Medal of a liberated France
The Medal of a Liberated France is a French decoration created on September 12, 1947 to honor people who helped liberate France in World War II. It was first named the Medal of Gratitude of a Liberated France.
Who could receive it: French and foreign military and civilian people who contributed to the liberation of France.
How it was awarded: A government board, advised by officials including the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Victims of War, selected recipients. In 1948 the medal got its current name and added a member from the Interior Ministry to the board. Subsequent decrees in 1949 and 1950 refined the board and the award rules.
End of awards: The last medal was awarded on July 7, 1957, and it has not been awarded since. A total of 13,469 were given.
Design: The medal is bronze, 35 mm in diameter. The obverse shows a relief image of France with the date 1944 and a broken chain around it, symbolizing the Allied landings. The reverse shows a Fasces below a Phrygian cap, with the initials "R.F." and the inscription "LA FRANCE A SES LIBERATEURS" around the edge. It hangs from a 36 mm wide rainbow-colored silk moiré ribbon, with purple at the center, and colors arranged opposite the ribbon of the 1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:56 (CET).