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Remembered Today:

Croix de Virtute Militara of Rumania


24319553

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I am trying to ascertain the reason why a distant relative was awarded this Rumanian medal. He was in the 1/1st Sussex Yeomanry at Gallipoli and as far as I know that was the closet he was to the Rumanian front. After evacuation from Gallipoli the regiment was sent to Egypt on the Suez Canal defences, where they were converted from being primarily cavalry to infantry. They then served in Palestine during 1917 eventually ending the last few months of the war on the Western Front. I can see no connection at all with Rumania in any of his surviving records. any information/help would be most appreciated. Thanks.

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Hi

 

read this - http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/foreign-awards-and-decorations-to-british-soldiers/

 

Allies shared gallantry medals between them, so if it was seemed appropriate then they were issued when maybe a British award was not issued, for a variety of reasons, as far as I understand.

 

regards

 

Robert

 

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Hi 24319553

 

What was his name, number I may have something on my database.

 

The allies had a reciprocating deal, where each gave the other a small amount of Decorations and awards to be handed out as was felt deserving. Especially, as Robert states above, when there were limited numbers of Imperial awards. The recipient didn't have to serve in or with the country that the award came from. But most French and Belgian awards went to soldiers serving in or with those countries but not all.

The British authorities generally kept to the guide lines of the original country as to why the awards were distributed, ie bravery for bravery and meritorious for meritorious service. 

Foreign awards are generally much rarer than the imperial awards and are just as hard won. There are no citations in the London Gazette but occasionally some are available in War Diaries and are mentioned in local Newspapers.

 

There were approx. 27 1st Class and 107 2nd Class, Croix de Virtute Militara of Rumania awarded to the British Commonwealth forces during WW1.

 

Cheers

Peter

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Hi ForeignGong. His name was John Charles Sterry BALCOMBE, 320001, 1/1st Sussex Yeomanry and then 16th (Sussex Yeomanry) Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. I have the extract from the Edinburgh Gazette, dated 24 Sep 1919, giving the announcement for the award. He was also awarded the DCM for gallantry in Palestine in 1917. Many thanks.

Many thanks for the link rksimpson. I am checking it out now.

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14 hours ago, ForeignGong said:

There were approx. 27 1st Class and 107 2nd Class, Croix de Virtute Militara of Rumania awarded to the British Commonwealth forces during WW1

FG,   Where'd you get these numbers, please?  I hold two groups with foreign awards for the Great War:

 

1) Anderson, George M, # 10359, 2/Seaforth:  Mons Star / BWM / AVM / Rumanian Croix De Virtute Militare 2nd Class

2)Reid, Andrew, # 1392, 1/Seaforth:  DCM(20.12.14)/Mons Star / BWM / AVM / Belgian Croix de Guerre avec Palm

Edited by bif
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Hi BIF

Very, very nice groups.

I have a database of Foreign awards from 1900 to 1925 (this is when the last WW1 awards were Gazetted) that I have worked on for about 17 years and have over 80,000 names.

 

Approx 54,000 are Gazetted. I don't state that I have 100% of the Gazetted ones but must be very close. That is why I say approx. when I give figures. There is another chap who has done the Gazette awards, Philip Whttingham, and I have compared his list to mine and there were a couple that I had missed and vise versa. So must be close to 100%.

 

The rest I am adding to all the time, these are awards that are listed in Regimental Histories, War Diaries and those that were issued to Societies (such as BRCS, St John, YMCA) that had permission to accept and wear from the Foreign Office.

 

I also add any additional info I can about each recipient, such as Citations, recommendations and what you have just supplied in the way of extra medals. I have a few photos and newspaper articles that people have sent to me, most from this forum.

 

I am happy to confirm awards for people and give the relevant Gazette but I don't have the time to go searching through some ones collection list to see if they are entitled to foreign awards, I would rather spend that time looking for more info.

I can confirm your Anderson, George M, # 10359, 2/Seaforth:  Mons Star / BWM / AVM / Rumanian Croix De Virtute Militare 2nd Class,

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/13504/page/3129

but have no record of Reid, can you please let me know his authority for the Belgian Croix de Guerre avec Palm so I can add him???

 

Cheers

Peter

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Peter,   Thanks for your most generous assist.  Wow, that's one bunch of research. Reid is still a work in progress.  Will let you know when/if I verify him. 

 

                                                            Respectfully,   John (bif)

Edited by bif
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  • 2 years later...

I'm hoping someone can help. My Great Uncle Lance Bombadier Frederick Charles Suffling (697500) C/275th (West Lancashire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force) was awarded the Croix de Virtute Militaria in September 1919. Is there anywhere that I can find out what it was awarded for.

Edited by Guest
spelling error
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welcome to the forum

you could try 

  • local newspapers
  • war diaries
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Ive looked on FMP and cant find anything, and its much easier to look with an uncommon name - local library etc may have copies that are not online

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Foreign Gong wrote: "There were approx. 27 1st Class and 107 2nd Class, Croix de Virtute Militara of Rumania awarded to the British Commonwealth forces during WW1"

 

Maton indicates that 30 1st Class and 120 2nd Class awards of the Cross of Military Virtue were awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers.

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The War Diary of the 1st West Lancashire Brigade RFA on page 139 in a discussion of the brigades activities on 19 April 1918 states "As usual the signalers put in some wonderful work. The carried their lives continually in there hands and were at it day and night. One cannot help mentioning . . . Sergt. Ledson, Br. Suffin [sic] and Gunner Boys of "C" Battery."

 

This may be the reason he was later awarded the Cross of Military Virtue though there is no mention of the award in the book.

Edited by rflory
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On 05/02/2020 at 20:40, rflory said:

The War Diary of the 1st West Lancashire Brigade RFA on page 139 in a discussion of the brigades activities on 19 April 1918 states "As usual the signalers put in some wonderful work. The carried their lives continually in there hands and were at it day and night. One cannot help mentioning . . . Sergt. Ledson, Br. Suffin [sic] and Gunner Boys of "C" Battery."

 

This may be the reason he was later awarded the Cross of Military Virtue though there is no mention of the award in the book.

Thanks for this information. It has given me a starting point. 

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  • 10 months later...

Hi there,

I'm looking for some help if possible

I have a group of medal, all mounted for wear in a contemporary style.

MC 1945-15 Star, BWM, ALL V, and Roumanian Croix de Virtute Militara

3544 Pte. N Rolles , 28-Lond.R on star

2-Lieut N Rolles on BWM and Vic.

Nathaniel Rolles 14th Warwickshire Regt

MC is LG 1st Feb 1919 and is engraved 24th Sept 1918 Lieut N Rolles Cambrai

 

I've searches and searched the LG and LG index and can find no reference in regard to the Roumanian award.

I did also find that he went on to serve in WW2 as Lt. N Rolles(25017) RASC, retiring in 1944 due to illhealth.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Andrew

 

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2 hours ago, AndrewBoyle said:

I've searches and searched the LG and LG index and can find no reference in regard to the Roumanian award.

 

The index dosn't seem to capture this search so it's certainly not easy to find.  There's a batch of them (and perhaps not all of them) on LG Supplement 31560 dated 20th September 1919 starting Page 11751

 

Edited by TullochArd
...... as pointed out by ForeignGong above (02 Aug 2017). 
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  • 2 years later...
On 23/12/2020 at 11:35, AndrewBoyle said:

Nathaniel Rolles 14th Warwickshire Regt

MC is LG 1st Feb 1919 and is engraved 24th Sept 1918 Lieut N Rolles Cambrai

 Have you tried the 14th Bn WD? Foreign awards are sometimes mentioned - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352225

 e.g. 28050 Pte Walter George Sharp was awarded a MM and C de G on the same MM list at the end of Oct 1918.

 I suspect that Rolles' Rumanian award was for the same action as his MC. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31158/supplement/1688

image.png.a05c5656da7fbfc4c599fd9218c7a29e.png

 EDIT: Rolles' MC is one of 3 at the end of Oct 1918. The Croix de Guerre to Pte Sharp was on the attached MM & parchments list.

image.png.842f6ae6b2b353998c6937d74c1b9634.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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2 hours ago, Ivor Anderson said:

   Croix de Virtute Militara of Rumania - LG 31560 - 20 Sept 1919, p.11751: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31560/supplement/11751

image.png.4deb09eef173a959074d74002ce7c2b8.png

Hi ivor I have this my grandmother was George's eldest daughter she said when she was 14 both her parents died her and her 3 sisters where taken into care but I can't fins out hiw he died or where he is buried 

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 Just checking this was the man you were referring to. This must be him - died 3 October 1929 https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/532770:60558?tid=&pid=&queryId=38cb02508a3da1eb57213b011d94e92a&_phsrc=qzF5789&_phstart=successSource    Was Annie your grandmother?

image.png.1d2c651986144895ad7f8f4202a61731.png

There is a family tree on Ancestry: He was born May 24, 1890 at Avernewton, Lanarkshire. Father, George McBean Anderson Sr 1858 - 8 Jan 1896.

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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