France WW1 Wound Medal 1st Type with Open Laurel Wreath

FRANCE: WW1 wound medal - badge for the 
military personnel who suffered combat wounds 
during the war operations.
This is one of the rarest versions of the 1st type 
of the medal with open, at the top, laurel wreath 
and cut out format.
The medal was established by law in 1916, to be 
awarded "to military personnel who have been 
injured in the course of military operations or in 
maintaining order, in the presence of the enemy 
or due to enemy action". 
Since 1952 the award was extended "to prisoners 
and internees, as well as to prisoners of war, 
wounded in the course of their detention". 
Since the establishment of the French WW1 
Commemorative Medal, in 1920, the regulations 
were changed stating the medal was no longer to 
be worn and that the combat wounds were to be 
depicted by red wound stars on the ribbon of the 
WW1 Commemorative Medal. 
This was repeated for subsequent conflicts (WW2, 
Indochina, etc.) where the award was officially 
sanctioned only until an official commemorative 
medal was established where the red wound stars 
were to be transferred. 
Despite this fact, many veterans opted to retain 
the medal and never transferred their wound stars 
to the official commemorative medals.
As a result, the medal is openly worn in lieu of the 
approved insignia, it is not however recognized by 
the Chancery of the Legion of Honor and therefore 
is not an official French decoration. 
Regardless, due to its symbolic value among 
combat veterans, it is worn with other official 
decorations and was tolerated for wear on the 
uniform.

FULL SIZE

WW1 1914 - 1918

Item 100% original – ribbon original

Condition as on the photos: enamel damage at 
the top corner of the red star

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