France The French Collection

[Michael Johnson]

Hi Hendrik,

Frankly, no, I have never seen it (even in wear... as far as I remember). But a new mint one must be easy to buy in Palais Royal shops or even maybe at the Monnaie de Paris.

In fact, I stopped collecting French medals many years ago, when I switched to Soviet Union (in 1992). But, I seriously think I will go back to it , thanks to threads, Forums and websites like yours .

Cheers.

Ch.

Christophe, I've collected Canadian, British, and Indian for many years, but I've come to love French medals (and my French is getting so much better since I started bidding on ebay.fr ).

A lot of this comes from my family research (including Adjt. Antonin Gautier of SPA80). Now I find that if grandp?re had waited a couple of more months before taking Canadian citizenship, grandm?re would have been entitled to the M?daille de la Famille (bronze).

[Jacky]

After all those wonderfull medals one can't obtain, it's time for an option to obtain

Currently, someone is offering a medal on the dutch marktplaats.nl....

legion d'Honneur

I will add some images before it get sold.

Maybe something for collectors between us??

It would date from 1932 till 1956 Krimean war

original etui and the militairy document of 1932

it's silver with golden centrum

Well let's asses this medal..

A lot of damage..

But maybe a chance for a collector?

[ErikMuller]

It looks like the real deal to me. A bit damaged, but certainly worth more than the 150 euro's the last person is bidding on it

[Jacky]

Well, if you love it,

go for it then

[Vatjan]

The seller wants 320 euros for it

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hello Christophe,

You're quite likely right in this. In any case, I too recall seeing the "Arabie Saoudite" clasp before the "Moyen-Orient" one appeared.

Maybe I can shed some light here.... maybe a wild guess as well.....

I remember before the ground offensive began, in the months leading up to the advance there was a lot of political talk going on in France as to whether the French Division (Division Daguet) would actually advance into Iraq or whether they would stay in Saudi Arabia in case of a potential Iraqi flank attack. It was probably the most tension we had in the Gulf. Guys in my company were even talking about deserting with their APCs, forming own groups and crossing the border on their own, damning the consequences and going out in a blaze of Glory. The whole time it was rather "iffy" as to whether we would go to Iraq.

Case 1: Maybe the bar shown was a specimen made up in this time?

In the end the Division Daguet crossed the border 24 hours BEFORE the official start of the ground war along with a brigade of the 82nd Airborne, so the fears of not being in Iraq fell away.

Case 2: Maybe the A.S. clasp was initially thought out for troops who did not cross the border (supply troops in Saudi Arabia for instance?). In the end everyone got the middle east bar

Case 3: Maybe after Div. Dag. left there were to be French troops kept in Saudi (Embassy guards, Liason etc) who were to get the bar? If they did or not, i have no idea.

Maybe back in the old days unofficial bars were worn, but I would say that anyone trying to wear unnoficial bars in the French Army in the 80`s and 90`s would have had his gonads removed. There was zero tolerance for things like that.

[Jacky]

well well well,

Time for something else,

Something more affordable...

A picture of my very very humble Croix d'Guerre des Premi?re Guerre (a.k.a La Grande Guerre)

This medal was together with my other group of belgian medals,

Knight Leopold II with Palm,

Article 4 medal

Croix d'Guerre with 1 bronze lion and 1 palm

The remainder of the medals got lost....

Chris, I'm sorry,

Saw that you just had posted before I posted mine....

Interesting thoughts for the unofficial bars...

Edited June 5, 2006 by Jacky

[Hendrik]

But a new mint one must be easy to buy in Palais Royal shops or even maybe at the Monnaie de Paris.

Hello Christophe,

And right you were - thanks for the tip : I visited three shops at the Palais Royal ...

At shop No. 1 : "No, we don't have that bar; it was never made as there were too few recipients ..."

Shop No. 2 : "Euh, no, never heard of it ..."

Shop No. 3 : "No problem, here's one ... 4 Euros please"

[attachmentid=42151]

Sorry for the bad picture, it took some tweaking as the glare on this spanking new bar is not helping at all !

[Christophe]

(...)

Maybe back in the old days unofficial bars were worn, but I would say that anyone trying to wear unnoficial bars in the French Army in the 80`s and 90`s would have had his gonads removed. There was zero tolerance for things like that.

This is true, and I think these unofficial bars are only worn by retired veterans... Chris, many thanks for the interesting post .

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

Hello Christophe,

And right you were - thanks for the tip : I visited three shops at the Palais Royal ...

At shop No. 1 : "No, we don't have that bar; it was never made as there were too few recipients ..."

Shop No. 2 : "Euh, no, never heard of it ..."

Shop No. 3 : "No problem, here's one ... 4 Euros please"

[attachmentid=42151]

Sorry for the bad picture, it took some tweaking as the glare on this spanking new bar is not helping at all !

Hendrik,

I'm very happy about this . Too bad we did not find time to meet in Paris...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Herr General]

In the photoalbum of this website:

http://www.leudalmonument.nl/ > Welkom > Fotoboek > photo top right

Is a Dutch general wearing a French Nek order. Any idea what it is?

[ErikMuller]

Hendrik,

I'm very happy about this . Too bad we did not find time to meet in Paris...

Cheers.

Ch.

Ordre Merite National

[g_deploige]

In the photoalbum of this website:

http://www.leudalmonument.nl/ > Welkom > Fotoboek > photo top right

Is a Dutch general wearing a French Nek order. Any idea what it is?

Commanders Cross Ordre National du M?rite (France), and he is olso wearing still his officers cross in the same order

normaly you only whear the highst rank of the order.

Edited August 10, 2006 by g_deploige

[ErikMuller]

Commanders Cross Ordre National du M?rite (France), and he is olso wearing still his officers cross in the same order

normaly you only whear the highst rank of the order.

He also wears the unofficial Cross of Merit of the Royal Netherlands Reserve Officer's Association (the red/blue striped silver cross / looks like the Cross of the Two Day Military Proficiency Course (TMPT)).

But then again, that you can do when you're the Inspector-General of the Armed Forces. Who is to correct you anyways?

[g_deploige]

He also wears the unofficial Cross of Merit of the Royal Netherlands Reserve Officer's Association (the red/blue striped silver cross / looks like the Cross of the Two Day Military Proficiency Course (TMPT)).

But then again, that you can do when you're the Inspector-General of the Armed Forces. Who is to correct you anyways?

The boss is always wright even when his is wrong

He will probebly find it a probleme to change his beautifull medal bar, so the numbre of medals will go down.

Some soldiers who are doing a lot of missions of peace keeping have some time more decorations than the generals.

BTW, Erik do we see you end of the month in Brussels ?

Edited August 10, 2006 by g_deploige

[g_deploige]

He also wears the unofficial Cross of Merit of the Royal Netherlands Reserve Officer's Association (the red/blue striped silver cross / looks like the Cross of the Two Day Military Proficiency Course (TMPT)).

But then again, that you can do when you're the Inspector-General of the Armed Forces. Who is to correct you anyways?

The boss is always wright even when his is wrong

He will probebly find it a probleme to change his beautifull medal bar, so the numbre of medals will go down.

Som soldiers who are doing a lot of missions of peace keeping have some time more decorations than the generals.

BTW, Erik do we see you end of the month in Brussels ?

Edited August 10, 2006 by g_deploige

[Herr General]

Thanks for identifying this decoration.

[Jacky]

He also wears the unofficial Cross of Merit of the Royal Netherlands Reserve Officer's Association (the red/blue striped silver cross / looks like the Cross of the Two Day Military Proficiency Course (TMPT)).

But then again, that you can do when you're the Inspector-General of the Armed Forces. Who is to correct you anyways?

Unofficial one??

I think it is one which had been awarded for having completed the TMPT (two-day militairy Prestation Mars) 10 times.

The ribbon is the same and the cross is blue enamelled, so it had been awarded for completed the TMPT 10 times, after 25 times the cross is red enamelled.

Kind regards,

Jacky

[ErikMuller]

BTW, Erik do we see you end of the month in Brussels ?

I was planning to come! Still have to pay up for the meeting and I want to show you guys something small and beautiful

[ErikMuller]

Unofficial one??

I think it is one which had been awarded for having completed the TMPT (two-day militairy Prestation Mars) 10 times.

The ribbon is the same and the cross is blue enamelled, so it had been awarded for completed the TMPT 10 times, after 25 times the cross is red enamelled.

Kind regards,

Jacky

Jacky, it is the Cross of Merit, see the device on its ribbon.

And besides that: I have the list of recipients till 2004 and he is on it.

[Jacky]

well well,

I would like to see that "something small and nice"too

Maybe a picture after the meeting, to spoil the joy not at this moment

the cross of merit??

I can't really see what the device is, it seems an arabic note........

*correction, I have been looking for more information, and it seems that you are true!!! My humble appologies therefore*

Edited August 11, 2006 by Jacky

[Chris Boonzaier]

You guys sleeping?

146 posts on a single thread.... then "ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."

Lets see some more here !!

[Jacky]

Well, I would like to see something more,

perhaps eric's "something small and nice"

Or don't you have something to show us, Chris???

Kind regards,

Jacky

[ErikMuller]

Well, I would like to see something more,

perhaps eric's "something small and nice"

Or don't you have something to show us, Chris???

Kind regards,

Jacky

That "small and nice" is an 8 mm gold miniature of the Sachsen-Ernestine House Order. It's currently boxed and awaiting the movers, I'm afraid I won't be able to get scans from most of my collection the next two months.

[Megan]

These are all fascinating, particularly as I'm doing some much needed work on the French section of my website. Please do pop over & comment (especially if you can help me out where I don't know something!).

(I actually came here because Ed Haynes wanted to give me some Afghan pictures for said website & the easiest way was to point me to where he'd posted them here... but the rest of the forum is so fascinating I shall be staying )

Edited March 6, 2007 by Megan