List of recipients of the Croix de Guerre

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The Croix de Guerre (French: [kʁwa də ɡɛʁ], Cross of War) is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, then revived for World War II, and from 1921 had another version for other conflicts. The Croix de Guerre was also commonly bestowed on foreign military forces allied to France.[1]

1914–1918 Croix de guerre with three citations, 2 bronze palms, 1 silver gilt star

The Croix de Guerre may be awarded either as an individual award or as a unit award to those soldiers who distinguish themselves by acts of heroism involving combat with the enemy. The medal is awarded to those who have been "mentioned in dispatches", meaning a heroic deed or deeds were performed meriting a citation from an individual's headquarters unit. The unit award of the Croix de Guerre with palm was issued to military units whose members performed heroic deeds in combat and were subsequently recognized by headquarters. The Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures ("Cross of War for external theatres of operations") was established in 1921 for other conflicts around the world.

Often whole units were awarded the decoration, and the total number of recipients during WWI was 2,065,000.[2] Especially in WW2, the decoration was also awarded to whole villages, such as those involved in the French Resistance.[3] The following is a very incomplete list of recipients of the Croix de Guerre, concentrating on awards to Americans.

Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) for Meritocracy during World War I

U.S. Soldiers wearing Croix de Guerre (France) Medals, year 1919.
U.S. soldiers awarded Croix de Guerre (France) Medal for Gallantry in Action during World War I. Photo taken in 1919.
  • Millicent Sylvia Armstrong was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in rescuing wounded soldiers while under fire.
  • William George Barker, VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Two Bars, a Canadian First World War fighter ace and Victoria Cross recipient.
  • Lt.-Gen. Sir James Melville Babington, Commander of the 23rd Division (United Kingdom)
  • Hobey Baker, an American fighter pilot.
  • Lt. Fred Becker, the University of Iowa's first All-American left school to enlist prior to his senior season. Commissioned in the Army and assigned to a Marine platoon. KIA at Soissons, July 1918. Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and France awarded him the Croix de Guerre.
  • Arthur Bluethenthal, All American football player and decorated World War I pilot.
  • Romeo Bosetti, Italian-French silent film director.
  • Solon Hannibal de la Mothe Borglum, for work with the Les Foyers du Soldat. American Sculptor.
  • Byrne, John G Sgt Irish Guard Service No 1730 British and French troops advanced across the Yser - Ypres canal 31/7/1917.
  • Wilson H. Williams With the 227th Aero Squadron. He was wounded while in action in the Toul sector by a shell which carried away portion of his jaw bone. He was a winner of the Michelin Marksmanship honors, and ranked sergeant first class in areo service. Williams was the first man to reach Quintin Roosevelt when the latter illustrious son of the famous Theodore Roosevelt met his death in action on the front line in France.
  • Bl. Daniel Brottier, beatus in the Roman Catholic Church; acted as a military chaplain during the war.
  • Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Melbourne and later Prime Minister of Australia, in 1917.
  • Eugene Bullard, wounded in the 1916 battles around Verdun, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his heroism. Served with the Lafayette Escadrille as the first African-American combat aviator.
  • Georges Carpentier, Aviator during the war as well as a World Light-Heavyweight Champion boxer. Best known for his bout with Jack Dempsey in 1921.
  • Vernon Castle, Pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. Flying over the Western Front, he completed 300 combat missions and shot down two aircraft.
  • Harry Cator, then a Sergeant in the 7th Battalion of The East Surrey Regiment of the British Army, awarded the Victoria Cross and the Croix de Guerre avec Palme for his heroism.
  • Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave DSO & Bar (August 28, 1890 – July 28, 1971) was the Canadian signatory to the Japanese Instrument of Surrender at the end of World War II.
  • Father John B. DeValles, A chaplain with the Yankee Division, he was known as the "Angel of the Trenches" for his valiant deeds in caring for both Allied and German soldiers on the battlefields of France. Fr. DeValles was injured in a mustard gas attack while attending to a fallen soldier and died two years later.
  • William J. Donovan, legendary soldier and founder of the Office of Strategic Services. Awarded U.S. Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross and Croix de Guerre with Palm and Silver Star.
  • Otis B. Duncan, lieutenant-colonel in the 370th Infantry Regiment (United States) and highest-ranking African-American officer to serve in World War I combat.
  • Ernest Fawcus, officer in the Northumberland Fusiliers and Royal Flying Corps, awarded the Croix de Guerre for leading successful bombing attacks.
  • Lady Dorothie Feilding, a British volunteer nurse awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in the field.
  • George L. Fox, awarded the Croix de Guerre for his service on the Western Front. He was also one of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives when the troopships USAT Dorchester was hit by a torpedo and sank on February 3, 1943, during World War II.
  • Robert Gauthiot, French Orientalist, linguist, and explorer, interrupted his exploration of the Pamir Mountains in July 1914 to return home to serve as a captain in the infantry. He received the Croix de Guerre before he was mortally wounded at the Second Battle of Artois in May 1916.
  • Bob Hoffman, an American who later became known for bodybuilding and weightlifting
  • Major Edwin L. Holton was awarded the Croix de Guerre for distinguished service as deputy commissioner of the American Red Cross in France in charge of re-education and rehabilitation of the disabled soldiers. He had a staff of 60 Red Cross Officials assisted by 15,000 workers. The staff he supervised helped 136,000 disabled soldiers of the 200,000 American wounded in WWI.
  • William F Howe, Commanding Officer of 102nd Field Artillery Regiment on the Western Front
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Iremonger
  • Sgt. Henry Johnson served with the 369th Infantry Regiment, better known as the Harlem Hellfighters or the Black Rattlers, the regiment consisted entirely of African Americans excepting their commanding officers. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with special citation and a golden palm for bravery in fighting off a German raiding party. Also posthumously awarded the Purple Heart(1996), the Distinguished Service Cross (2002), and the U.S. Army Medal of Honor (2015) for his actions in the battle.
  • Major General Charles E. Kilbourne who was also the first American to win the United States' three highest medals for bravery.
  • Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918), American poet, sergeant and intelligence observer with the 69th Volunteer Infantry, 42nd Rainbow Division, was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre for service.
  • Lieut. Ronald Langton-Jones, D.S.O., R.N.[4]
  • Henry Louis Larsen, an American Marine commanding the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines during every major battle of the war in France involving the United States.
  • E. Brooke Lee American Major from Maryland.
  • Henri de Lubac, a Roman Catholic Jesuit novice serving in the Third Infantry Regiment, who was severely wounded in the head on 1 November 1917 while fighting near Verdun. He later became an influential Catholic theologian and Cardinal.
  • Douglas MacArthur, American colonel and later brigadier general of the 42nd Rainbow Division, who served as chief of staff of the division then later as the commander of the 84th Infantry Brigade. He was awarded his first of three total World War I Croix de Guerre on 18 March 1918 for participating in a French trench raid on 26 February 1918.[5] MacArthur was the first ever American awarded the French Croix de Guerre.[6] He was awarded two more Croix de Guerre for combat service in summer 1918 while the 42nd Division was under the command of French general Henri Gouraud. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with two palms and one star for World War I service. MacArthur was one of only three American generals who were wounded or killed in World War I. The other two were Edward Sigerfoos (killed in action) and Albertus W. Catlin (wounded in action).[7] He later became a General of the Army and a Medal of Honor recipient during World War II.
  • William March, American writer, awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm.
  • George C. Marshall, General of the Army and Secretary of State, awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm.
  • Lawrence Dominic McCarthy, was also an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
  • Horace McCoy, American novelist and screenwriter.
  • John McNulty (U.S. Marine Corps)
  • Gustave A. Michalka, with two of his men he captured a machine gun by assault and killed the crew. By his bravery and prompt action he avoided losses in his platoon.
  • David McIlvenny, from Belfast was an ambulance driver with the British Army Service Corp. Serving in Italy, he was first awarded the Military Medal for rescuing wounded under shell-fire. He subsequently received gunshots wounds to the face. He was awarded the Croix De Guerre in August 1918 for attending to severely wounded French troops in Italy.
  • Charles E. Morris, M.M; Private, Manchester Regiment, Army No. 302578, was awarded Croix de Guerre on 30 October, 1918 for conspicuous bravery in the field at Passchaendale during October 1917.
  • Ruth Morton, field nurse from Washington University in St. Louis. Drove ambulance onto the battle field rescuing countless wounded soldiers.
  • Joseph Oklahombi, American soldier of the Choctaw nation who was a Choctaw code talker
  • George S. Patton, legendary American general.
  • Waldo Peirce, American Red Cross volunteer (1918, for courage during the Vosges Hills Battle)
  • Isabel Weld Perkins, for Red Cross volunteer work.
  • Thomas A. Pope 1918 Corporal, U.S. Army; also earned the U.S. Army Medal of Honor, the British Distinguished Conduct Medal, and the Médaille militaire, for bravery displayed in Hamel, France.
  • Eddie Rickenbacker, Captain and flying ace of the 94th Aero Squadron, United States Army Air Service, during World War I; also recipient of the U.S. Medal of Honor.[8]
  • James E. Rieger, Major (later Colonel), led a key attack during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
  • Marcel Riffard, aeronautics engineer and member of the 38th Artillery Regiment, received Croix de Guerre with star.[9]
  • Needham Roberts served with the 369th Infantry Division, better known as the Harlem Hellfighters or the Black Rattlers, a regiment consisted entirely of African Americans excepting their commanding officers.
  • Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Son of President Theodore Roosevelt. Battalion commander in France.
  • Milunka Savić, Serbian female officer was awarded the French Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 with Palm. She is the only woman in the world awarded with this medal for service in World War I.
  • James M. Sellers, president of Wentworth Military Academy and College and U.S. Marine. Awarded the Croix de Guerre for heroism at Belleau Wood
  • 1st Lt Francis Shea US ARMY air corps France 1919 for bravery in combat while protecting troops in the field who were under fire dropped bombs by hand to repeal the German onslaught.
  • Battling Siki, He won the world World Light-Heavyweight Championship from fellow Croix de Guerre recipient Georges Carpentier in 1922.
  • John R. Slay, Sergeant Company G 254th Infantry 69th Division Barricourt France, Gallantry in action 2 November 1918 Order NO. 16.684 D 23 April 1919
  • Laurence Stallings, American writer.
  • Francis V. Streeter Jr. - Cited for Bravery and Given Crosse de Guerre. Private Francis V. Streeter Jr. serving with the Ambulance corps of the American Army after having had previous experience with the Ambulance corps of the French Army, has been awarded the croix de guerre.
  • Donald Swartout, American Jackson, Michigan, intelligence pfc, Comp I, 128th Infantry, 32d Div. French Croix de Guerre with bronze palm, " dated March 15, 1919, General Headquarters, French Armies of the East Marshal Petain for carrying important messages between Juvigny and Terny Sorny while wounded.
  • John Tovey, Royal Navy, later became a senior naval commander and an Admiral of the Fleet.
  • Stephen W. Thompson, aviator, was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm. He is credited with the first aerial victory by the U.S. military.
  • Ludovicus Van Iersel, Dutch-American sergeant who won the Croix de Guerre twice while serving in France.
  • James Waddell was one of New Zealand’s most highly decorated soldiers of the First World War. Waddell was received in the French Legion of Honour and promoted twice. He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre seven times during the war.
  • Herbert Ward, artist, sculptor and African explorer, awarded the Croix de Guerre while serving with the British Ambulance Committee in the Vosges
  • Edwin "Pa" Watson, served in France. Earning the U.S. Army Silver Star and the Croix de Guerre from the French government.
  • William A. Wellman, American fighter pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corps, awarded Croix de Guerre with two palm leaves, 1918
  • Samuel Woodfill, American infantry lieutenant who disabled several German machine-gun nests and killed many enemy combatants with rifle, pistol and pickaxe. He was awarded the American Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre.
  • Alvin C. York was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Bronze Palm for his Valor in the Battle of Meuse River-Argonne Forest, near the town of Verdun, France. Also awarded the American Medal of Honor.
  • Marie Marvingt – According to her Legion of Honor citation, she was awarded the Croix De Guerre for piloting a 1915 bombing raid on the German-held airfield of Frescaty in Metz. Additionally, with the connivance of a friendly lieutenant, during WW1 she disguised herself as a man and joined the 42nd Battalion of Infantry (42nd Battalion des Chasseurs de Pied). Highly competent, she fit into the 42nd Battalion for about 6 weeks, until she was discovered and sent home. She then joined the Italian 3rd Regiment of Alpine Troops in the Dolomites.

Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) for Meritocracy during World War II

Colonel Jimmy Stewart being awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm in 1944.

Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) not otherwise categorized

During World War I, Cher Ami, a Carrier pigeon with the 77th Division, helped save the lives of 194 American soldiers by carrying a message across enemy lines in the heat of battle. Cher Ami was shot in the chest and leg, losing most of the leg to which the message was attached, and blinded in one eye, but continued the 25-mile flight avoiding shrapnel and poison gas to get the message home. Cher Ami was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for heroic service. He later died from the wounds received in battle and was enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution.

Aram Karamanoukian, a lieutenant-general of the Syrian army of Armenian descent, who participated in the First Arab-Israeli war, was awarded the Croix de Guerre.

References

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