User:Jrhickam01/Medal of a liberated France

The Medal of a liberated France (French: "Médaille de la France libérée") was a decoration of the French Republic created by decree on 12 September 1947 and originally named the "Medal of Gratitude of a Liberated France" (French: "Médaille de la Reconnaissance de la France Libérée"). It was intended as a reward for French and foreign nationals that had made a notable contribution to the liberation of France from the German occupation.

A decree of 7 October 1947 defined the medal's design and added it would be awarded under the authority of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Victims of War (French: Ministre des Anciens Combattants et Victimes de guerre) on advice from a board composed of twenty-one members including the President of the National Assembly, the Vice-President of the State Council, a representative of the National Council of the Resistance, a general officer and a representative of the Justice Ministry.

A later decree of 16 June 1948 gave it its present name and added a member from the Interior Ministry to the board charged with selecting recipients from the applications. A further decree of 4 June 1949 followed by ministerial instructions on 1 December 1950 redefined both the composition of the board and award prerequisites. (Sources?) (1)

'''The holders received a diploma recalling the reasons for the award.

This medal is no longer awarded (foreclosure) by the Department of Veterans Affairs and War Victims since July 7, 1957.

It was awarded to 13,469 incumbents.Bold text'''

The board was composed of:


 * Grand    chancellor of the Legion of Honour;
 * Chancellor    of the Order of Liberation;
 * Representative    of the Keeper of the Seals of France;
 * Representative    of the Ministry     of Foreign Affairs;
 * Representative    of the Ministry of the Interior;
 * General    officer designated by the Minister of Defence;
 * Four    representatives from veterans' and war victims' organizations designated     by the minister. This number was brought up to five by a decree of 19     January 1950 and to six by a decree of 20 April 1951. (Source?)

Contents


 * 1    Award statute
 * 2    Award description
 * 3    Notable recipients (partial list)
 * 4    See also
 * 5    References
 * 6    External links

Award statute (Source?) (1)

The Medal of a liberated France could be awarded:


 * To    soldiers of the allied armies     who participated in war operations on the soil of Metropolitan France     or soil under French mandate between 3 September 1939 and 20 August 1945;
 * To    soldiers of allied armies who served as liaison     with the French forces between 18 June 1940 and 20 August 1945;
 * To    French nationals who made a notable contribution to the liberation of     Metropolitan France or soil under French mandate between 18 June 1940 and     20 August 1945.

Recipients of the following French awards received in conjunction with the liberation of France could not receive the Medal of a liberated France:


 * Legion of Honour    for feats with the resistance;
 * Cross    of the Order of Liberation;
 * Military Medal    for feats with the resistance;
 * Resistance Medal;
 * Medal    of French Gratitude for feats with the resistance.

Award description (Source?) (1)

The Medal of a liberated France was a 35mm in diameter circular medal struck from bronze. The obverse bore the relief image of France with the relief date "1944" at its center. A relief chain encircles the image of France with two breaks in its links, one North-east, the other South-west, symbolizing the allied landings. The reverse bore the relief image of a Fasces below a Phrygian cap bisecting the initials "R.F." and the relief inscription "LA FRANCE A SES LIBERATEURS" (English: "FRANCE TO ITS LIBERATORS") along the upper and lower circumference.

The medal hung from a 36mm wide rainbow coloured silk moiré ribbon, the colours placed opposite those of the ribbon of the 1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal with the purple at center.

'Notable recipients (partial list) (Source?) (1)

·  Commander Philippe Kieffer- Country of Allegiance: France(République française), Free France(La France Libre), Service: French Navy (Marine Nationale), Free French Naval Forces(Forces Navales Françaises), Rank: Commander(Capitaine de frégate)

·  Captain Émile Allegret- France(République française), Free France(La France Libre), Service: French Airforce(Armée de l'Air), Free French Airforce(Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres), Rank: Capitaine(Captain), Commands: Bombardment Group "Lorraine"Squadron 342(Les Equipages Du Groupe "Lorraine” Squadron 342)

·  Resistance member Augustin Le Maresquier- Country of Allegiance: France(République française), Free France(La France Libre), Service: French Resistance(La Résistance), French Forces of the Interior(Forces françaises de l'intérieur)

·  Resistance member Antoinette Feuerwerker- Country of Allegiance: France(République française), Free France(La France Libre), Service: French Resistance(La Résistance), French Forces of the Interior(Forces françaises de l'intérieur)

·  Resistance member André Girard- Country of Allegiance: France(République française), Free France(La France Libre), Service: French Resistance(La Résistance), French Forces of the Interior(Forces françaises de l'intérieur), Rank: Voluntary Combatant of the Resistance (Combattante Volontaire de la Résistance)

·  Free French soldier Louis Saget- Country of Allegiance: France(République française), Free France(La France Libre), Service: Free French Forces(Forces françaises libres)

·  Belgian general baron Michel Donnet- Country of Allegiance: Belgium(Royaume de Belgique), United Kingdom, Service: Belgian Army(Composante terre), Royal Air Force, Rank: Wing commander(Lieutenant colonel);UK Service, Lieutenant General(Generalleutnant);Post War Belgian Service

·  United States Army Major Richard Winters- Country of Allegiance: United States of America, Service: United States Army, Rank: Major, Commands: 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

· United States Army First Lieutenant Audie Murph y- Country of Allegiance: United States of America, Service: United States Army, Rank: First Lieutenant'''

References

·       ''"France Phaléristique web site" (in French). Marc Champenois. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-01.''

·     ''Battini, Jean; Zaniewicki, Witold (2003). Guide pratique des décorations françaises actuelles. Paris: LAVAUZELLE. p. 385. ISBN 2-7025-1030-2.''

·     Rapport d'Augustin Le Maresquier sur ses activités de résistance. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://francearchives.fr/fr/facomponent/ba6801124604351b664788da2ad3bca91b463f8e

·     Michel Donnet. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Michel_Donnet

·     Philippe Kieffer. (1899, October 24). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Philippe_Kieffer

·     Émile Allegret. (1990, November 22). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Émile_Allegret

·     Antoinette Feuerwerker. (2003, February 10). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Antoinette_Feuerwerker

·     Free France. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Free_France

·     Free French Naval Forces. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Free_French_Naval_Forces

·     Free French Forces. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Free_French_Forces

·     RAF Ranks. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/

·     Belgian military ranks. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Belgian_military_ranks

·     Allegret, Émile Joseph Auguste. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/74986/Allegret-Émile-Joseph-Auguste.htm

·     Medal of a liberated France. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Medal_of_a_liberated_France

·     André Girard (1909–1993). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://military.wikia.org/wiki/André_Girard_(1909–1993)

·     quid.fr : le portail de la connaissance universelle et francophone accessible tous, avec 100% d'informations utiles et fiables.quid - ordres et dcorations - dcorations et ordres franais - mdailles commmoratives. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20070514043326/http://www.quid.fr/2007/Ordres_Et_Decorations/Medailles_Commemoratives/1

·     Médaille de la France libérée. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://museedelaresistanceenligne.org/media8413-MA

Comments by Mnguyen

 * 1) Missing all sources