FRENCHMEN'S MEDALS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 227, 13 June 1918, Page 6

FRENCHMEN'S MEDALS

When the British soldier js dccoraled with a medal by the lung he puts it away in its velvet bed and wears only the ribbon. Not so the French soldier. No mutter how many medals he tiay havt, ho wears them all on every possible occasion. When actually in action he has a little pocket in his tunic into which the medal drops, leaving only a, strip of ribbon showing. Generally speaking, there are fewer Frouch war thcuals than British, though there are different grades of the same medal. The commonest French decoration is jthe Croix de Guerre. It was first instituted by the Government iu a decree of April 8, 1915, "to commemorate individual mentions ill the Daily Orders during tho campaign against Germany and her allies." .This is given to soldiers, sailors, or civilians who have merited it by some action of bravery or devotion. It has been awarded, for example, to Mayors of bombarded towns and to Bel Cross nurses. The ribbon is green, with live thin bars of red across it. But there are four different values to the Croix de Guerre, according to the different citations or mentions m Orders of the Day. A citation in the orders of n regiment or its equivalent is denoted by a bronze star on the ribbon; a divisional citation by a silver star, an army corps citation by a gold star, and a citation in Army Orders by a palm. A regiment which has been tlirpa times cited in Army Orders has the right to the fourragere. That is to say, each I soldier in the unit may wear acioss tho I left shoulder a cord in the colours ot the Croix.de Guerre. ,

That marvellous regiment lite Foreign Legion distinguished itself in Mli .by gaining its fifth citation in Army Orders, and in .lime of the same year tho French War Office created a new honour, which this regimen! was the first to receive— namely, the fourragere 111 the colours of the Medaille Militaire. The yellow and green of the MedaiUo Militaire are certainly the aspiration of overv poilu. It is the highest honoiu of the "private soldier; it carries a pension with it of a hundred francs a year ami also tntony privileges. These, though they lapse to sorue extent. on active scrvice, include the salute of equal ranks, presentation of arms by sentries, ilio right to return to barracks at 11 p.m. (1 a m ior non-commissioned ollicers), and burial with full military honours. The medal was founded in 130-, ami is awarded only to private soldiers, noncommissioned officers., and generals. Besides these two awards for valouf there is the Colonial Itedul—lilue and white ribbon-given for service in tho Colonies, and with the name o! the campaign written across it. ' Certain "acts of devotion,' which hardlv merit the medals given to combatants. are rewarded with « medal of rocoMiaiwanco or recognition, whose ruv bon is red, white, and blue-somewhat like the British WW Star. There is also the bine, white, and gold ribbon-to which no medal is attached— mostiv worn bv men who have been di?' charged from the Army through sickness or wounds. In (he latter ense tho ribbon is worn with a red enamel star m the centre. This is. however, quite often worn bv soldiers who are still on aclivft service after their return from hospital. The poilu speaks of Ill's medals as his "ironmnnKPrv," but ho is as prond Of them as any soldier in tho world. Ann well he may bo too.