David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:28am
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Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross was established in 1856, during the Crimean War. The VC is the most highly coveted and highly valued decoration which a British serviceman might be awarded for a performing a single act of valor and devotion to their country in the presence of an enemy. Bars were awarded for subsequent acts of valor. Until 1942, VC medallions were made from the bronze of cannons captured in the Crimean War.
The escalation of the First World War after the deadlock of 1914 led the British military to recognize the need for a more definitive hierarchy of awards for gallantry in action.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:31am
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Distinguished Flying Meda
Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM), like the MC and MM, were awarded to officers and enlisted men respectively. These were the first awards of the new Royal Air Force, which was formed from the Royal Flying Corps as a separate entity in 1918. These awards were made for "valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operations against the enemy." They could not be awarded for non-combat achievements or heroism.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:33am
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1914 Star
1914 Star. Established in 1917 for award to all those of the British and Indian Expeditionary Forces who actually served in France or Belgium between 5 August 1914 and 22 November 1914. The start was available to officers, men, civil medical personnel, nurses and others employed in military hospitals in Belgium or France. The star was given to naval and marine units which served ashore, but not to naval personnel which remained afloat. The 1914 Star is sometimes referred to as the "Mons Star," though this is a misnomer since the star is for service in all of France or Belgium during the dates cited above, and not limited to those who participated in the "Battle of Mons."
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:36am
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L
L?gion d'Honneur -- This order, the highest French distinction, is awarded to all persons which distinguished themselves through civilian or military valour. The order was instituted early in the 19th century (1802) by the then First Consul, Napoleon Bonaparte, in 4 classes. In 1805 a fifth, and highest class, was added. These classes are :
Grand Croix -
Gold badge worn at left hip on broad scarlet sash from right shoulder to left hip. Star on left breast.
Grand Officer - Gold badge worn on left breast. Star on right breast.
Commandeur - Gold badge worn at neck on scarlet ribbon.
Officer - Gold badge worn on left breast, suspended from scarlet ribbon with rosette.
Chevalier -
Silver badge worn on left breast, scarlet ribbon.
When awarded for war services, the L?gion d'Honneur carried automatic award of the Croix de Guerre with palm. Shown, is the Obverse and Reverse of the 4th class award, i.e. "Officier" as issued between 1870-1940 (French 3rd Republic).
Obverse text : REPUBLIQUE FRAN?AISE 1870
Reverse text : HONNEUR ET PATRIE (Honour and Fatherland)
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:37am
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Croix de Guerre
Croix de Guerre (War Cross 1914-1918 ) Probably the best known French decoration, this cross was awarded to all those who were mentioned in dispatches since the outbreak of war (2 August 1914).
It was instituted on 8 April 1915 as an outward recognition for being mentioned in the order of the day of an army, corps, division, brigade or batallion. Award of the Legion of Honour for valour displayed on the field or of the Military Medal automatically brought entitlement to the War Cross.
According to the nature of the mention, emblems were affixed on the ribbon:
Bronze palm for mention on army level (5 bronze palms to be replaced by a silver one by decree of 8 January 1917)
Gilt star for mention on corps level
Silver star for mention on division level
Bronze star for mention on brigade or batallion level.
By 1 March 1920 already more than 2,055,000 crosses had been awarded. The reverse side bears the year 1914 together with the year in which they were struck (1915, 1916, 1917 or 1918).
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:39am
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M
M?daille des ?vad?s -- (Medal for Escaped Prisoners of War, Reverse side shown enlarged) This medal was awarded to military personnel as well as civilians who escaped through enemy lines and put themselves at the disposal of the French military authorities.
It was instituted on 20 August 1926 and could also be awarded to inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine (two border regions which in the past changed hands between Germany and France a number of times) who deserted from the German Army to enlist in the French Forces.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:42am
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M
M?daille Comm?morative d'Orient - Awarded to all members of the expeditionary army which fought in the Balkans. This theatre of war is generally lesser known. The Orient army was formed by French and British troops and also included Serbian units and units of other Balkan countries. They fought the German and Bulgarian armies in Macedonia and the Balkan. The medal was instituted on 15 June 1926.
Medal's reverse bearing the word "Orient" and in the central flag "Honneur et Patrie 1915 1918" (Honour and Fatherland) The medal's obverse is the same as the Dardanelles medal.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:42am
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M
M?daille Comm?morative des Dardanelles - Awarded to all members of the expeditionary army which fought in the Dardanelles. This medal was instituted together with the previous one, on 15 June 1926 and is identical but for the ribbon and the reverse inscription "Dardanelles" (instead of Orient). The ribbons vary too.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:46am
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Marne Medal
Marne Medal -- This medal was issued to soldiers who fought in the Marne battles, by the Soldiers of the Marne Association (a private group). It was first issued in 1937, and was still awarded up into the 1980s until the Association deemed there to be no more surviving Marne veterans. The Association was then merged into another group as a general memorial organization which still holds yearly ceremonies and such.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:03pm
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Order of St. Anne
The Order of St. Anne, which ranked just below the order of St. Vladimir in the Imperial Russian hierarchy, was originally an award from Schleswig-Holstien, named by the Duke of Holstein after his wife, Anne Petrovna (Peter the Great's daughter). It became a Russian award in 1742, when the prince of Schleswig-Holstein ascended the Russian throne as Czar Peter III. It came in four classes. The top three classes could be awarded with swords for gallantry in action or military merit in times of war.
The 1st class was worn on sash, but with the star on the right breast. The 2nd class was worn at the neck. The 3rd class (shown above) was worn as a breast badge suspended from the order's ribbon.
The lowest (4th) class of the order was marked by "St. Anne's Weapon." A small badge of the order was attached to a steel edged weapon (appropriate to the branch of service of the recipient) inscribed "For Gallantry." The gold edged red ribbon of the order made up the sword knot.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:08pm
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Ordine della Santissima A
Ordine della Santissima Annunziata: one of the greatest chivalric orders of all times, comparable to the Habsburg's Golden Fleece, the Order of the Garter and the Supreme Order of Christ. While very exclusive, the collar was bestowed upon high ranking generals.
Established in 1362 by Amedeo VI of Savoy ("the Green Count"). While the founder had originally conceived an overall number of 15 members to honour the 15 "delights" of the Blessed Virgin (14 knights plus the Grand Master), in 1869 King Vittorio Emanuele II raised the number of knights from 14 to 20; but the Grand Master, the princes of his royal blood, clergymen and foreigners were supposed to be calculated as an extra to this fixed number. Untill the fall of monarchy, the Knighthood of the Holy Annunciation equalled nobility, and gave right to the title of "Excellency" and "Cousin of the King", with precedence, in all ceremonies, over the highest offices of state. The Annunziata's collar could be conferred on non-nobles, but not on non-catholics: this because of its deeply religious origins, and since the knights had many religious duties. Each collar exists in two versions: a greater one (to be used on New Year's Day, on Annunciation Day, on national holidays and in all solemn court cerimonies) and a smaller (for all other occasions). Collars were to be returned to the King after the death of a Knight. Nevertheless, during last decades many collars went missing, as the Duce's (Benito Mussolini) one. Although the medallion is worn suspended to a golden collar, a ribbon to be used on uniforms was indeed instituted by Royal Decree in 1924: it is purple (better: amaranthine) and bears a small golden badge (four-leaved clover-shaped) depicting the Annunciation "en miniature".
During the monarchy, this was to be placed above all other merits and awards. After the fall of monarchy the Italian Republican Government obviously denied acknowledgement of this order, which was never discontinued, being dynastic patrimony of the existing House of Savoy, and ist still, though very seldom, conferred.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:08pm
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Ordine dei Santi Maurizio
Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro. Born from the union of two ancient and different Orders which, for particular reasons, only in the XVI Century were combined under the Mastery of the House of Savoy. The Order of St. Maurice and Lazarus was awarded with some frequency among generals and colonels.
The Order of St. Maurice was established in 1434 by Amedeo VIII of Savoy (during his stay in the Ripaglia hermitage near Thonon) and so called after Maurice, the brave Captain of the Legio Tebea who was martyred in 286 a.d, altogether with his legionnaires for having refused to worship the Imperator Marco Aurelio.
From its origins, the Order of St. Maurice was an "Ordine combattente" (Combating Order) intended to fight Lutherans and Calvinists. The origins of the Order of St. Lazarus can be, on the contrary, brought back to the foundation, around 1100, of an Hospital for Leprosy in Jerusalem by a group of crusaders who called themselves "Brothers of St. Lazarus" (Lazarus was the poor leprous beggar, described in the Bible by the Evangelist St. Luke (Luke, chapter 16, verses 19-31), who became patron saint of lepers).
Under the Grand Mastery of Duke Emanuele Filiberto "Iron Head", the two orders were declared united by Pope Gregory XIII in 1572, one year after the battle of Lepanto, in order to fight the infidels; nevertheless, already during the XVI century the newborn order missed its military "raison d'etre", shifting instead towards the original hospital rule of St. Lazarus.
Brought back in favour by King Vittorio Emanuele II, the Order was sparingly conferred for distinguished service in civilian or military affairs, as an exclusive award compared with the more common Order of the Crown of Italy. Because of the fall of monarchy, the Italian Government in 1952 changed the Order (which no longer was officially acknowledged as such) in "Ente Morale" (Non-profit Corporation) and kept in function its hospitals, churches, orphanages and schools which are now under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic. As for the House of Savoy, still owner for dynastic reasons of the Grand Mastery, the pretender to Italy's Throne (Prince Vittorio Emanuele IV) is still conferring from his exile knightoods of this important Order which was never discontinued.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:09pm
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Ordine della Corona d'Ita
Ordine della Corona d'Italia (Order of the Crown of Italy): established by Royal Decree on 20.2.1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II after the annexation of the Venetian Region and the completion of Italy's unity. It was awarded to Italian and foreigner citizens, both civilians and soldiers, as a token of national gratitude for their accomplishments which could include a long military career with a 'clean' record. This Order was less exclusive than the Order of the Annunciation or the Order of St. Maurice and Lazarus.
It was divided in the usual five classes, worn in the customary ways: Knight, Officer, Commander, Grand Officer, Grand Cross. Between the cross arms were four knots of Savoy ("love knots) in gold filigree. On the obverse the cross was "charg?" by the "Iron Crown" encircled in gold and blue; on the reverse there was a black eagle with the Arms of Savoy "en coeur", encircled in red. The Order was named after the famed "Iron Crown", kept in Monza's Cathedral and allegedly crafted from a nail of the Holy Cross. The crown was used for the coronation - among many others - of Charlemagne, Napoleon I and all the Kings of Italy. With the fall of monarchy the order, being considered national, and not of dynastic property, was discontinued and replaced in 1951 by the Meritorious Order of the Republic of Italy ("Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana").
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:10pm
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Medaglia Al Valore Milita
Medaglia Al Valore Militare (Military Medal for Valor) Awarded to the military for exceptional valour which did not warrant the award of the Military Order of Savoia. This medal was instituted in March 1833 by King Albert of Sardinia in three classes : gold, silver and bronze and was meant for award to army and navy personnel.
- In 1836 and 1927 similar medals were created for resp. navy and air force. When awarded, the recipient's name was written on the reverse of the medal. During World War I the words "GUERRA DI 1915-1918" (War of 1915-1918) were written above the recipient's name.
- The medal's obverse has changed a number of times : the WWI obverse bears the royal weapon of Savoia under a crown. During WWII, the "Italian Socialist Republic" the arms and crown were replaced by a Roman short sword, point upwards, on a background of laurel and oak leaves. After WWII, these were replaced by a five pointed star within a cogweel and "REPUBLICA ITALIANA" at the lower rim.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:10pm
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Croce al Merito di Guerra
Croce al Merito di Guerra (War Merit Cross) Awarded to members of the armed forces for war merit in operations on land, sea or in the air, after minimum one year of service in the trenches or elsewhere, in contact with an enemy.
This bronze cross was instituted by King Victor Emanuel III on 19 January 1918 and was also awarded to those who, wounded in combat, were given the Medal of the Wounded or to those who, mentioned for war merit, received a promotion.
When having performed an act of valour which was deemed insufficient for the Medal of Military Valour, the War Merit Cross could be awarded instead. From 1922 onwards a bronze sword on the ribbon designated such an award.
From its institution till 30 May 1927 1,034,924 Crosses were issued. A second award was indicated by a bronze star on the ribbon.
The reverse bears a 5-pointed star on a background of rays. The obverse has the royal cypher in the upper arm (VE III under a crown), "MERITO DI GVERRA" (War Merit) on the horizontal arms and a roman sword point upwards, on oak leaves, in the lower arm.
- During WWII, the War Merit Cross underwent a number of changes.
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