Fourragère

The Fourragère is a badge of honor on the uniform of members of the French military units . Regiments , independent battalions , companies or ships that have distinguished themselves in the battle for the French Republic can be awarded with this award . The Fourragère should not be confused with the shoulder cords introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte , the so-called "aiguillettes".

The right to wear the Fourragère depends on at least two commendations from the army.

A loan to foreign units is possible.

Fourragères of the RICM and the 3 ° REI

origin

The origins of the Fourragère are vague, but historians disagree on this. The term is possibly derived from “ fourrage ” (food or food), as soldiers used to hang the food bag on a braided rope over their shoulders without enough pockets. When not in use, the rope or rope, which had loops in the shape of a tennis racket (or snowshoe) at the ends and which were known as "raquettes", was looped around the epaulette or epaulette.

It was first awarded as an award in the First World War .

Wearing right

The Fourragère may only be worn by soldiers whose unit has been awarded this award. If you switch to a unit that is not entitled to this award, the Fourragère must be taken. The only exception is if the soldier himself was a member of this unit at the time of the award. Then he continues to wear the “à titre individuel” cord when he leaves, which is confirmed to him by the boss of his new unit. For this purpose, he receives a small metal badge on his Fourragère, on which the number of the unit concerned can be read.

The right “à titre individuel”, however, only related to the awards as a whole while he was a member of the association. Should the unit be entitled to the "Medaille militaire" because of five commendations, but the person concerned only belonged to two or three commendations, he wore the cord of the medal militaire in the unit , but had to change it to the cord of the Croix Exchange de guerre - except of course, the new unit led an equivalent or higher ranking Fourragère.

description

The fourragère "en bataille" on the parade uniform

According to the order of April 21, 1916, it is a braided cord that ends at the rear end in the shape of a three-leaf clover. The front end merges into a simple cord with a brass tip (or sleeve) pushed onto it. The cord is looped around itself four times above the brass sleeve and forms a multiple overhand knot here . The olives, if any, are located between the knot and the metal point as additional identification of awards.

Usually the Fourragère is wrapped around the left arm and attached to a button with both loops, which is located an inch inside the shoulder seam under the epaulette or shoulder flap. The “en bataille” way of wearing the front end of the cord does not see it under the shoulder flap, but rather hooked it onto a shirt button in the button placket.

Emergence

The Fourragère decoration was created in 1916 with the order of April 21:

“Il est créé un insigne spécial destiné à rappeler d'une façon permanente les actions d'éclat de certains régiments et unités formant corps cités à l'ordre de l'armée. Cet insigne sera constitué par une fourragère aux couleurs de la croix de guerre. "

(A special award will be created as a permanent reminder of the glamorous actions of certain regiments and units that have distinguished themselves according to army orders. The badge will consist of a Fourragère in the colors of the Croix de guerre.)

In fact, by 1916 a considerable number of units had already been mentioned several times in the various army orders. These then received the new award. As the war continued, more and more commendations were given to individual units, making it necessary to create gradations. This was done through differentiations in shape and color with an order of February 22, 1918.

On July 9, 1925, the Fourragère des "Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieures" (TOE) was created for units that had fought outside of French territory and had received several praise. The cord was held in the colors pale red and pale blue. To differentiate the Fourragère TOE from the Medaille militaire 1914–1918, which carried the same cord, there was an olive on the TOE in the colors of the "Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieures" between the knot and the tip.

On November 27, 1954, a new regulation appeared, stating that the same regulations should apply to the units that had fought for France outside its territory since November 11, 1918, for wearing the Fourragère TOE on the dress suit and on the combat suit for the domestic French awards from 1914 to 1918 and from 1939 to 1945.

With a decision of the President of the Republic Jacques Chirac on February 23, 1996 the Ordre de la Liberation was created in order not to let the memory of the fighters of the liberation (Compagnons de la Liberation) be forgotten. The commanders of 17 units and ships that were awarded this medal received the new Fourragère from the President on June 18, 1996 in a ceremony at the memorial of the French front-line soldiers on Mont Valérien .

Fourragères in February 1918

Green-red striped

• Couleurs ruban de la Croix de guerre 1914-1918

This Fourragère is worn by units that have been mentioned two or three times in the relevant army reports. The cord for the award from the First World War does not have an olive, the cord for the award from the Second World War is provided with a green and red striped olive.

Yellow-green

• Fourragère of the Médaille militaire

This Fourragère is intended for units that have been mentioned four or five times in their army's report.

The cord for the WWI award is without an olive. For the award from the Second World War, it is provided with a yellow-green and red-green striped olive.

red

• Fourragère of the Légion d'honneur

For units that have been commended six, seven or eight times in their army's report. The cord for the WWI award is without an olive. For the award from the Second World War, it is provided with a red, red-green striped olive.

• 

  Strap buckle of the "Croix de guerre
  1914–1918"
• 

  Belt buckle of the "Médaille militaire"
• 

  Buckle of a "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur"
  (Knight of the Legion of Honor)

Double fourragères

Fourragère des Croix de guerre 1914–1918 in the normal way of carrying

The following awards are intended for mentions more than eight times in the army report:

• the double Fourragère of the Légion d'Honneur and Croix de Guerre for 9, 10 or 11 commendations
• the double Fourragère of the Légion d'Honneur and Médaille Militaire for 12, 13 or 14 commendations
• the double Fourragère of the Légion d'Honneur from 15 commendations

At the moment, neither the double Fourragère of the Légion d'Honneur and Médaille Militaire nor the double Fourragère of the Légion d'Honneur has been awarded, as no unit of the French army has received more than 11 commendations in a conflict period.

The double Fourragère of the Légion d'Honneur and Croix de guerre has so far carried the "3e Régiment étranger d'infanterie" (3rd regiment of the Foreign Legion infantry) and the "Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine" (Armored Infantry Landing Regiment) . The 3e REI has already been awarded a total of 15 commendations (9 × in World War I, 2 × in World War II and 4 × on extraterritorial locations, but since these are different epochs, they cannot be added up.) The same applies to that RICM, the most highly decorated unit in France with a total of 18 awards, 10 × in World War I, 2 × in World War II, 5 × in the colonial wars and once for the Lebanon mission.

Fourragères des Croix de guerre de Théâtres d'opérations extérieurs - TOE

(Fourragère for operations outside France)

Red and pale blue

This Fourragère is led by units that were / are mentioned two or three times in the army report for their service outside France. The cord is in the colors of the "Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs", red and pale blue.

Yellow and green

Awarded for missions outside France with four or five mentions in the army report. It is the Fourragère of the Médaille militaire with an olive in the colors of the “Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieures” between the knot and the metal tip.

red

Awarded for missions outside France with six, seven or eight references in the army report. It is the cord of the Légion d'honneur with an olive in the colors of the “Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieures” between the knot and the metal tip.

Double fourragère

Awarded for missions outside of France with nineteen or eleven mentions in the army report. It is the double cord of the Légion d'honneur with an olive in the colors of the “Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieures” between the knot and the metal tip. (Is not taken)

Fourragère de l'Ordre de la Liberation

• 

  Fourragère des Ordre de la Liberation

• 

  Strap buckle

• 

  How to carry the Fourragère

This fourragère consists of two round cords that are not intertwined. The cords are of a mixed greenish-black color, the color of the ribbon des Ordre de la Liberation. The shamrock (trèfle) and the brass tip do not differ from the other versions. Below the knot is a small metal plate with the symbol of liberation, the Lorraine cross .

The olives

Analogous to the provisions for the awards that had been made as a result of the hostilities of 1914 and 1918, it was decided in April 1945 that a similar unit should be given for the units that had been in combat since September 2, 1939 and were mentioned at least twice Creating award. A new Fourragère was not considered, however, but the existing ones were used, which were equipped with one or two additional olives in special color combinations for the awards of the Second World War. Of course, this only applied to units that had already received a Fourragère during World War I.

These two strap buckles show the difference between the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 and the Croix de guerre 1939–1945.

.

Fourragère des Croix de guerre 1914 1918 with Olive des Croix de guerre 1939 1945

Fourragère des Croix de la Valeur militaire

The Croix de la Valeur militaire was founded by decree on October 12, 1956 by the President of the Republic, Monsieur René Coty , and is intended to honor people who have earned military service in war zones but who are not eligible for the Croix de guerre . With the decision of the President, Monsieur Nicolas Sarkozy of November 2011, the “Croix de la Valeur militaire” can also be awarded to foreign units. In order to be awarded, an honorable mention by the army at least twice in the course of the same operation is necessary. If there are more than one commendation, a different olive is added. The Fourragère is kept in the colors red and white. :

Combinations

2 and 3 commendations - without olive

4 and 5 commendations - an olive in the colors of the Médaille militaire

6 and 7 commendations - an olive in the colors of the Médaille militaire / Légion d'honneur

8 and 9 commendations - an olive in the colors of the Légion d'honneur

10 commendations - an olive in the colors of the Médaille militaire and the Légion d'honneur separated by a white cord

The olive bears a metal plaque on which the name of the operating area is engraved.

Similar decorations

Post of the Garde républicaine with the typical "Aiguillettes" in front of the Élysée Palace

The Fourragères described here must not be confused with the so-called "aiguillettes", a lacing on the uniform that has nothing to do with a medal or decoration:

• Aides de camp : gold-colored with two tips. Worn on the right shoulder
• National gendarmerie : white with silver tips. Worn on the left shoulder.
• Garde républicaine : evenly mixed red and gold with two tips. Worn on the left shoulder.
• Police of Paris : A simple red string in the style of the Légion d'honneur to the parade uniform on the left shoulder.

The military of Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal wear the same cords, but they have nothing to do with each other. Such a shear was also carried out by the former South Vietnamese army.

On special occasions, parts of the US armed forces carry a shoulder cord (in different colors) that is modeled on the Fourragère.

Lists of Awarded Units

Web links

Commons : Aiguillette  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Commons : Fourragère  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Footnotes and individual references

1. ↑ here the army is meant as an association
2. ↑ Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine (Armored Landing Force Regiment)
3. ↑ Régiment d 'etrangére d' infanterie (3rd Infantry Regiment of the Foreign Legion)
4. ↑ who fought for a common cause, but not for France
5. ↑ Circulaire n ° 13913 / SDBC / DECO créant une fourragère à la couleur croix de la Valeur militaire ( Memento of May 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
6. ↑ has nothing to do with it

Sources and literature

• Bulletin officiel des Armées, Décorations, édition méthodique. Entre parenthèses: dates des ordres ou décisions ministérielles d'attributions.
• douze unités décorées vingt-quatre unités recevront la Croix de la valeur militaire ultérieurement (PDF; 2.1 MB).
• L'Elysée a gardé la main sur la com 'around the 11th of November .