French Croix de Guerre 1939 with Bronze Star, a military decoration awarded for acts of distinguished service during the Second World War. The Croix de Guerre 1939 was established in France to recognise individual personnel and military units mentioned in dispatches for their conduct during wartime operations. The bronze star (étoile de bronze) indicates that the recipient was mentioned at regimental or brigade level.
The medal features the characteristic four-armed cross with crossed swords between the arms, bearing the republican profile of Marianne on the obverse and the inscription “1939” on the reverse. The ribbon is the recognised green and red striped design associated with the French Croix de Guerre 1939. The bronze star mounted on the ribbon provides an important distinction when identifying the level of the recipient’s citation.
This French Croix de Guerre is of interest to collectors of French medals, WWII militaria, French military decorations, Second World War campaign medals and European military awards. Examples with identifiable citation levels are particularly useful for collectors researching the French military awards system and the service history of recipients during the 1939–1945 period.
Condition: Good, with expected age-related marks and service wear. The ribbon and bronze star remain present.
