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7 unusual facts about Croix de Guerre


Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer

Cecil Edward Robert Spencer RN DSC Croix de guerre (1894–1928), died unmarried in a riding accident.

Escadrille 23

On 19 March 1918, the escadrille earned the fourragere of the Croix de guerre by being cited again, for downing another 23 enemy airplanes.

Escadrille 65

This second citation entitled the unit's members to the fourragere of the Croix de guerre.

Escadrille 67

The second citation entitled the unit to wear a fourragere denoting a unit award of the Croix de guerre; Escadrille N 67 was the first aerial unit to win this award.

Escadrille SPA.57

This second citation entitled members of the unit to wear the fourragere of the Croix de guerre.

Jean Duclos

At the end of the war, decorated with the Légion d'honneur, Croix de guerre, Médaille militaire, but invalided out with an invalidity rate of 100%, he could not perform his job.

Raoul Nordling

Many accounts of these events attribute him a major role in doing so, and he was honoured by France after the Liberation with the highest available medal, the Croix de guerre avec palme.


André Marie

An artillery captain, he was decorated with a second croix de guerre, taken prisoner, and imprisoned at the Oflag at Saarburg.

Bernetta Adams Miller

She led a colorful life including winning a Croix de Guerre in World War I and being one of the people standing between Albert Einstein and the public at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

Charles Lacheroy

His father was a decorated infantry second lieutenant (Legion of Honour and Croix de guerre), killed on 2 August 1916 at Fleury, next to Douaumont fort.

Clarence Lionel Adcock

Adcock received a number of awards for his service, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire and the Croix de Guerre avec palmes.

Earl S. Hoag

His foreign decorations include the British Honorary Companion, Most Excellent Order of the Bath; the Norwegian Order of St. Olav, Commander with Star; the Chinese Special Collar Order of Yun-Hui, and the French Legion of Honor, Chevalier, and Croix de Guerre with Palm.

Elliott Cutler

For his contributions to military medicine in the Second World War, he received a second Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit from the United States War Department, the Order of the British Empire by King George VI of Britain, the Croix de Guerre by the French government, the Companion of the Order of the Bath, and Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur.

Elmer J. Rogers, Jr.

His foreign decorations include the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Croix de Guerre with Palm (French), Pilots Citation, Royal Yugoslavian Air Force, the Order of the White Elephant, 2nd Class (Thailand), the Ulchi Distinguished Military Service Medal with Gold Star (Republic of Korea), the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan), and the Military Order of Taeguk (Korea).

George B. Duncan

As a result of his service in World War I, he received numerous decorations, including the Croix de Guerre with two palms and a star and status as a Commander in the Legion of Honor from France, status as a Companion of Order of the Bath from the United Kingdom, and the Distinguished Service Medal from the United States.

Herbert Hasler

In 1940, Hasler served as fleet landing officer in Scapa Flow, and was then sent to Narvik in support of the French Foreign Legion in the Norwegian campaign, for which duties he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), mentioned in despatches, and awarded the Croix de guerre.

John W. Leonard

For his bravery in the battlefield near the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Major Leonard was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart French Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre with Palm and French Fourragère.

John W. O'Daniel

His decorations include the French Croix de Guerre, the British Order of the Bath, the Italian Silver Medal, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.

Macon C. Overton

Marine Captain Overton had previously been awarded the Croix de Guerre with silver star and palm for action in the Bois de Belleau (13 June 1918) and the Distinguished Service Cross for action near Mont Blanc (2–10 October 1918).

Matt Urban

On July 18, 1980, he was presented the Bronze Star Medal (second oak leaf cluster), the Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart (sixth oak leaf cluster) by the US Army and the Croix de guerre with silver-gilt star by a representative from France during a special ceremony at the Pentagon.

Maurice Wilder-Neligan

Originally receiving the rank of Private, he was commissioned and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel by the conclusion of the war, as well as receiving many decorations, including a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, a Distinguished Service Order & Bar, a Distinguished Conduct Medal, five Mention in Despatches and the French Croix de Guerre.

Mel Ferber

He became a World War II hero when, after landing at Utah Beach, he and four other members of his unit captured 464 German soldiers and used their weapons to rearm a French battalion (earning him the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star).

No. 121 Squadron RAF

Spitfire RCW: The Wartime Exploits of Wing Commander Royce Clifford Wilkinson OBE, DFM & Bar, C.de G.(France).

Paul Withington

Withington was awarded the Legion of Merit by the U.S. Navy in 1945, the Silver Star, the French croix de guerre, the British Mons Star, World War I victory ribbon, the Army of Occupation of Germany ribbon, the American Defense ribbon and the Pacific Asiatic ribbon with star.

Robert Merrill Lee

In addition to various awards and decorations from other U.S. allies, he wears the French Legion of Honor in the grade of Commander and the Croix de Guerre with Palm; the Luxembourg Order of Merit of Adolph of Nassau, Degree of Commander with Crown; the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Degree of Honorary Commander; and the Korean Order of Military Merit, Taeguk, with silver star.

Robert Wesley Colglazier, Jr.

His personal decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Order of the British Empire, French Legion of Honor and French Croix de Guerre.

Stuart Heintzelman

Heintzelman's awards include the Commander of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre with palm from France, the Commander of the Order of the Crown by the Italian Government, and the Distinguished Service Medal.

Theodore J. Conway

Conway’s decorations included the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster; Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters; French Legion of Honor; French Croix de Guerre with Palm; Czechoslovak Military Cross; Polish Golden Cross of Merit with Swords; Order of the British Empire; Order of the Crown of Italy; and the Army Distinguished Service Medal (US).

Vivian Hunter Galbraith

Ater the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted in January 1915 and served as a company commander in the Queen's Regiment and was awarded the Croix de guerre avec palme for his courage in Palestine in 1917 and France in 1918.


see also

77th Armor Regiment

French Fourragère in the colors of the Croix de Guerre, World War II