French Awards and Decorations

The following French awards were made to soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment for gallantry or meritorious service. They are recorded in the London Gazette, indicating the granting of the award or decoration by the President of the French Republic, and intimating the British sovereigns permission for it to be accepted and worn by the recipient.

Légion d'Honneur (Officer Class)	Croix de Guerre (1914-1918)	Médaille d'Honneur avec Glaives	Médaille Militaire	Ordre du Mérite agricole

Légion d'Honneur (The Legion of Honour)

Instituted in 1802 and enlarged in 1805 to include the present five classes. This is the premier award of France, awarded for courage, honour and services to France. In addition when it is awarded for bravery in action the recipient also receives the Croix de Guerre. The award may also be conferred on foreigners for military bravery and many British officers received the ward in both the First and Second World Wars. The Legion of Honour may also be awarded posthumously.

The Legion of Honour. The present badge of the Order is a five-rayed white enamelled star with ball finials. Between the arms are green enamel oak and laurel sprays, the medallion has the female head of the Republic, a blue circlet has the words THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. Reverse medallion has two crossed tricolours with the words HONNEUR ET PATRIE (Honour and Country). The suspension is from a large wreath of oak and laurel. For the first four classes the badge is gold or silver gilt, the 5th class is silver.

The five classes are:
Grand Cross: Badge large size worn on a Sash, and a Breast Star
Grand Officer: Badge worn on a chest ribbon with a rosette and a Breast Star
Commander: Badge worn on a necklet
Officer: Badge worn on a chest ribbon with rosette
Knight (Chevalier): Badge in silver worn on a chest ribbon

In 1916, in order to distinguish between the various classes when ribbons only were worn, a system of rosettes and gold and silver braid strips were introduced. Chevaliers wear the plain red ribbon, while officers have a small red rosette (representing the large rosette worn on the ribbon with the badge itself). For commanders this rosette has a short strip of silver braid underneath, extending on each side; grand officers have gold braid on one side and silver on the other, while grand cross is indicated by gold braid on each side. A decree of 5th July 1918 authorised these distinctive emblems to be worn also in civilian dress.

 

Croix de Guerre (1914-18)

Established in 1915. Awarded to all ranks of the armed services and citizens of France who have been individually mentioned in despatches. It can also be awarded to personnel of the Allied forces.

Croix de Guerre a bronze straight-armed cross pattee with crossed swords in the arms of the cross. Obverse medallion carries the female head of Republic. Reverse medallion shows the date of award 1914-15, 1914-16, 1914-17 or 1914-1918. Ribbon: Green with five equally spaced narrow red stripes and edge stripes of red.

Emblems are worn on the ribbon in the form of a palm or stars. Army Despatch is noted by a bronze
palm, Army Corps Despatch a gilt star, Divisional Despatch a silver star and Brigade or other Command Despatch a bronze star.

 

Croix de Guerre, 1939

Instituted in September 1939. Awarded to all ranks of the armed services and citizens of France who have been individually mentioned in despatches. It can also be awarded to personnel of the Allied force exceptional circumstances it may be conferred on military units and towns.

Croix de Guerre, 1939 is identical to the Croix de Guerre of the First World War except for for the reverse medallion which has the date. Ribbon: Green with wide red edge bands and three narrow red stripes centred

With military awards for gallantry in action limited to the Legion of Honour and the Médaille Militaire, there was felt a need for a lower award, particularly for those who had received a citation a l'ordre, ie. a mention in despatches, so that a decoration could be awarded immediately by the commander-in-chief on the field of battle. As a result the Croix de Guerre (War Cross) was instituted by a law of 8 April 1915, to recognise, from the outbreak of hostilities, individual mentions in despatches of armies, army corps, divisions, brigades, and battalions or corresponding units. It could be conferred on both Frenchmen and foreigners, and also on civilians who had been the subject of a citation. For maritime personnel, similar regulations applied.
The cross was also awarded, automatically, to recipients of the Legion of Honour for gallantry in action or the Waffle Militaire, whose award was gazetted in the Journal Officiel, equivalent to a citation a l'ordre.

The decoration is a bronze St. George cross, 37mm across. The arms have a pitted sunken surface with plain raised edges; the obv central medallion has the head of La République, right, with REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE and conventional laurel branches in the surrounding circle. The rev of the medallion bears two dates, 1914 above and dates between 1915 and 1918 below, according to when it was struck. Between the arms of the cross are two crossed antique swords. Suspension is by a ring through a ball and ornamental double curl fitting.

For the ribbon, a modern weave of the St Helena Medal ribbon was used – 37mm green with five narrow red stripes and narrow red edges – but with a brighter green than that of the earlier ribbon.

On the ribbon one usually finds one or more emblems, according to the nature of the `mention'; for a mention in an Army despatch, a bronze palme or laurel branch (and known as Croix de Guerre avec palme); for five bronze ones, a silver palme could be substituted according to a decree on 8 January 1917, but in practice most recipients preferred to have five small palmes on their ribbon; for an Army Corps mention, a gilt star was awarded; for Division, a silver star; for Brigade, Battalion, or similar unit mention, a bronze star was worn.

The cross was widely awarded, although the exact number is not known; according to an official publication, some 2,055,000 citations had been made up to
1 March 1920, to which must be added those accompanying awards of the Legion of Honour and the Médaille Militaire, and also posthumous awards.
A large number of towns and villages in France, and some abroad, were awarded the cross, and it was also awarded collectively to certain regiments, whose officers and men were allowed to wear the fourragère, or lanyard, in red and green, on the left shoulder.

There were many British recipients, in all branches of the forces, and groups of medals including a Croix de Guerre should be checked against the London Gazette for verification of the award. A note of these is sometimes given in regimental histories, but their data is not always complete or accurate.
Médaille d'Honneur (Medal of Honour of the President of the Republic)

In 1831 or 1834, a wearable Medal of Honour was instituted for acts of courage and devotion, and this was replaced early in the days of the Third Republic (thus circa 1870) by a new decoration known equally by the names, Médaille d'Honneur du President de la République, and Médaille d'Honneur des Affaires Etrangères.

The medal, in gold (silver-gilt), silver, or bronze, was awarded for services to France by Frenchmen or foreigners living outside France or, exceptionally, by foreigners living in France. Awards to military personnel carried crossed swords above the medal.

In October 1917, the medal 'with swords' was redesigned. In place of just the pair of swords, the embellishment now became crossed swords on two sprays of oak leaves. The gold (silver-gilt) medal was now reserved for officers, the silver for under-officers (approximately equivalent to British warrant officers and sergeants), and the bronze medal for corporals and privates.

The Medal of Honour ranked after the Croix de Guerre, and quite a number were awarded to British officers and other ranks and ratings.
Médaille Militaire (Military Medal)

Instituted by decree of 22nd January 1852. Awarded to non-commissioned officers and other ranks of the Army and Navy including the Merchant Navy, for bravery and courage in action, or who have received one or more wounds. Under the statutes it can be awarded to Generals commanding armies and Admirals commanding fleets. Foreign nationals serving France or the Allied forces can also be awarded the Médaille Militaire. This decoration may be awarded posthumously.

Médaille Militaire in silver. Obverse the gilt medallion has the female head of Republic encircled with the inscription THE FRENCH REPUBLIC on a blue circlet surrounded by a laurel wreath of silver. Reverse has the inscription VALOUR AND DISCIPLINE. The suspension is from a trophy of arms in gilt. Ribbon:
Yellow with wide edge stripes of green.

 

Ordre du Mérite agricole (Order of Agricultural Merit)

Established 7th July 1883 by Jules Méline, Minister of Agriculture to recompense those who making significant contributions to the development and progress of agriculture. 3 classes: Commanders, Officers, and Knights (Chevalier).

 

First World War (1918-1920)

Légion d'Honneur (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Award Class	Gazette Date
Baden, M.C.	Bertram	2/Lieut.	-	Chevalier	29/01/1919
Rose, D.S.O.	Richard Aubrey de Burgh	Lt.-Col.	-	Officer	22/08/1917
Sole, D.S.O.	Denis Mavisyn Anslow	Bt. Maj. (T/Lt.-Col.)	-	Officer	11/03/1919
Tomkinson, D.S.O.	Francis Martin	Capt. (T/Lt.-Col.)	-	Officer	10/10/1918
Traill	Robert Francis	Lieut.	-	Chevalier	03/11/1914
Walsh, M.C.	Mainwaring Ravell	Lt.-Col.	-	Chevalier	29/01/1919

 

Médaille d'Honneur (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Gazette Date
Auden	Joseph	Pte.	30282	21/07/1919
Clarke	Frederick Charles	Sgt.	16072	21/07/1919
Fitzjohn	Geoffrey N.	Brevet Major	-	21/07/1919
Harwood	Arthur J.	Pte.	16722	21/07/1919
Hills	Henry Thomas	R.S.M.	12955	15/12/1919
Llewellyn	Charles	L/Cpl.	18207	21/07/2010
Perkins	Frank	Pte.	17729	21/07/1919
White	Herbert C.	Pte.	18111	21/07/1919

 

Croix de Guerre (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Gazette Date
Atkinson	Albert E.	Pte.	21009	14/07/1917
Badham	Jonathan Frederick	Major	-	21/07/1919
Bosley	William	Pte.	16594	17/03/1920
Brighton	Walter	C/Sgt.	5491	21/07/1919
Bruce	Stanley Melbouces	Lieut.	-	24/02/1916
Cayley, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.	Douglas Edward	Col. (T/Major-Gen.)	-	21/08/1919
Cotton	William Ernest Leslie	Major	-	17/03/1920
Crowe, V.C.	John James	R.S.M.	4959	17/08/1918
Crump	George	R.S.M.	8713	07/01/1919
Fitzjohn	Tudor	Major	-	19/06/1919
Freeman	Russell Herbert F.	Capt.	-	21/05/1917
Gillam	Leonard	Sgt.	201766	06/11/1918
Hankey	Edward Bernard	Brevet Col.	-	15/12/1919
Hartnell	William	Pte.	40189	29/11/1918
James, V.C.	Herbert	Lieut.	-	01/05/1917
Jarrett	John	Pte.	14969	10/10/1918
Johnson	John	Cpl.	17763	17/12/1917
Johnston	Alexander Colin	Brevet Major	-	09/12/1916
Jowett	Frederick D.	Sgt.	8298	29/11/1918
Lang	George James	L/Sgt.	12590	17/08/1918
Loone	Charles B.	C.S.M.	11590	07/06/1919
McCombie	Hamilton	Lieut.	-	21/08/1919
McCombie	Hamilton	Lieut.	-	05/11/1920
O'Donovan	G. P.	Lieut.	-	19/01/1919
Orbell	George	Cpl.	48815	07/06/1919
Paskin	Jesse John	Capt.	-	19/01/1919
Spilsbury	Albert William Joseph	Sgt.	2881	01/05/1917
Stevens	William Cecil	Lieut.	-	03/01/1919
Temple	Richard Durand	Brevet Major	-	01/05/1917
Turner	Charles Ernest	Lieut.	-	01/05/1917
Wilson	John W.	Sgt.	64891	07/06/1919
Woodward	A.	L/Cpl.	240504	14/07/1917

 

Médaille Militaire (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Gazette Date
Hawkes	William	L/Cpl.	12911	14/07/1917
Hodgkinson	Charles Edmund	R.S.M.	3496	11/10/1914
Jordan	Bertie Osborne	Sgt.	25115	29/01/1919
Marchant	Wilfred Bernard	L/Cpl.	200573	14/01/1917
Preedy	Henry Wakefield	C.Q.M.S.	11983	01/05/1917
Preston	Harry	Pte.	23786	01/05/1917
Sumner	David C.	R.S.M.	8827	24/02/1916
Ward	William Edwin	C.S.M.	2237	01/05/1917

Sgt. Bertie Osborne Jordan (seen here wearing his French medal) Awarded the medal for his actions at the Battle of Cambrai, He was wounded at the Battle of Passchendaele.

R.S.M. Charles Edmund Hodgkinson (Also awarded D.C.M & M.C.) After the war he commissioned as an officer and became the Quatermaster with the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire in India, later served with Yorks and Lancs Regt.

 

Order de Merite Agricole (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Award Class	Gazette Date
Farmar, C.B., C.M.G.	George Jasper	Col. (T/Brig.-Gen.)	-	Officer	07/10/1919

 

Médaille de l'Assistance Publique - en Bronze (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Gazette Date
Fisher	Henry Francis Thornhill	Lt.-Col.	-	07/10/1919

 

Second World War (1939-1945)

Légion d'Honneur (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Award Class	Gazette Date
Titterington	Eric	T/Major	227860	Chevalier	?

Note: T/Major Eric Titterington was attached to the Intelligence Corps in Cario during the war. His army number is sometimes shown as 287860 or 227860 in the London Gazette. During WW1 he served as an officer (Lieutenant) in the Worcestershire Regiment.

 

Croix de Guerre (French)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Gazette Date
Chambers	Thomas	Pte.	5249767	1945

Tom Chambers previously served with 2nd Battalion in India in the 1930’s. He was posted to ‘B’ Company of the 1st Battalion. His citation reads: “Corporal CHAMBERS landed with the Battalion on D plus 14 and has served throughout the campaign with his Company. At MOUEN under intense shell fire his conduct was of the highest order and he did much to maintain the moral of the troops under his command. At PLESSIS GRIMOULT he led this section with great determination and consolidated on the objective when his company had received very heavy casualties. Finally in an engagement immediately after the crossing of the SEINE he did much whilst leading the forward section of his Company to enable a successful action to be carried out. He has shown a very high standard of leadership and drive in battle, and has carried out patrols successfully and with determination.”

Tom Chambers

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