War Merit Cross (Italy)
Appearance
War Merit Cross Croce al Merito di Guerra | |
---|---|
![]() War Merit Cross | |
Awarded for | One year of service in combat operations Being wounded in combat |
Presented by | ![]() |
Eligibility | Members of the Italian armed forces |
Established | 19 January 1918 |
![]() Ribbon bar of the cross ![]() Ribbon bar of the cross for two awards | |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | War Cross of Military Valor[1] |
Next (lower) | Army Merit Cross[1] |
The War Merit Cross (
Italian Republic
as well.
Eligibility
The Italian War Merit Cross was awarded to members of the armed forces with a minimum of one year's service in contact with an enemy, or who received the Medal of the Wounded, or to those who, when mentioned for war merit, received a promotion. Also, if an act of valour was deemed insufficient for the Medal of Military Valor, the War Merit Cross could be awarded instead; from 1922 onwards a bronze sword on the ribbon showed this class of award.
From its institution until 30 May 1927, 1,034,924 Crosses were issued.[3]
Design
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Croce_al_merito_di_Guerra%2C_fronte.jpg/220px-Croce_al_merito_di_Guerra%2C_fronte.jpg)
The War Merit Cross was in bronze, 38mm wide (1-1/2 inches). The reverse side bears a 5-pointed star on a background of rays. The obverse has the
Italian Republic
in 1947, the royal cypher being replaced by the intertwined letters "RI" for Repubblica Italiana. Limited to three awardings once again, with one cross or bar for every war allowed, multiple awards were shown by bronze stars. In the current form multiple awards are shown by silver stars.
Notable recipients
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2012) |
- Robert L. Blackwell, Private, US Army, MoH
- Tasker H. Bliss, General, US Army
- Lieutenant Commander(later Admiral), Italian Navy
- Evans Carlson, Brigadier General, US Marines, leader of Carlson's Raiders
- Giuseppe Cirrincione, Maresciallo Dell'aeronautica
- William Alexander Cunningham, Captain 321st Battalion US Army, Awarded January 19, 1918, n205
- William J. Donovan, Major General, US Army, MoH
- Gino De Giorgi(twice), Admiral, Italian Navy
- Ernest Hemingway
- Richmond H. Hilton, Sergeant, US Army, MoH
- Edouard Izac, Lieutenant, US Navy, MoH, Representative from California
- Major General and member of Allied Mission to Italian Army in World War II
- Frank Luke, Jr., Second Lieutenant, US Army Air Service, MoH
- Douglas MacArthur, General, US Army, MoH
- Richard W. O'Neill, 2nd Lieutenant, US Army, MoH
- Carioti Quinto, Private, Italian Army
- Thomas Sheppard, British Army officer
- Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Czechoslovak general
- Sebastiano Visconti Prasca, General, Italian Army
- Brigadier General, DSC
- Alvin York, Sergeant, US Army, MoH
References
- ^ a b "Esercito Italiano- Nastrini delle decorazioni in uso" (in Italian). Esercito.difesa.it. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
- ^ "Italian Army Awards and Medals WW1". diggerhistory. 11 Nov 2002. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
- ^ a b Shackelford, Micheal (1998). "Medals of Italy". Retrieved 17 October 2010.