Croix de Guerre - Selected Recipients - Individuals in World War I

Individuals in World War I

• Millicent Sylvia Armstrong won the Croix de Guerre for bravery in rescuing wounded soldiers while under fire.
• Lt.-Gen. Sir James Melville Babington, Commander of the 23rd Division (United Kingdom)
• Hobey Baker, an American fighter pilot.
• Lieutenant Rene de Tournouer, 1915
• Lieutenant (later Temporary Captain) Harold Bassett, Royal Engineers, French Bronze with Palm, Jan 1916? (London Gazette 28 January 1919).
• Charles Raymond Blake, First Lieutenant serving in the Lafayette Flying Squadron, was awarded the Croix de guerre and the Distinguished Service Cross after successfully defending against five attacking German planes over Lassigny, France on August 9, 1918.
• Arthur Bluethenthal, All American football player and decorated World War I pilot.
• Solon Hannibal de la Mothe Borglum, for work with the Les Foyers du Soldat. American Sculptor.
• Bl. Daniel Brottier, beatus in the Roman Catholic Church; acted as a military chaplain during the war.
• Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Melbourne and later Prime Minister of Australia, in 1917.
• Eugene Bullard, wounded in the 1916 battles around Verdun, was awarded the Croix de guerre for his heroism.
• Georges Carpentier, Aviator during the war as well as a world champion boxer.
• John Clark, Red Cross ambulance driver, Section Sanitaire Anglaise No 18 - awarded the Croix de Guerre "Driver dedicated and courageous, who always demonstrated great composure in providing evacuation of wounded in a sector severely bombarded. This is particularly distinguished in the fighting in March and June 1918 South of M..."
• Andrew Colvin, Dispatch rider, Service No 202071. Canadian Infantry. Stayed conscious until message delivered. Died 23/12/1917. Also received Military Medal.
• Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave DSO & Bar (August 28, 1890–July 28, 1971) was the Canadian signatory to the Japanese Instrument of Surrender at the end of World War II.
• Clarkson Crane (1894–1971), American novelist, short-story writer and writing teacher, served with Section 586 of the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps from 1916 to 1919. His Croix de Guerre citation from 1918 is preserved in his personal papers in the archives of the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco.
• Father John B. DeValles, A chaplain with the Yankee Division, he was known as the "Angel of the Trenches" for his valiant deeds in caring for both Allied and German soldiers on the battlefields of France. Fr. DeValles was injured in a mustard gas attack while attending to a fallen soldier and died two years later.
• T/Lieutenant Hugh Ravensford Dixon, 121st Field Company R.E. was awarded the Croix de guerre with palm for his part in the bridging of the River Lys on 19 October 1918.
• Otis B. Duncan, lieutenant-colonel in the 370th Infantry Regiment (United States) and highest-ranking African-American officer to serve in World War I combat.
• Thomas J. Evans, part of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. He was awarded the cross on 31 July 1917 after the attack on Pilkem Ridge near Ypres.
• Ernest Fawcus, officer in the Northumberland Fusiliers and Royal Flying Corps, awarded the Croix de guerre for leading successful bombing attacks.
• Dorothie Feilding, a British volunteer nurse awarded the Croix de guerre for bravery in the field.
• George L. Fox, awarded the Croix de guerre for his service on the Western Front. He was also one of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives when the troopships USAT Dorchester was hit by a torpedo and sank on February 3, 1943, during World War II.
• William Henry Galpin, awarded the Croix de Guerre for his bravery in agreeing to continue helping local villagers bring in the harvest in Marseille, France, despite being under enemy shelling. A shell exploded over him, and the medal was sent home to his mother.
• Robert Gauthiot, French Orientalist, linguist, and explorer, interrupted his exploration of the Pamir Mountains in July 1914 to return home to serve as a captain in the infantry. He received the Croix de guerre before he was mortally wounded at the Second Battle of Artois in May 1916.
• Oliver James George (M.M) CPL East Surrey Regiment. He volunteered in September 1914, and after serving at stations in England, he was sent to France in October of the following year. There he fought at St. Eloi and Ypres, but being wounded two months later was invalided home to hospital, returning to the front in April 1916. He was in action at Messines, but at Guillemont during the Somme offensive, received a second wound which necessitated his evacuation to England. Early in 1917 he was again in action this time at Nieupoort and in November was drafted to Italy. Returning to France two months afterwards, he served at Bapaume & on the Somme during the “retreat and advance” and for conspicuous gallantry while in charge of a “mopping up” section in an operation in Menin in October, which resulted in the capture of 28 prisoners & 2 officers was awarded the military medal and Croix de Guerre. Also serving with the army of occupation, he was demobilised in March 1919 and holds the 1914–1918 star and general service & victory medals.
• Lieutenant Frederick Maurice Watson Harvey, Lord Strathcona’s Horse, Canada
• George Hedges No.9540, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment,1914–1918.
• Frank H. Hullinger, awarded Croix de Guerre for bravery. Also awarded with Hullinger was Earl Sleeth. Both "volunteered under violent bombardment to insure liaison of its advance post, which was attacked by a strong enemy detachment."
• Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Iremonger
• Henry Lincoln Johnson served with the 369th Infantry Division, better known as the Harlem Hellfighters or the Black Rattlers, a regiment consisted entirely of African Americans excepting their commanding officers.
• American poet Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918), a sergeant and intelligence observer with the 69th Volunteer Infantry, 42nd Rainbow Division, was posthumously awarded the Croix de guerre for service.
• Arthur Jefferson Lane, an Australian private in the 60th Battalion, Recommendation date: 30 September 1917 (Polygon Wood), Killed in Action 25 April 1918 (Villers-Bretonneux).
• Henry Louis Larsen, an American Marine commanding the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines during every major battle of the war in France involving the United States.
• Charles Lolah, a Passamaquoddy Indian from Pleasant Point reservation, Maine, who heroically fought and died in the Battle of Xivray-Marvoisin on 16 June 1918.
• Henri de Lubac, a Roman Catholic Jesuit novice serving in the Third Infantry Regiment, who was severely wounded in the head on 1 November 1917 while fighting near Verdun. He later became an influential Catholic theologian and Cardinal.
• Batista Maraglia of the 305th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Croix de guerre for his valor in the Battle of Meuse River-Argonne Forest, France.
• William March, American writer, awarded the Croix de guerre with palm.
• Lawrence Dominic McCarthy, was also an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
• Horace McCoy, American novelist and screenwriter.
• Harry Morton, Lieut. Colonel, 1st and 15th Bns Sherwood Foresters DSO MC, awarded for many brilliant military qualities and exceptional services in Flanders during September and October 1917.
• Waldo Peirce, American Red Cross volunteer (1918, for courage during the Vosges Hills Battle)
• Isabel Weld Perkins, awarded the Croix de guerre for Red Cross volunteer work.
• Joseph Edny Powell, awarded the Croix de guerre in 1918 by then CIC, later Marshal Pétain, for valor. His company "Le Terrible" was H Company, the first to occupy Germany after breaking the Hindenburg Line in September, 1918.
• Eddie Rickenbacker, Captain and flying ace of the 94th Aero Squadron, United States Army Air Service, during World War I; also recipient of the U.S. Medal of Honor.
• James E. Rieger, Major (later Colonel), led a key attack during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
• Milunka Savić, was awarded the French Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 with Palm. She is the only woman in the world awarded with this medal for service in World War I.
• James M. Sellers, U.S. Marine awarded the Croix de Guerre for heroism at Belleau Wood
• Jess William Snyder, Major, United States Army, American Expeditionary Force (the first American unit to enter World War I) was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm and silver star, concurrently with a Purple Heart and U.S. Silver Star, France 1918.
• Laurence Stallings, American writer.
• Leslie R. Taber, an American pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corps who flew in 1917 as a fighter and bomber pilot. He also served in the US Navy as a Naval Aviator after the US entered the war and won the Navy Cross.
• John Tovey, Royal Navy, later became a senior naval commander and an Admiral of the Fleet.
• Stephen W. Thompson, American aviator, was awarded the Croix de guerre with palm. He is credited with the first aerial victory by the U.S. military.
• Ludovicus Van Iersel, Dutch-American sergeant who won the Croix de guerre twice while serving in France.
• Louis Volant, great-grandfather of JK Rowling. He lead a small platoon in holding off the German Army at Courcelles-le-Comte, France while the rest of his regiment retreated. He killed several German soldiers before being seriously wounded by a shell.
• Major Frederick Lawrence Wall, Australian Army Medical Corps, served in France during World War I.
• Edwin "Pa" Watson, served in France. Earning the U.S. Army Silver Star and the Croix de Guerre from the French government.
• William A. Wellman, American fighter pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corp awarded Croix de Guerre with two palm leaves, 1918
• Francis Russell "Frank" Whelton, an American Lieutenant, was declared KIA at Fismette, awarded "posthumously" by Marshall Foch. Frank kept his death notice framed on a wall in his office.
• Samuel Woodfill, an American Major who disabled several German machine-gun nests and killed many enemy combatants with rifle, pistol and pickaxe. He was awarded the French Croix de guerre.
• Alvin C. York was awarded the Croix de guerre with bronze palm for his valor in the Battle of Meuse River-Argonne Forest near the town of Verdun, France.
• Jim Forrester, Private, 17938, 7/8 Kings Own Scottish Borderers served in France. Earning the Croix de Guerre avec Palme from the French government.