Ernest Hemingway's WW1 medals

[ritterk]

Can anyway confirm for me what WW1 medals Ernest Hemingway was awarded for his service with the US Ambulance Service in Italy? Did he qualify for a US Victory medal?

[ritterk]

This wartime photo may assist. He seems to be wearing 2 ribbons - for an Italian bravery award? and the Italian 1915-18 War Medal...

[tim_oz]

He received the Italian Silver Medal of Military Valor for his actions on 8 July 1918 for carrying a wounded man to safety and I agree that the other medal is the Italian Victory medal. He would not have been entitled to any US medals as he did not serve in the US forces in WW1 but he did get a Bronze Star in 1947 for his work as a correspondent in WW2.

Tim B

[ritterk]

Cheers for that. I have read one account which said he got the silver 'Al Valore Militare' for carrying the wounded man to safety and another that said he got the 'Croce di Guerra', which is a different decoration.... If he did not qualify for a US Victory Medal did he qualify for the Italian Victory Medal? One wonders if his medal group survives in a museum in the USA somewhere?....Cheers

[tim_oz]

Ive never seen a reference to him receiving the "Croce di Guerra". If the medals are anywhere they will be at the Hemingway house in Key West I went there some years ago and they have a display of his military memorabilia but cant recall for certain and did not take any photos.

Tim B

[ritterk]

Cheers for that, Tim. I have emailed Hemingway House and asked about his medals... Hopefully they can confirm what he was awarded,

HughK

[ritterk]

I have had no response from the Hemingway Museum in Key West - and a stock standard response from an USA Militeria website..... Obviously USA military records are not as researchable as 'Empire' medal records....

[Guest]

He did receive a silver medal from the Italian army.There is much confusion on the series of events.One soldier died as the results of the bomb blast and he may have been instrumental in aiding another during subsequent rifle fire. My father was one of the cicliste in the rolling mess camp where Hemingway heard battle stories used in the book 'A FAREWELL TO ARMS".

Pertinent notes are in the JFK library awaiting cataloging.

My father confirmed the decimations and summery executions mentioned in the book.

[michaeldr]

Per the notes in 'The Letters of Ernest Hemmingway, Vol.1 1907-1922' edited by Spanier & Trogdon, (C U P, 2011) - see p.125

EH was awarded the Medaglia d'Argento al Valore Militare and the Croce al Merito di Guerra

[Guest]

That is why I think he got the merit medal immediately,because although wounded himself he aided another wounded soldier. I think he got the silver later because he was a lieutenant.My father was NCO and only rated bronze.

[michaeldr]

EH was a volunteer with the American Red Cross

[not to be confused with the US Army Ambulance Service - he was also too young to get into the US army without his parents permission, and in any case, he would almost certainly have been rejected because of his eye sight]

 

In Italy EH was serving with the American Red Cross Ambulance Service and their Rolling Canteen Service. As such he came under the Italian army and (on June 9^th, 1918) he gives his address as:

Section 4, Italian Ambulance, Croce Rosa Americana.

He gives his rank as Sottotenente (or Second Lieutenant)

 

At the time of his wounding he was with one of the Red Cross Canteens. Not content with that however, he used to cycle up to the trenches distributing chocolate, cigarettes and postcards etc. On about the seventh day of doing this (8^th July 1918) the trench where he happened to be was hit by a mortar.

 

EH was concussed, however the Italians close to him suffered very much worse: 1 killed, 1 lost both legs and another badly wounded. When EH came to, he carried the latter on his back to a first aid dug-out. EH himself had c.221 wounds, luckily most of them very small.

 

[Details of 8^th July from a letter by his friend Theodore B. Brumback, written to EH's father Dr. Hemmingway, on 14^th July 1918.]

Edited 2 February , 2021 by michaeldr