| Place | Europe: France |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM13170 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Medal |
| Physical description | Bronze |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | 1935 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
French 1914 -1918 Volunteer Combatant Cross
Description
French 1914 -1918 Volunteer Combatant Cross (Croix du Combattant Volontaire).The design is a cross pattee, with raised edges. The obverse has laurel leaves on the arms. In the centre is a sword aligned vertically, point uppermost, surmounted by a medalion with a soldiers head facing left wearing a steel helmet within the inscription 'REPVBLIQVE FRANCAIS'. The arms on the reverse are plain. In the centre is a medallion containing laurel branches over '1914-1918' in the exergue, within the inscription 'COMBATTANT VOLONTAIRE'. The makers initials 'B.R.' are on the right hand side of the lower arm of the cross. The suspender is a loose ring attached to a fixed loop on the top arm of the cross. The ribbon is light green with a central red stripe and a yellow stripe near each edge.
History / Summary
This medal was instituted in 1935 to reward volunteers who had served in frontline (combatant) units during the First World War. Foreign nationals who had volunteered to serve in French units were also eligible for the medal.