Guest tintin Posted 2 July , 2003 Share Posted 2 July , 2003 I am reliably informed 12 British units received the collective award of the croix de Guerre of 1914-1918 with the right to wear the red and green lanyard. I have tracked down nine, does anyone know the missing three? The nine are:- 5th Bty RFA 2nd Bn Devonshires 2/8th West Yorks (2nd Leeds Rifles) 6th Bn Black Watch 4th Bn KSLI 9th Bn Royal Tank Corps An RAMC Field Ambulance TA An RASC Company 201 Squadron RAF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewThornton Posted 3 July , 2003 Share Posted 3 July , 2003 If I remember correctly, I think that 7th Bn South Wales Borderers were also given a collective award of the Croix de Guerre for service on the Salonika Front in 1918. The Territorial Field Ambulance awarded the Croix de Guerre was 24th (1/1st Wessex) Field Ambulance, which served with 8th Division British units did not seem to wear a lanyard as French units did but wore a strip of medal ribbon on the upper arms of their tunics. There is a tunic of a soldier of 1/4th KSLI at Shrewsbury Castle Museum that shows this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 4 July , 2003 Share Posted 4 July , 2003 tintin The article by G Archer Parfitt, "The Award of the Croix de Guerre (1914-18) to units of the British Army" in the Bulletin of the Military Historical Society, Nov 1973 (Vol 24 Issue 94 pp 75-104) lists 13 units The ASC company was 688 MT Coy ASC others in addition to those listed by you and Andrew are 9th Cheshires 8th North Staffordshires 12th Cheshires 12th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyem1 Posted 4 July , 2003 Share Posted 4 July , 2003 While on the subject of medals, were Belgium/French/German medals named to the person they were awarded to. I have not come across any. garyem1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 4 July , 2003 Share Posted 4 July , 2003 While on the subject of medals, were Belgium/French/German medals named to the person they were awarded to. I have not come across any. garyem1 French medals were not named, not even the Legion d'Honneur. However, they did come with paperwork (certifcates etc) which were often framed with the medals and thus 'identify' the medals with an individual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Furnell Posted 4 July , 2003 Share Posted 4 July , 2003 Evening all. I have a relative who,i believe,was a holder of a unit Croix-de Guerre and was a member of the 8th West Yorkshires,185th Brigade. Which battalion,i am not sure of,but he later earned an M.M,near Solemes,as a battalion runner,in September,1918. The 8th,West Yorks,won their Croix-de-Guerre at Montaigne-de-Bligny,on the 28th of July 1918. General Bertholot,of the French Army,referred to the"Yorkshire lads",and said that Mont-de-Bligny,"maybe inscribed in gold,in the annals of the battalion". After the war,my Great-Uncle threw his medals on the fire,at his disgust in the way that the veterans of the war,were treated. Not long after that,he emigrated to Australia,and disappeared from the family tree. I believe that the West Yorks,wore the ribbon for many years after the first world war. All the best. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castellane Posted 25 August , 2003 Share Posted 25 August , 2003 There is a further unit that was awarded the Croix de Guerre not mentioned elsewhere - this was the 149th Brigade RFA part of 30th Division in XVIII Corps of Gough's 5th Army. I have a copy of the Citation to the Divisional Order of the Day - Croix de Guerre avec L'Etoile Argent issued by a General Boichut Commander of the French 163 Infantry Division for bravery in the defence of Moreuil(part of the defence of Amiens) from 29 March to 4 April 1918 during the German Operation Michael which began on 21 March 1918. My uncle was a subaltern in 'A' battery. He only received a paper citation plus English translation. I have spoken to someone whose father was a driver in the same battery and he has the same. The Brigade had a bad start on 21st - the German breakthrough caught them by surprise: 'A' battery had to abandon all their guns; 'D' had to leave 3 howitzers. 4 days later they were down to just 11 guns in total so must have had repalcements shortly afterwards. Can anyone help me shed some light on the background to this award? I have searched the War Diary for the unit and the Royal Artillery appear to have nothing. Has anyone found a French source? Also a good reference for the retreat from St Quentin of 30th Division Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownag Posted 25 January , 2004 Share Posted 25 January , 2004 The article by G Archer Parfitt, "The Award of the Croix de Guerre (1914-18) to units of the British Army" in the Bulletin of the Military Historical Society, Nov 1973 (Vol 24 Issue 94 pp 75-104) lists 13 units I came across a small publication by G Archer Parfitt a few years ago from 1963 on this subject. He listed 12 units including 56 Brigade which included 9th Cheshire and 8th N. Staffs. Confusingly he also lists 1/4th KSLI seperately but it was part of 56 Brigade when it won the Croix de Guerre. (I believe G Archer Parfitt had been in the KSLI (TA) which may explain this) Should this mean though that the other units such as TMBs, Machine Gun units etc attached to the 56 Brigade would also have been awarded the croix de guerre? It looks like the 56 Brigade units and the Leeds Rifles and 1/6th Black Watch all received their medals for the same battle in 1918, and the 12th Argylls and 7th SWB both got theirs in Salonika in 1918. Does anyone know if the other units were also included in either of these two battles or were there other awards? Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 25 January , 2004 Share Posted 25 January , 2004 I have a copy of the Citation to the Divisional Order of the Day - Croix de Guerre avec L'Etoile Argent issued by a General Boichut Commander of the French 163 Infantry Division for bravery in the defence of Moreuil(part of the defence of Amiens) from 29 March to 4 April 1918 during the German Operation Michael which began on 21 March 1918. My uncle was a subaltern in 'A' battery. He only received a paper citation plus English translation. I have spoken to someone whose father was a driver in the same battery and he has the same. It is 1:20 am in California right now and I am going to bed, but if you send me your uncle's name I will attempt to research both him and the award of the Croix de Guerre to 149 Brigade, RFA and get back to you when I am wider awake in the morning. Regards. Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyOfficer Posted 25 January , 2004 Share Posted 25 January , 2004 Do British units still wear unit citations? The US Army does (in Class A) and I had a Canadian PPCLI working for me who wore the US Presidential Unit Citation that the Regiment was awarded in Korea. Just wondering if UK Regiments do this as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintin1689 Posted 25 January , 2004 Share Posted 25 January , 2004 The Gloucestershire Regiment wear the US Presidential unit citation on the top of the sleeve in No.1 and No.2 dress (I believe it is worn on the chest in US service?), It is a blue oblong with narrow gold edging and is sometimes referred to as "The Swimming Pool" This is for the action at the Imjin River during the war in Korea, the supporting mortar battery RA also received the award. This award is unique in the British service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sbecker Posted 25 January , 2004 Share Posted 25 January , 2004 The 3rd Battalion RAR (Para) Australian Army now wears their "swimming pool" over the right breast on dress uniforms. But in the 50's it was worn on top of the left selve. This was also won in Korea. S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyOfficer Posted 26 January , 2004 Share Posted 26 January , 2004 tintin/sbecker: thanks...got it. in US Army units they are worn in Class A/B above the right pocket; the French/Belgian fourrageres (or however you spell it). Any soldier wears the units' awards while assigned to the unit; those who were assigned to the unit WHEN they were awarded wear them permanently. A Presidential Unit Citation is very rare and very prestigious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldlb57 Posted 12 February , 2018 Share Posted 12 February , 2018 Please find the original citation by Marshal Pétain when he bestowed the Croix de Guerre to 24th (1st wessex) Field Hospital. The cotation is kept at Exeter Cathedral and the tradition of the unit is continued by 243rd (The Wessex) Field Hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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