Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A French Médaille Militaire, Croix de Guerre group of three attributed to Soldier 2nd Class J. P. Petit, French Forces
France, Republic, Medaille Militaire, silver, silver-gilt, and enamel, with trophy of arms suspension; Croix de Guerre, reverse dated 1939, bronze, with bronze palm on riband; Croix du Combattant, bronze, extremely fine

A French Croix de la Valeur Militaire attributed to Soldier 1st Class G. Riegert, French Forces
France, Republic, Croix de la Valeur Militaire, gilt-bronze, with bronze star on riband; together with the recipient’s riband bar, nearly extremely fine

A French Croix du Combattant attributed to Soldier G. J. Despicht, French Forces
France, Republic, Croix du Combattant, bronze, good very fine (5) £60-80

Sold with Secretary of State for War letter notifying the mother of Jacques Pierre Petit that her late son had been awarded the Médaille Militaire, dated Paris, 19 April 1956, and housed in a glazed display frame.

Sold with the citation Certificate for the award of the Croix de la Valeur Militaire avec Etoile de Bronze awarded to Gérard Riegert, which states:
‘This young machine gunner, who is both courageous yet full of self-control, participated in all the unit’s operations. He particularly distinguished himself at Lucet on 15 December 1959 where, during a violent encounter with rebel forces entrenched in a house, his precise firepower stopped them from attempting to escape. His skill was one of the reasons for the success of the operation in which nine rebels were rendered hors de combat and six taken prisoner; and three automatic weapons, 22 grenades, and a large quantity of ammunition were seized.’

Sold with a photocopied Certificate for the Croix de Combattant awarded to Georges Julien Despicht, dated Pas de Calais, 9 April 1929.