Foreign awards to Australians (Approved)

Text from 'Ribbons and Medals' by H Taprell Dorling. Copyright Osprey Publishing Ltd.

MÉDAILLE MILITAIRE (French) Instituted 1852, for award to non-commissioned officers, other ranks and ratings of the army and navy, for acts of bravery in action and who had received one or more wounds, also for Generals and Admirals commanding armies and fleets. A silver medal, consisting of a gilt medallion within a silver wreath of laurel.

OBVERSE Until 1870, the head of the Prince-President Louis Napoleon, later Emperor Napoleon III, within a blue border inscribed LOUIS - NAPOLEON. Above the medal was the French eagle, head to right, with drooping wings touching the medal. In less than a year this was altered so that the wings did not touch the medal (this was the type awarded to many British troops during the Crimean War). With the fall of the Empire, the head of La République and the circumscription, REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE 1870, appeared on the medallion, the date being removed in February 1951. The first type of the Third Republic had a trophy of arms in place of the eagle; this appeared on both sides and was soldered to the medal. Later the trophy was hinged, with a plain reverse (this type was awarded to many allied troops during the 1914-1918 War).

REVERSE All types, VALEUR ET DISCIPLINE in the medallion. RIBBON Ribbon 38mm, yellow with 5mm green edges. 

Also with palm and/or star

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WW2 version

It was instituted on 8 April 1915 as an outward recognition for being mentioned in the order of the day of an army, corps, division, brigade or battalion. 

Award of the Legion of Honour for valour displayed on the field or of the French Military Medal automatically brought entitlement to the War Cross for French nationals. 

It was also awarded to troops of other nationalities for conspicuous service in France.

The reverse side bears the year 1914 together with the year in which they were struck/awarded (1915, 1916, 1917 or 1918).

The Duet	Details

WW2 version of the French Croix De Guerre with bronze star (and faded ribbon)

Awarded to military personnel for an act of bravery against the enemy. This bronze cross was instituted on 25 October 1915 and was also awarded to foreign military personnel.  

Except for bravery, it could also be awarded in a number of other cases, e.g. to military personnel with at least 5 front stripes (3 years of frontline duty) for good conduct, to volunteers either over 40 years or under 16 years old with at least 18 months of service in a combat unit, for escaped military personnel who re-entered the army or for military personnel who, through severe war wounds, were invalided out. These classes apply only to Belgian nationals. Foreign personnel were only considered for bravery or conspicuous service on Belgian soil.

 The ribbon is red with five green stripes, but in a different configuration to those on the French CdeG.

There was provision made for enhancing the award by the addition of a palm leaf on the ribbon in a similar way to the French medal of the same name. (see left)

• Both the French and Belgian CdeG were accepted by Australian authorities as being suitable to be worn in uniform.

McMullan was recommended for the United States Award of Legion of Merit Medal but the Australian government of the day did not allow Australian servicemen to be awarded military medals of other nations. The Americans therefore awarded McMullen the civilian Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm for his service between 22 October 1943 and 1 June 1944. 

Citation reads as follows, 'Lieutenant Colonel KENNETH G. McMULLEN, NGX371, Australian New Guinea Administration Unit. For meritorious service which has aided the United States in the prosecution of the war against Japan in the Southwest Pacific Area, from 22 October 1943 to 1 June 1944. As Liaison Officer to the Sixth Army, Colonel McMullen formed Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit Detachments which were organized as military units attached to task forces.

• 5 classes: 
  • Grand Cordon, 
  • Grand Officer, 
  • Commander, 
  • Officer, and 
  • Knight.
• 3 Divisions:
  • Civil
  • Military
  • Maritime

Awarded to those of high rank in public life, for exceptional service. 

• Crossed swords on the ribbon (as opposed to those on the decoration itself) indicate awards for war service.

The original award was known as the Decoration of the Order of Leopold II (Decoration de l'Ordre de Leopold II) and consisted of 3 classes as follows: 1st Class (Gold Cross), 2nd Class (Silver Cross) and 3rd Class (Medals in Gold, Silver or Bronze). The ribbon was 36mm wide, dark blue with a 6mm black central stripe. The ribbon of the 1st class award contained a rosette.  

After a few years, a Constitutional Decree of the Independant State of Congo (No. 5) was published on 1 May, 1903 which revised the Order to consist of 6 classes as follows: Grand-Croix, Grand-Officiers, Commandeurs, Officiers, Chevaliers and Medals. The order may be conferred on civilians and on the military, on Belgians and on foreigners, as a reward for services to the Monarch and as a token of his personal goodwill. 

Military personnel decorated who have been mentioned-in-dispatches during the First or Second World Wars bear on the ribbon a gold or silver palm with an "A" for "Albert" or an "L" for "Leopold". (Ref: Orders, Medals and Decorations of Britain and Europe by Paul Hieronymussen).

The decoration consisted of a circular silver medal, suspended from a medal ribbon on the left breast. Bars were awarded for additional acts of gallantry. Recipients were entitled to the post-nominal letters BGM and received a monetary allowance. The number of awards totalled 180. Made obsolete 1948.

The National Order was intended as a combination of the French Legion d'Honneur and the Order of the Dragon of Annam, a French colonial award. 

The medal has a central circle in which the words 'TO-QUOC-TRI-AN' '(The Gratitude of the Fatherland') appear in gold on a red enamelled background, surrounded by a Greek key pattern in gold on a blue enamelled band. 

From this central disc five golden rays issue, the gaps between them being filled by green enamel in the form of a dragon's tail. 

The medal is suspended from two rings at the bottom of a rectangle in the shape of a dragon's head, a single ring at the top taking the ribbon. 

The ribbon is red with a 5 mm yellow band at each edge.  

Between the rays are golden trident heads, and in the centre is a red disc containing three narrow triangles in gold, surrounded by an orange band containing the words 'LUC-QUAN HUAN CHUONG' in gold. 

On the reverse is stamped the words 'VIET-NAM' in a lined circle. The ribbon is a two armed embroidered design in tan and green, each arm crossing the other three times and ending in a hanging fringe behind the medal.

Five of these Second Class decorations were awarded to Australian servicemen, but permission from the Australian Government for them to be worn was not granted until the late 1990s.

The medal is suspended from a pair of rings supporting a trophy of arms (crossed swords). The ribbon is yellow, with a broad green and narrow white stripe at each edge. In the centre are seven closely grouped green lines. Nine of these decorations were awarded to Australian servicemen, but permission from the Australian Government for them to be worn was not granted until the late 1990s. Recipients were: Warrant Officers J T Malone, L Steele, R J Swanton and K A Wheatley VC, Corporals A H T Fotheringham and F J Smith, Lance Corporal T Ross and Privates R E Field and W L Nalder

The reverse has a lined circle containing the word 'VIETNAM'. The ribbon is green with a 5 mm wide red band 2 mm in from each edge. Thirty eight of these decorations, which were granted for outstanding achievements in the field of civil affairs, were awarded to Australian servicemen. However, permission for them to be worn was not granted by the Australian Government until the late 1990s. 

The awards included 27 First Class (to officers) and 11 Second Class (to Other Ranks).

The Malaysia Honour Medal (Pingat Jasa Malaysia - PJM) will be made available to all British Commonwealth forces engaged in the emergency and confrontation from 1957 through to 1966. That means New Zealand personnel as well as Fijians, British, Australians etc who were veterans of Malaya , Malay Peninsula , Malaya 1961-63 etc.

During 2004, the Malaysian Government offered a medallic award through the New Zealand Government to all New Zealand military personnel in recognition of their service in Malaya during the Emergency and Confrontation. This also includes all members of Civil Servants, Police and the Armed Forces under the Commonwealth.

Known as the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal [Malaysia Honour Medal], the qualification is that service have occurred between 31 August 1957 , and 12 August 1966 .

“In the 1950s and 60s large numbers of New Zealand soldiers served in what was then Malaya .  Many of them were deeply affected by their experiences in your lovely country.  Many of them have been back to revisit this beautiful part of the world.

Later this week I shall visit Taiping, where a number of New Zealand servicemen are buried.  The government of New Zealand appreciates the generous offer by the government of Malaysia of the award of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia to honour former New Zealand personnel who served here during the Emergency and Confrontation.  This offer is now in the formal processes of government consideration in Wellington .”

Meanwhile, the Australian Government has approved the medal which will be handled by the Defence Honours and Awards for issue to their eligible personnel, not the Department of Veteran Affairs.

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