Fourragere

The Fourragère is a French military award, distinguishing military units as a whole.

History

The Fourragère was instituted by Napoleon, but actually has prior historic significance: after a hasty retreat from battle by a unit of Flemish troops, the Duke of Alva ordered that any further misconduct in that unit be punished by hanging, regardless of rank. Those Flemish troops then wore a cord tied into a hangman's noose on their shoulder going into their next battle, and fought so valiantly that the cord became a mark of distinction.

The fourragère is awarded to all membres of military unit which, as a whole, was awarded a military distinction. The medal itself is hung on the flag of the unit, and the membres are then given fourragères as a collective equivalent to the ribbon.

During the First World War, the French Ministry of War awarded the Fourragère to units which distinguished themselves more than once in the orders of the Army. There were then three fourragères:

• Légion d'Honneur – Scarlet
• Médaille Militaire – Yellow and Red
• Croix de Guerre (with palm) – Green and Red.

During the Second World War, the dinstinction of Ordre de la Libération was awarded to 17 military units, whose members now wear a fourragère since the 18th of June 1996.

Units awarded the fourragère

• 17 French military units wear the fourragère of the Ordre de la Libération (see artcile of the list).
• The 5th and 6th regiments of the United States Marine Corps were awarded the Fourragère for having earned the Croix de Guerre with palm leaf twice during the Second World War.