Medal of French Gratitude Type -1 Bronze With Case SEE STORE FRENCH MEDALS WW1

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Medal of French Gratitude
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Medal of French Gratitude
Bronze level, type 2 (obverse)
Type
Three grade medal
Awarded for
Support to the victims of war
Presented by
France
Status
No longer awarded
Established
13 July 1917
Total recipients
~15,000
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Precedence
Next (higher)
Combatant's Cross
Next (lower)
Overseas Medal
Type 1 silver grade award (obverse)
Resistance fighhter Albert Kohan, a recipient of the Medal of French Gratitude
American philanthropist Ellen Ridgway, a recipient of the Medal of French Gratitude
Father Émile Blanchet, a recipient of the Medal of French Gratitude
The
Medal of French Gratitude
(
French
:
"Médaille de la Reconnaissance française"
) was a French honour medal created on 13 July 1917 and solely awarded to civilians.
[1]
The medal was created to express gratitude by the French government to all those who, without legal or military obligation, had come to the aid of the injured, disabled, refugees, or who had performed an act of exceptional dedication in the presence of the enemy during the
First World War
. The creation of this distinction was mainly the result of
unsuccessful offensives
of
General Nivelle
in 1917 and the serious crisis of confidence in France. The French government thus wanted to thank those who, despite the crisis, were always volunteering. It has three classes: bronze, silver, and gold. Nearly 15,000 people and communities were recipients of this award. The medal is no longer awarded, the last award was on 14 February 1959.
[2]
Award statute
[
edit
]
The Medal of French Gratitude was awarded following
World War I
to the following:
[1]
Persons who, in the presence of the enemy, have performed acts of exceptional dedication, the duration of these services having spanned one year (Decree of December 2, 1917)
Deserving communities (whose members were are not allowed to wear the ribbon or individual medal by decree of December 2, 1917);
Citizens of
Alsace-Lorraine
who were deported, exiled or imprisoned, before 1 August 1914, by German authorities because of their attachment to France and those in the departments occupied themselves, for their courageous stand while exposed to reprisals (Decree of 1 April 1922);
Prisoners of war, civilian prisoners, hostages and deportees because of exceptional acts courage and dedication for the allied cause. The inhabitants of occupied areas or Alsace and Lorraine who helped these people (decrees of 29 November 1926 and December 8, 1928).
Award description
[
edit
]
The first model was a 30 mm in diameter circular bronze, silver or gilded medal depending on the level of the award, the design was by engraver Jules Desbois. The obverse bore charity personified by France supporting a wounded soldier. On the reverse at centre, the relief circular inscription "RECONNAISSANCE FRANÇAISE" along the circumference with at centre and a palm leaf on the right.
The second model is a 32 mm in diameter circular bronze, silver or gilded medal depending on the level of the award, the design was by engraver Maurice Delannoy. The obverse bears a woman wearing a
Phrygian cap
representing France offering a palm. On the reverse, the relief inscription RECONNAISSANCE FRANÇAISE around a wreath of roses surrounding an escutcheon bearing the initials "RF" (for
République Française
).
The medal hung from a 37 mm wide white silk
moiré
ribbon with tricolour 2 mm wide edge stripes of blue, white and red, the blue being outermost.
Notable recipients (partial list)
[
edit
]
French citizens
[
edit
]
Father Émile Blanchet
Politician Raoul Bleuse
Herminie de La Brousse de Verteillac, Princesse of Léon
Doctor Alfred Cerné
Suzanne Desprès
Doctor Léandre Dupré
Politician Charles Ehrmann
Resistance fighter Charles Fenain
Marquise
Corisande de Gramont
Paul-Jacques Kalb
Lawyer Pierre Kédinger
General
Marie-Pierre Kœnig
Resistance fighter Albert Kohan
Writer
Camille Marbo
Resistance member
Paul Rassinier
Resistance member
Eric Reach
Foreign nationals
[
edit
]
Samuel Beckett
, for his secretarial work with the Resistance cell known as 'Gloria SMH'
[3]
Ireland
Lucile Atcherson Curtis
, diplomat
United States
Barbara Borsinger
, nurse
Switzerland
Prince Boun Oum
Laos
Alan Burns, 4th Baron Inverclyde
United Kingdom
Marquesa del Ter
Spain
James Michael Curley
, mayor of Boston,
United States
Louis Dewis
, activist on behalf of Belgians during
World War I
and noted landscape artist
Belgium
Charlotte Fairbanks
, surgeon
United States
Perrin Comstock Galpin
, served with Herbert Hoover in Belgian food relief immediately after World War I
United States
Marie Galway
United Kingdom
Ethel Gray
, nurse
Australia
Lotta Hitschmanova
Canada
Catherine Haviland
United States
Aline Rhonie Hofheimer
, pilot
United States
Charlotte Kellogg
United States
John Adams Kingsbury
, Assistant director of general relief, American Red Cross, France
United States
Helen Kirkpatrick
, war correspondent
United States
Tracey barrett kittredge
, Captain commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
United States
Anna Elizabeth Klumpke
, artist
United States
Louise Mountbatten
Sweden
Decima Moore
United Kingdom
Norman Holmes Pearson
United States
Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough
United Kingdom
Harold Ross
, journalist who co-founded The New Yorker magazine in 1925
United States
Hunter Scarlett
United States
Helen Sexton
, surgeon
Australia
Belle Skinner
, philanthropist
United States
Alfa Tofft
, Save the Children after WW II
Denmark
Frank A. Vanderlip
, banker and journalist
United States
Mariana Griswold Van Rensselaer
, president of the American Fund for french Wounded, New York Committee
United States
Communities decorated
[
edit
]
The Medal of French Gratitude was awarded to six French and eight foreign cities.
[1]
French cities
[
edit
]
Annemasse
,
Thonon
et
Evian
1921
Céret
1946
Cerbère
et
Hochfelden
1947
Foreign cities
[
edit
]
Schaffhausen
(1919),
Basel
,
Geneva
and
Lausanne
(1921),
Montreux
(1953).
Switzerland
Mons
(1920).
Belgium
Luxembourg
(1921).
Luxembourg
Narvik
(1954).
Norway