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The Cross of the Liberation The insignia of the Order - the Cross of the Liberation - was created while the final texts of the edict were still being written. The project was managed by Tony Mella, Captain of the French Free Forces, and the model was made by the London branch of the Cartier jewelry company. Its features are described in the decree of 29 January 1941 which establishes Order organization. Since the Order has only one rank, there is only one kind of Cross of the Liberation. It is to be worn on the left breast, immediately after the Legion of Honor and before the Military Medal. The Cross is very simple in style. It is a polished bronze rectangular shield measuring 33 mm long and 30 mm wide, emblazoned with a two-edged sword that is 60 mm long and 7 mm wide, overlapping at the top and bottom edges of the shield, and a black Cross of Lorraine superimposed on the sword. At one point there were slightly different models of the Cross of the Liberation.
Ribbon colors were chosen for their symbolic meaning: black, which expressed the sorrow of a France oppressed by the invader; green, which expressed the hope of the Homeland. There were two models of the ribbon: the first one had black stripes placed diagonally, in the English style, and was awarded until August-September of 1942. It was finally replaced by a ribbon with vertical stripes.
The back of the shield is inscribed with the following motto: "PATRIAM SERVANDO - VICTORIAM TULIT" ("By serving his Country, he has brought us Victory"). The first Crosses were manufactured by the John Pinches company in London. Since the Liberation, they have been manufactured by the Paris Mint (la Monnaie).
Last updated: October 28th, 2001 |
