pocket money" which could also be spent any other way at the C.O.'s decision. This stems from the fact military personnel are expected to wear their awards by order under given circumstances.

In usual official or civilian life, it is quite a custom for friends to chip in and buy a badge for a new recipient. This is one reason why different qualities can be found, in order to provide badges for a range of prices. Napoleon III gave a diamond studded grand cross of the Legion of honor (similar to his own) to his Prime Minister as a personnal token of appreciation... it is shown in the Legion of honor Museum in Paris. (if you have a chance to visit, don't miss it).

When a foreign VIP is honored, the badges are of course a gift from the French Government. General Birdwood, for instance, who commanded the Allied Forces in Gallipoli and Dardanelles was presented with a superb gold Grand Cross of the Legion of honor with its named breast star.

If a parade is arranged when awards are to be officially presented, recipients are requested to bring their badges ahead of time and they are properly set on a tray with the names. From what I have observed, it seems to work all right.

The system may seem strange ; it simply is different. It stems from the fact that an award is considered to be an honor and a certificate is issued to make it official. The badge is the just sign the wearer was awarded this honor.

I hope this helps. Best regards

Veteran

[Bison]

I fully agree with Veteran... of course.

Here is a model from my collection. It shows the Arthus-Bertrand mark on the ring (A B &Co and a wheel in a diamond) and a "mixt" garantee mark with a head of boar and a head of eagle together.

This garantee mark means the medal is in sterling silver and the center in solid gold.

Regards

Bison

[Igor Ostapenko]

French General with MM

and MM of this General

"... it is shown in the Legion of honor Museum in Paris."

[ccj]

Very nice

 

thank you for sharing

[Igor Ostapenko]

another nice medaille militaire 

[ccj]

Very nice. I like these medals.

 

French medals used to be very nice.

[Veteran]

Hello Igor

This is a very nice medaille militaire.

To make it short, when the Medaille militaire was established by Napoleon III, the ribbon was suspended to an imperial eagle. After the fall of Napoleon III, the eagle was replaced a trophy of arms still which was sculptured on both sides and sodered to the medal itself.

This proved to break easily and the trophy was attached to the medal by ring. The first of these loose trophies were sculptured on both sides, either with the two canons apparent or with the back part of a cuirasse covering them.

Later, the run of the mill Medaille militaire were made with plain reverses

Nevertheless some of the best manufacturers continued to offer medals of the obverse/reverse sculptured type and gold "bombé" centers. Those were the so called Medailles des généraux.

I don't know if they are still available.

Hope this clarifies the matter.

Veteran

Edited November 9, 2015 by Veteran

[Igor Ostapenko]

Veteran , 

thank you ! :)