1914–1918 Commemorative war medal (France)

1914–1918 Commemorative war medal (France)
1914–1918 Commemorative war medal (obverse)
Awarded by  France
Type	Medal
Awarded for	Service in World War I
Statistics
Established	23 June 1920
Precedence
Next (higher)	Médaille commémorative des batailles de la Marne (1914-1918)
Next (lower)	Médaille commémorative de la bataille de la Somme
Ribbon of the 1914–1918 Commemorative war medal Infobox

The 1914–1918 Commemorative war medal (French: "Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1914–1918") was awarded to soldiers and sailors for service in World War I. It was also awarded to civilians who met certain requirements.

History

Created by Act of June 23, 1920, is awarded to any military member for service between 2 August 1914 and November 11, 1918. It is also given to civilians who served in the same period in the army or the Interior.

An open contest was held which invited many engravers of the time, and 73 models were presented to the jury. The model of Pierre-Alexandre Morlon was ultimately adopted. The event had a certain impact since L'Illustration, a prestigious magazine, illustrated in an article of January 29, 1921 pictures of the six models selected.

Description of the medal

The medal is round with a diameter of 33 mm. It is bronze. On the obverse, is an effigy of a youthful Minerva in profile, wearing the helmet of 1914, representing France. She is crowned with laurels and holding a sword in her left hand. There are bay leaves mixed with oak leaves at the top to join the medal pendant ring that attaches the medal to the ribbon.

On the reverse is the legend: GRANDE GUERRE 1914-1918, surrounded by the inscription REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE

There was originally a clap for Engagés Volontaires (Committed Volunteers). This was replaced when the Croix du combattant volontaire 1914-1918 was established in 1935.

Eligibility

Certificate of award for the "Médaille Commémorative de la Grande Guerre" to a corporal in the Algerian Tirailleurs.

The 1914–1918 Commemorative war medal was awarded to those who served in the following conditions between August 2, 1914 and November 11, 1918

• All French soldiers and sailors present under arms or on board French warships, and merchant seamen, what would have been the length of their mobilization.
• All foreign soldiers and sailors who served under French authority or aboard a French ship, excluding those that were posted there.
• Officers and active persons of additional land subdivision railways
• Nurses, doctors, pharmacists, managers of French or foreign nationality who served in the French army medical units or on a voluntary basis.
• Civil guards, police officers and firefighters of bombed cities, having been officially registered between those dates and to have fulfilled their duties during the bombing.
• Police officers of the City of Paris, The Seine, the inspectorate staff of the Paris Police, staff officers of the assets of the granting of Paris and civil guards, all of whom having been militarized by decree of 7, 9, 19 August and 21 September 1914.
• French soldiers who are abroad, who have served in the ranks of the French Army, enlisting during the war in the Allied and Associated Armies of France.
• Colonial workers employed in the work of national defense in France, provided they have served a period of six months between the dates of eligibility.
• People of French or foreign nationality who served in the war zone in the works below designation, accredited to the French high command or under this command:
  • Various works, the soldier home, feeding station, etc.;
  • Knights of Columbus
  • American Red Cross
  • Mobile Sanitary Sections of the French Red Cross and foreigners in the French army

See also

• Ribbons of the French military and civil awards

References

• http://www.france-phaleristique.com/accueil.htm

Orders, decorations and medals of France National orders Legion of Honour Order of Liberation* National Order of Merit Ministry orders Ordre des Palmes Académiques Order of Agricultural Merit Ordre du Mérite Maritime Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Other civilian distinctions Médaille d’honneur pour acte de courage et de dévouement Médaille d'honneur de l'Aéronautique Médaille d'honneur agricole Médaille d'honneur des Chemins de Fer Médaille d'honneur départementale et communale Médaille d'honneur des Douanes Médaille d'honneur des Eaux et Forêts Médaille d'honneur de l'Enseignement du 1er degré Médaille d'honneur Pénitentiaire Médaille d'honneur des personnels civils relevant du ministère de la défense Médaille d'honneur de la Police nationale Médaille d'honneur des Sapeurs Pompiers Médaille d'honneur de Sociétés musicales et Chorales Médaille d'honneur de la protection judiciaire de la jeunesse Médaille d'honneur du travail Médaille d'honneur des Travaux publics Insigne des blessés civils Médaille de la Famille française Médaille de la Jeunesse et des Sports Médaille des Mines Médaille du Tourisme Ordre de Tahiti Nui Military medals Military Medal 1914–1918 War Cross** 1939–1945 War Cross* War Cross for foreign operational theaters* Cross for Military Valour Médaille de la Gendarmerie nationale Médaille de la Résistance* Médaille des Évadés* Croix du combattant volontaire 1914–1918** Croix du combattant volontaire 1939–1945* Croix du combattant volontaire de la Résistance* Croix du combattant Médaille de l'Aéronautique Médaille d'Outre-Mer Médaille de la Défense nationale Médaille des services militaires volontaires Medal of the Nation's Recognition Other military distinctions Médaille d'honneur du service de santé des armées Insignia for the Military Wounded Com- memorative medals 19th century Saint Helena Medal** Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign** Commemorative medal of the 1860 China Expedition** Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition** Commemorative medal of the 1870–1871 War** Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal** Commemorative medal of the Dahomey Expedition** Madagascar commemorative medal** Colonial Medal 1900–1914 1901 China expedition commemorative medal** Morocco commemorative medal (1909)** First World War 1914–1918 Médaille Interalliée 1914–1918** Médaille commémorative de la bataille de Verdun** Médaille de la Marne** Médaille commémorative de la bataille de la Somme** Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1914–1918** Médaille de la Reconnaissance française* Interwar Period 1918–1939 Syria-Cilicia commemorative medal** Dardanelles campaign medal** Orient campaign medal* Médaille de la Fidélité Française* Médaille des victimes de l'invasion** Medal for civilian prisoners, hostages and prisoners of the 1914-1918 Great War** Second World War 1939–1945 Médaille commémorative de la bataille de la Somme* Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France* 1943-1944 Italian Campaign medal* Medal for deportation and internment for acts of resistance* Deportation and political internment medal* Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1939–1945* Medal of a liberated France* Defaulter's medal* Since 1945 United Nations operations in Korea commemorative medal* Indochina Campaign commemorative medal* Middle East operations commemorative medal (1956)* Médaille commémorative des opérations de sécurité et de maintien de l'ordre en Afrique du Nord* North Africa medal* United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon medal French commemorative medal Defunct orders Ministry orders Ordre du Mérite combattant* Ordre du Mérite militaire* Ordre du Mérite civil* Ordre du Mérite social* Ordre du Mérite du Travail* Ordre du Mérite touristique* Ordre de l'Économie nationale* Ordre du Mérite commercial et industriel* Ordre du Mérite artisanal* Ordre de la Santé publique* Ordre du Mérite postal* Ordre du Mérite sportif* Colonial orders Ordre du Mérite indochinois* Ordre du Mérite saharien* Ordre de l'Étoile Noire* Ordre de l'Étoile d'Anjouan* Ordre du Nichan el Anouar* Ordre impérial du Dragon d'Annam* Ordre royal du Cambodge* * no longer awarded. ** no longer awarded, no living recipient France portal