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17 unusual facts about Legion of Honour


Antoine Jacques Claude Joseph, comte Boulay de la Meurthe

He received the grand cross of the Legion of Honour and the title of count, was a member of Napoleon's privy council, but was never in high favour at court.

Bernard Destremau

After joining the Free French forces as a tank officer, he fought in France and Germany, was wounded in combat three times and received the Legion of Honour.

Charles Brinckerhoff Richards

Richards was the United States Commissioner of the Paris Exposition of 1889 and a recipient of the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France.

Chickering and Sons

In 1867, Jonas's son Frank Chickering had the Imperial Cross of the Legion of Honour, then one of the world's most prestigious non-military awards, bestowed upon him by Emperor Napoleon III for services to the art of music, one of more than 200 awards the piano manufacturer garnered over the years.

Col d'Aubisque

The summit of the col is marked by a commemorative plaque to André Bach, 1888–1945, member of Legion of Honour and President of the Cyclo Club of Béarn (C.C.B.).

Diplom

The Diplom originates from the French Diplôme (Diplôme de l'ordre impérial de la légion d'honneur ) describing a certificate devised during the Second French Empire to bestow honours upon outstanding citizens and soldiers of the imperial French army to promote them into the Legion of Honour since 1862.

Duval-Leroy

A figure in Champagne, Raymond held the Legion of Honour for its role in the French army in the First World War.

Ferrante Aporti

He received from the French Government the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1846, and from Victor Emmanuel the rank of Senator in 1848.

Francis Wright Bradley

Awarded French Legion of Honor (Chevalier) decoration and certificate.

Hans Bergsland

He received the King's Medal of Merit in gold and the Swedish Olympia Medal, and was decorated as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

Médaillon Des Deux Épées

His three Médaillon Des Deux Épées and his Légion d'Honneur are visible in this 1788 portrait by Antoine Vestier, which was modified in 1804 to include the Légion d'Honneur.

Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées

Gradually she grows to love her husband in her own way, and with her encouragement he makes a career for himself in local politics, which culminates in his becoming a peer of France and a grand officer of the Legion of Honour.

The Last Encounter

After winning the election, he confers on Hornblower the insignia of a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and gives a sapphire to his wife, in gratitude for their timely assistance.

Trenor W. Park

Julia Catlin Taufflieb received the Légion d'honneur to recognize her support of the Allied effort during World War I, when she turned her mansion in France into a 300 bed hospital near the front lines.

Walter B. Beals

Promoted to lieutenant colonel and decorated with the Legion of Honour by France, he became one of the founders of the American Legion.

Walter Short

Major General Short´s decorations include: Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Mexican Border Service Medal, World War I Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with One Battle Star (Pearl Harbor), American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Officer of the Legion of Honour.

William Robertson Desobry

His foreign awards include the French Croix de Guerre with 2 Silver Palms and 1 Bronze Palm, Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm, French Legion of Honour, German Verdienstkreuz, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold and Bronze Stars, and the Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (1st Class).


Adolfo Bioy Casares

Bioy won several awards, including the Gran Premio de Honor of SADE (the Argentine Society of Writers, 1975), the French Legion of Honour (1981), the Diamond Konex Award of Literature (1994) the title of Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires (1986), and the Miguel de Cervantes Prize (awarded to him in 1991 in Alcalá de Henares).

Ailly-le-Haut-Clocher

Ernest Deroussen, Army infantry officer, killed in the assault on the Malakoff Tower at Sebastopol, decorated with the Legion of Honour.

Alfred William Robin

For service during the First World War he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, and was one of only 14 members of the New Zealand Military Forces to receive the French Legion of Honour decoration during the war.

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.

Charles Langbridge Morgan

He was awarded the French Legion of Honour in 1936, a promotion in 1945, and was elected a member of the Institut de France in 1949.

Commemorative medal of the 1870–1871 War

Although the bravest were rewarded with the Legion of Honour and the Military Medal, the authorities firmly refused to create a commemorative medal for award to the participants of the conflict.

David Edward

Sir David was awarded the Distinguished Cross, first class, Order of St. Raymond of Peñafort (Spain) in 1979, Orden de San Raimundo de Peñafort, Cruz Distinguida (Primera Clase), and in 2012 the Republic of France appointed him as an Officer of the Legion of Honour (Officier de la Legion d’Honneur) and Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Edgar Quinet

In 1838 he published a strong reply to David Strauss' Leben Jesu, and in that year he received the Legion of Honour.

Erling Steen

Steen was decorated as a Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav (1947) and a Knight of the Order of the Crown, the Order of the Dannebrog, the Legion of Honour and the Order of the Polar Star.

Ignacy Prądzyński

For his bravery in the latter campaign he was awarded with the Golden Cross of the Virtuti Militari and the French Legion of Honour for his role in the Battle of Leipzig and the Battle of Waterloo.

Johann Friedrich Dübner

One of Dübner's most important works was an edition of Julius Caesar undertaken by command of Napoleon III, which obtained him the cross of the Legion of Honour.

Joseph Francis Olliffe

In 1846, Louis-Philippe appointed Olliffe a knight of the Legion of Honour, and he was promoted to the rank of Officer in 1855 by Napoleon III.

Józef Chłopicki

In Spain he obtained the Legion of Honour and the rank of a French Imperial Baron for his heroism at the battle of Epila and the storming of Zaragoza, and in 1809 was promoted to be general of brigade.

Jules James

Later, during the 70th U.S. Congress, special dispensation allowed James to accept the French Legion of Honour for his World War I service.

Pierre Kaan

On 12 May 1948, the official journal of the French Government announced that Kaan had been posthumously decorated with Knight of the Legion of Honour, Medal of the Resistance with Rosette, War Cross with silver palm.

Pōmare V

On 29 June 1880, he gave Tahiti and its dependencies to France, whereupon he was given a pension by French government and the titular position of Officer of the Orders of the Legion of Honour and Agricultural Merit of France.

Robert Livesay

The Division’s success during the Battle of the Somme was due in part to the outstanding work of Livesay and The New Zealand Division’s performance was recognised by the French with the award of the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the French Republic in May 1917.