Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)

Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)
Fdutil · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Croix de Guerre 1939–1945
Caption	Ribbon and medal of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945
Presented by	French Republic
Type	Military decoration
Awarded for	Bravery in combat during World War II
Status	Dormant
Established	26 September 1939
Higher	Médaille militaire
Lower	Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)

Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) is a French military decoration created at the outbreak of World War II to recognize acts of heroism performed in the face of the enemy. It served as a successor to the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France) and was awarded to individuals, units, and allied contingents for distinguished service during campaigns such as the Battle of France, the North African Campaign, and the Italian Campaign. The decoration became a visible symbol linking recipients across theaters including the Western Front (World War II), the Eastern Front (World War II) through captured or allied services, and the liberation operations culminating in the Battle of Normandy.

History

The decoration was instituted by decree of the French Third Republic government-in-exile amid the German invasion that precipitated the Fall of France in 1940. During the Vichy France period and the operations of the Free French Forces under Charles de Gaulle, the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 was used to acknowledge valor by members of the French Army (1939–1940), Free French Air Forces, Free French Naval Forces, and irregular formations such as the French Resistance. The award continued in the immediate postwar era to recognize actions during liberation campaigns including the Operation Dragoon landings in Provence and extended to foreign military personnel from states including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, Poland, and Belgium who fought alongside French units.

Eligibility and Criteria

Eligibility encompassed members of the French Armed Forces, personnel of the Free French Forces, units, and foreign military personnel who distinguished themselves through acts of bravery during designated campaigns of World War II. Citations were promulgated at levels such as regiment, brigade, division, corps, and army, with higher-level citations indicating more conspicuous or widely recognized actions in battles like the Siege of Tobruk, the Battle of El Alamein, and the Battle of Monte Cassino. The award could recognize individual feats during engagements affiliated with larger operations such as Operation Torch or amphibious assaults like Operation Husky, and also acknowledged resistance activity in urban uprisings such as the Liberation of Paris.

Design and Insignia

The medal comprises a bronze cross with swords and a laurel wreath, bearing effigies and inscriptions tied to the French Republic. The ribbon is green with black stripes and bears attachments indicating the level and number of citations: bronze stars, silver stars, gilt (gold) stars, and bronze palms for unit or army-level mentions. Devices denoted involvement in specific theaters or campaigns such as clasps inscribed for Tunis, Algeria, or Corsica, and attachments referenced actions in operations including Operation Overlord and Operation Dragoon.

Notable Recipients and Units

Recipients included prominent leaders and units: commanders like Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, and allied figures such as Bernard Montgomery, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, Charles de Gaulle allies, and members of the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces who supported French operations. Units cited included the 2nd Armored Division (France), the Leclerc Column, and resistance networks recognized for the Maquis campaigns. Foreign regiments and formations from Poland—notably the 1st Armoured Division (Poland)—as well as corps from Belgium and Canada received collective citations and the right to wear the Croix de Guerre emblem on their colors.

Awarding Process and Campaign Clasps

Awards were effected by citation orders issued in the name of the French authorities, often documented in unit orders or governmental decrees; army-level citations carried a bronze palm, corps-level citations a silver-gilt star, division-level a silver star, brigade-level a bronze star, and regiment-level a bronze vermeil star where used. Campaign clasps and inscriptions on the ribbon indicated participation in operations or geographic theaters, linking the decoration to engagements such as Operation Torch, the campaigns in Tunisia, the Italian Campaign, and the liberation of mainland regions including Normandy and Provence.

Precedence and Related Decorations

Within French honors, the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 was placed among decorations recognizing combat gallantry, situated relative to awards such as the Médaille militaire and the Légion d'honneur. It functioned alongside other campaign-specific awards like the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France) and later commemorative medals for the Indochina War and the Algerian War. Allied decorations such as the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) or the Victoria Cross often paralleled French recognition when multinational operations were conducted, and reciprocal exchanges of honors occurred between the French Republic and allied states.

Category:French military awards Category:World War II military awards and decorations