French Croix de Guerre awarded to US Units

These appear to have been awarded by France in 1947 and "accepted" by the US Army in 1950. Citation credit for these units list DA General Order 43 - 1950. Unfortunately a copy of this DAGO is not online, and possibly not in possession of the Army.

I found these two references to the CdG awarded to units of the 36th and 88th ID's (links).

88th Infantry Division

Presidental Unit Citations,WWII, 36th Division in 36th Infantry Division Forum

Anyone know more about the CdG than the Wikipedia entry? Any French language websites that have more information?

I am curious about how these were determined especially for battles not in France (e.g. Italy). It's a little sad that many former soldiers may not have known their unit was so honored by the French Army.

 

My father's unit, 3rd Battalion, 313th Inf., 79th Infantry Division, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for thier role in breaking through the Vosges Mountains. They also received a Distinguished Unit Citation for their part in preventing a panzer corps from taking the town of Oberroedern during Operation Nordwind.

History for 3rd Battalion, 313th Infantry Regiment

 

Thank you for that link. It seems to confirm a fourragère (in the colors of the Croix de Guerre) is awarded on a second citation.

 

Found this in the diary of an Armor Field Artillery officer, here

Maj. Herman Smith's Journal

From this I surmise the units would put individuals in for the CdG and higher headquarters would write recommendations for whole units. Later the French government would choose among them I suppose.

 

Fouragère can be awarded to both Regiments or individuals.

• "Mentioned in Despatches : the lowest degree is represented by a bronze star while the highest degree is represented by a bronze palm
  • a bronze star for those who had been mentioned at the regiment or brigade level.
  • a silver star, for those who had been mentioned at the division level.
  • a silver-gilt star for those who had been mentioned at the corps level.
  • a bronze palm for those who had been mentioned at the army level.
  • a silver palm represents five bronze ones.
  • a silver-gilt palm for those who had been mentioned at the Free French Forces level (World War II only).

The clasps are awarded for gallantry to any member of the French military or its allies and are, depending on the degree, roughly the equivalent for U.S. Bronze Star and Silver Star or UK Military Cross and Military Medal.

• Examples of translation from French
  • étoile en argent = silver star
  • palme en vermeil = silver-gilt palm"

Croix de guerre 1939


On every Croix de guerre, there is at least one clasp, either in the shape of a palm or of a star, and fashioned from either bronze, silver or gilded silver. The relative importance of the six possible combinations is detailed below. The total number of clasps on a "Croix de guerre", is not limited.

 

this will help with the fouragères ( 1918 to 1945)

 

The Department of the Army- US Army Human Resources Command in Fort Knox, KY has DA GO 43-50.
Darryl

 

My fathers unit was eligible for three.

117th IR, 30the Division:

FRENCH CROIX de GUERRE with Palm
15 Jun '44
DA GO #14-59

FRENCH CROIX de GUERRE with Silver Star
2-11 Oct '44
DA GO #43-50

1st Battalion, 117th IR:

FRENCH CROIX de GUERRE with Palm
7 Aug '44
DA GO #43-50

 

Well worth a salute. One is hard to have, two are quite a feat and three is not common at all. This being said I know some vets who earned so many citations and palms in combat they had to get longer ribbons. (check WWI ace Guynemer for instance) .

 

It is my understanding that either because they got three, or because the third one was specially cited, that men of the 1st Battalion were eligible to wear that award with whatever unit they subsequently served in. Normally (and my understanding of this is a bit shaky) a soldier would only be eligible to wear the award while serving with the unit that earned it.

Do you know anything about that?

 

Actually, there was some discussion about this here: http://www.ww2f.com/military-servic...athers-documents-am-i-missing-anything-3.html

And some confusion... Perhaps you might comment there or in this thread?

It is my understanding that upon getting the third award the men of the unit would then be eligible to wear CdG with any other unit they subsequently served, whereupon normally they could only wear it while serving in that unit. Or, the 3rd award (for the Siegrfried line and Aachen) had some special citation conferring that honor.

 

DA_General_Orders - Army Adminstrative Publications

I suppose somebody could let these people know.


Croix De Guerre, France

This page does not clarify the issue of two CdG equals one fourragére. The wording "unit was cited twice in the dispatches" has me wondering if it has to be for the same action.

Nor does it cite a different between a "personal CdG" and "unit CdG". Why can't a "unit CdG" go over the right pocket like a DUC/PUC?

 

I'm not sure if this applies to the Army, but I am aware of the rules for the wear of the fourragére in the Marine Corps, but it's based upon the 1918 award. I was in 6th Marines for a time and was authorized to wear the "pogue" rope. 5th and 6th Marines were awarded it in WWI and Marines serving in those units still wear it today. If you are serving in the unit, you are authorized to wear it, if you were part of the unit at the time of the award you were authorized to wear it even if you were no longer assigned to the unit. If you are serving in the unit, but were not with the unit at the time of the award the ropes are worn under the arm: See picture #1


A member of Sixth marines pre WWII, note the Fourragere and all loops under the arm.

If you were actually a member of the unit when the award was earned you wear a loop outside of the shoulder: See picture #2.

General Graves B. Erskine, WWII. He was with the Marine Brigade when they received the award, note the loops worn outside the shoulder.


General Clifton Cates, served as a junior office with the Marine Brigade when it earned the award. Again note the loops outside the shoulder. BTW, Cates is the officer that made one of my favorite quotes.
"I have only two men out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold."
1stLt. Clifton B. Cates, USMC
in Belleau Wood, 19 July 1918

 

I see. I no longer remember where I got the information, or if that information was even correct. But, in one of the unit histories or in some document of the unit, there was a statement that the 3rd award entitled the soldiers to wear it (the medal) with other units they might serve with subsequently. That 3rd award was for breaching the Siegried Line, so I'm not even sure why the French awarded it. The two previous ones were for action in France. The two Belgian Fourrageres awarded to the 30th were for actions in Belgium.

 

You can find the Department of the Army (DA) and War Department (WD) General Orders online at the Fort Benning library at the following location:

Maneuver Center of Excellence Libraries

Darryl

 

Don't know how I missed your post, Darryl. I just downloaded GOs 1947-1950 and found the GO for the CdG that was awarded to my great uncle's TD Bn. Thanks!