Description
Physical description
medal/ribbon/bronze palm
Cross, pattee in bronze. The obverse design bears the head of Marianne, right profile, wearing Phrygian cap and laureate, in roughened circular centrepiece surrounded by an edged band bearing text. The whole at the centre of the cross, the arms of which have raised edges outlining its shape. In the angles formed by the arms of the cross the points and hilts of two crossed swords protrude. The upper vertical arm of the cross is surmounted by an integral spheroid through which the suspender ring passes. The reverse design bears the legend 'REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE'. (In this instance no date appears on the reverse). The medal has a ring suspender. The ribbon is red with four central vertical stripes of green between three thin vertical stripes of red. This example has a Bronze Palm ('Palme en Bronze') attached to the ribbon.
Label
Second World War period French Croix de Guerre (with Bronze Palm) awarded to Wing Commander Paul Henry Mills Richey DFC* (1916-1989).
A translation of the French Citation for this award reads:' A pilot of exceptional courage and daring who after having participated brilliantly in operations over France during which he was very seriously wounded, retook his place in a squadron in 1941. Since that time he has carried out many offensive operations over occupied territories as a Flight Commander and later as Squadron Leader, showing in this way the best personal example to the French Pilots in the unit which he commanded. A perfect model of a fighter pilot of the British Royal Air Force'.
History note
Wing Commander Paul Henry Mills Richey DFC (1916-1989): for biographical details see OMD 3931 (also see file).
The reverse of this piece has no embossed date.
Richey's Pilot's Log Book covering the period 1937-1943 is held by the Museum's Department of Documents.