Croix de Guerre - Selected Recipients - Individuals in World War II

Individuals in World War II

• Pvt. Isaac Hawkins, British Medic with No. 4 Commando. Received Croix de Guerre with Silver Star for 'going to the aid of the wounded with magnificent courage and complete devotion to duty' at Dutch town of Flushing and during subsequent commando raids on enemy occupied Dutch coast. (As per Order number 412.EMG. O/REC. July 5th 1945)
• Bob Hoover
• Pvt. William Lindley Mawer, Awarded June 1944;for extreme bravery and disregard for personal safety
• Sgt. William Peter Coomber 1917–1999. Awarded the French Croix de Guerre with bronze star for his part in action at Bir Hacheim while attached to the Free French in North Africa in 1942
• Władysław Anders, Polish general, commander of the 2nd Polish Corps 1943–1946.
• Vera Atkins,art of the French section of the SOE.
• John Beech Austin, Squadron Leader in RAF and SOE
• Maurice Bambier, French politician and former Mayor of Montataire, awarded the French Croix de guerre for his services around Dunkirk.
• Josephine Baker, American-born dancer, actress, and singer, for her work in the French Resistance.
• Samuel Beckett, awarded the Croix de guerre by General Charles de Gaulle in March, 1945.
• Hyman "Hank" Bergman, awarded for service fighting with Free French Forces Arno River.
• Marcel Bigeard, highly decorated French general and veteran of World War II, French Indochina and Algeria; received both the Croix de guerre 1939–1945 and the Croix de guerre TOE with a total of 25 citations, including 17 palms.
• Frederick Charles Bothwell, Jr., Colonel, USAAF, Awarded Croix de Guerre avec Palme for service in enemy occupied Yugoslavia. Upon retirement was appointed Director of the New York State Civil Defense Authority.
• Sergeant John J Boyle, Battery "A", 108th Field Artillery, 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces
• Phil H. Bucklew, US Sailor and "Father of American Naval Special Warfare".
• Frank Harding Burchell, surgeon of the USS McLanahan received the Croix de guerre for saving the lives of his crew by performing emergency surgery after his ship the USS McLanahan was hit by a large caliber projectile fired by a shore battery which exploded 20 to 40 feet off her port quarter off the coast of San Remo, Italy in 1945.
• Thomas A. Cassilly, was awarded the French Croix de guerre while in the US Army, retired from the US Foreign Service in 1972 and taught at Montclair State University and Manhattanville College.
• Frederick Walker Castle, U.S. Army Air Forces general and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor
• Lionel Guy D'Artois, a Canadian Army officer and SOE agent. Awarded the Croix de guerre for service with the Interior French Forces in occupied France.
• Philippe Daudy, journalist and novelist.
• Guy de Rothschild, awarded the Croix de guerre for his military valor.
• Philippe de Rothschild, awarded the Croix de guerre for his service with the Free French Forces.
• Gabriel Brunet de Sairigné, French colonel who participated with the Free French Forces to the East African Campaign (in Eritrea and Syria), the Tunisia Campaign, the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Operation Dragoon and the campaign of Alsace.
• Avery Dulles, S.J., awarded the Croix de guerre for his liaison work with the French navy.
• Lt.Col Charles Earle DSO OBE. Grenadier Guards. Croix de guerre avec palme. 1942/3. Chief liaison officer with the 19th French Corps. Tunisian campaign.
• Ben F. Ellis, Georgia recipient for gallant and heroic action in battle.
• Sgt. Patrick Ennis 1st Btn Irish Guards, 3 Sect. 10 Plat. 2 Coy
• Frantz Fanon, awarded the French Croix de guerre by Raoul Salan for service in the French Free Forces in North Africa and Alsace.
• Carl Gustav Fleischer, Norwegian general, who won the first major victory against the Germans.
• Wayne H. Mervau, 315th Infantry, 79th Div United States Army, for meritorius action during the battle of the Forret de' Parroy, covering fire for unit, 21 Oct, 1944 wounded in action.
• Stephen Galatti, Director of AFS, American Field Service
• Julian Godlewski, Polish sub-lieutenant, 1st Armoured Division, for heroism and wounds received in the Battle of Falaise.
• Francis Grevemberg, United States lieutenant colonel, later superintendent of the Louisiana state police.
• Harry Griffiths Royal Essex Yeomanry
• Thomas "Loel" Guinness, Group Captain and pilot
• Tony Halik Polish pilot in RAF, after being the only Polish/RAF pilot shot down over France, he joined the French resistance
• Cpl. Edwin Allison Hosford, a rifleman of the North Shore Regiment (New Brunswick), Canadian Infantry, for heroism at Carpiquet, France in July 1944.
• John Howard (American actor), awarded the Croix de guerre in 1944 for his valor. When his ship struck a mine off the French coast, killing the captain, Howard took over command and fought valiantly to save his ship and crew, even jumping into the sea to rescue wounded sailors.
• Agnès Humbert, art historian, was awarded the Croix de guerre with silver gilt palm, for heroism in her work for the French Resistance.
• Maria Justeau French Resistant
• Noor Inayat Khan, a wireless operator in the French section of the SOE.
• Curtis E. LeMay, was awarded the French Croix de guerre with palm.
• André Malraux French novelist, art theorist and Minister for Cultural Affairs.
• Jean Mayer, future president of Tufts University, awarded for his courage and bravery.
• Lt.Colonel Blair "Paddy" Mayne, British Special Air Service, Croix de Guerre with Palm. Awarded Légion d'honneur, awarded the Distinguished Service Order (U.K) four times.
• General Dragoljub Mihailovic, Serbian Chetnik leader, awarded by Charles de Gaulle.
• Paul de Montgolfier, fighter pilot for the French Air Force
• Audie Murphy, the most decorated U.S. Army soldier during the war, was awarded the French "Croix de Guerre avec Palme" three times and the "Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm" once, as well as the Medal of Honor.
• Leonard W. Murray, Canadian admiral, awarded the Croix de guerre with bronze palm for his role in the Battle of the Atlantic.
• Eileen Nearne, was a member of the UK's SOE. She served in occupied France as a radio operator under the codename "Rose".
• John B. Oakes, future editor of the editorial page of the New York Times, awarded for his counter-espionage activities with the O.S.S.
• Marcel Oopa, Polynesian politician.
• Peter J. Ortiz, Marine officer and member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
• Origene Paquette, Jr., served as a First Lieutenant of the Counter Intelligence Corps in the Seventh Army.
• George S. Patton, U.S. Army general. Awarded for leading U.S. Third Army during the liberation of France.
• Andree Peel(1905–2010), French member of resistance.
• Frank Perconte, member of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
• Col. David E. Pergrin, awarded the Croix de guerre for his help in the Battle of the Bulge.
• Harry Peulevé, a wireless operator and organiser in the French Section of the SOE.
• Abbé Pierre (1912–2007), French priest and founder of Emmaus.
• Forrest Pogue US Army Combat Historian
• Col. William Wilson Quinn, G2 Officer of the U.S. 7th Army. Awarded the Croix de guerre with palm for participating in the battle of France, and later retired as Lt. Gen. William Wilson "Buffolo Bill" Quinn. He planned the invasion of Southern France and also predicted a battle of the Battle of the Bulge.
• Tony Rao US Army 94th infantry division.
• RSM Leslie Richards
• Robert Rosenthal of the Eighth Air Force of the USAF.

• Alexander Sachal, Russian artist, who joined the French Resistance, awarded the Croix de guerre for bravery.
• Desmond J. Scott, a New Zealand fighter pilot and Group Captain who flew for the RAF. He was awarded both the Belgian and the French Croix de guerre.
• Jan Smuts, South African Prime Minister.
• George Reginald Starr, of the SOE.
• James Stewart, American actor awarded the "Croix de Guerre avec Palme" in 1944 by Lt. Gen. Henri Valin, Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, for his role in the liberation of France. He retired from the United States Air Force Reserve a Brigadier General.
• Violette Szabo, a British SOE who underwent intense training and was eventually sent into the field. Her first mission was a success, but during her second mission she was captured. Eventually sent to a concentration camp, she was brutally tortured for information and finally executed.
• Fernand Van Geert, ship's officer, rescued 12 passengers from a torpedoed Belgian freighter in the North Atlantic. He secured a compass from the burning ship before returning to the lifeboat which he then commanded for 9 days in open waters. His actions and moral leadership were commended.
• Nancy Wake of the SOE was the highest decorated Allied servicewoman of the war. Awarded the Croix de guerre three times for service with the French maquis.
• F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, member of RF Section of the SOE. He was a Special Operations Executive Liaison officer working with the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (BCRA) of the Free French forces to organise and co-ordinate resistance in both Vichy and Occupied France.
• Alberto Martins Torres, member of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), was a Brazilian pilot who carried on 99 missions in Italy during 1944 and 1945 against the Luftwaffe.