Cross of Valour (Poland)
| Cross of Valour Krzyż Walecznych | |
|---|---|
Polish-Soviet War period medal | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. |
| Next (lower) | Military Cross. |
The Cross of Valour (Polish: Krzyż Walecznych) is a Polish military decoration. It was introduced by the Council of National Defense on 11 August 1920. It is awarded to an individual who "has demonstrated deeds of valour and courage on the field of battle." It may be awarded to the same person up to four times.[1] The medal is given only in wartime or shortly after.[2]
History
Polish-Soviet War
The medal was introduced in 1920 at the height of the
Polish Army
. Later the option was added of delegating the medal's granting to front and division commanders.
Through 29 May 1923, when the last medal for the
Polish-Soviet War
was awarded, the Cross of Valour had been granted to some 60,000 soldiers.
Apart from individuals who had participated in the Polish-Soviet War, the medal had also been awarded retroactively to some soldiers of the
Polish Military Organization. It had been awarded, as well, to veterans of the January 1863 Uprising and to the city of Płock
.
World War II
In January 1940 the Polish Commander-in-Chief,
Polish-Soviet War
.
People's Republic of Poland
In 1943, after the
1st Corps, awarded the Cross of Valour to several soldiers. The medal itself was approved as a military decoration by order of the communist-led State National Council on 22 December 1944. Up to 1947, some 40,000 of the medals were awarded to Polish soldiers fighting alongside the Red Army.[citation needed
]
| Ribbon bars of the Cross of Valour | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| original design | used in the Polish Armed Forces in the West since 20 September 1941 | |||
| 1st award |  |
_BAR.PNG) | ||
| 2nd award |  |
_2r_BAR.PNG) | ||
| 3rd award |  |
_3r_BAR.PNG) | ||
| 4th award |  |
_4r_BAR.PNG) | ||
Notes
- Polish-Soviet War, yet was awarded 4 more crosses on 1 May 1943. See: Łukasz Leszczyński (2005). "gen. dyw. Stefan Grot-Rowecki". Łukasz Leszczyński (in Polish). Retrieved 11 June 2007.
- ^ Zdzislaw P. Wesolowski, Polish Orders, Medals, Badges and Insignia: Military and Civilian Decorations, 1705–1985, pp. 22–24, 41–42, 58.
References
- Zdzislaw P. Wesolowski, Polish Orders, Medals, Badges and Insignia: Military and Civilian Decorations, 1705–1985, Miami, 1986.
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