History of and How to Obtain the Fourragere of the Belgian Croix De Guerre 1940
By Carl Wouters, Association Belgian Liaison
Use this link for the Belgian Fourragere supporting documents.
The Belgian Croix de Guerre is a military decoration that was first established during the First World War and that is individually awarded for bravery or virtue on the battlefield. At the start of the Second World War the Belgian Government in exile reestablished the award for actions taking place in the latest conflict. It became known as the Croix de Guerre 1940 and slightly differed from its 1915 counterpart in ribbon color and construction, with the inclusion of the royal monogram of King Leopold III of Belgium.
The Croix de Guerre 1940 was also authorized to be worn as a unit award under the form of a red and green tinted braided shoulder cord or fourragère. This required that a specific unit was cited twice in the Belgian Army Order of the Day. The award itself was issued by special decree of the Belgian government.
Do note that the award of the Fourragère does not entitle veterans of the eligible unit to wear the Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 medal, as this is an individual award. Only a handful of members of the 106th Infantry Division were personally awarded this medal for their actions in WWII. Vice versa, the award of the medal to a specific individual does not constitute the right to wear the Fourragère, unless the criterion for eligibility are met.
The unit award of the Fourragère of the Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 was granted only to the 424th Infantry Regiment and its organic 591st Field Artillery Battalion, for its actions while attached to the 7th Armored Division in the defense of St. Vith in December 1944 and during the counteroffensive towards the Siegfried Line in January 1945.
Decree number 7253 of 13 July 1950 issued by Prince Regent Charles of Belgium cites the 424th Regiment and 591st FA Battalion for the following actions: “During the critical period of the German offensive in the Ardennes in 1944, the U.S. 7th Armored Division, attacked by enemy forces estimated to be eight divisions, of which the 3rd SS Panzer and 2nd Panzer, held the vital crossroads of St. Vith and thwarted every advance and exploitation of this axis, and by doing so doomed the German offensive and allowed, by her sacrifice, the launch of the Allied counteroffensive. ” Also, “When on 20 January [1945] the 7th Armored Division commenced its attack in the sector of St. Vith, where it had fought previously, the unit drove the enemy from its positions, which she had prepared for fifteen days and drove them back for seven kilometers across the Belgian border, while inflicting heavy losses. During these nine days more than one thousand prisoners were taken.”
GIs of the 424th and 591st who participated in the two actions mentioned above, are allowed to wear the Fourragère of the Belgian Croix de Guerre and to have this foreign award mentioned on their official service records.
The Belgian Army does not issue the Fourragère itself but provides an official attestation document to veterans of these units or their next-of-kin, that their unit was cited twice in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army and granted the Fourragère of the Croix de Guerre 1940. This document can be requested by sending an email with a copy of the veteran’s discharge papers to notariaat@mil.be or by sending a written request to the following address:
Ministerie van Defensie
Algemene Directie Human Resources
Divisie Administratieve Expertise
Ondersectie Notariaat
Kwartier Koningin Elisabeth
Eversestraat 1
1140 Brussels
(BELGIUM)
The shoulder cord itself can be obtained through the Veteran’s Administration by submitting a request for replacement medals through the local Veteran’s Administration or by filling out an online form for military awards/decorations on the website of the National Archives (https://vetrecs.archives.gov/VeteranRequest/home.html).
You will need to include a copy of your discharge papers (Form DD-214) that lists the 424th Infantry Regiment or 591st Field Artillery Battalion. This “ Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty” should show active duty with the 424th Infantry Regiment or 591st Field Artillery Battalion, 106th Infantry Division during the period mentioned in the citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army, proving eligibility for the Belgian Fourragère 1940.
Including a copy of the attestation provided by the Belgian Ministry of Defense, as explained above, can also be useful.
In addition, the Association provides a number of documents that can be added to support your request. These can be found on our Facebook page and can be attached to your digital request or printed and added as annex to your written request. These support documents are the following:
1. Extract of DA Pamphlet 672-1 “Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register” p.284 mentions the award of the Belgian Fourragère to the 424th Infantry Regiment (F-55).
2. Extract of Department of the Army, General Order #43 (DA GO 43-1950) of 19 December 1950, pages 42 and 43 which mentions the award of the Belgian Fourragère 1940 by decree nr. 7253 of Prince Charles of Belgium, Regent of the Kingdom, dated 19 July 1950.
3. Extract of DA GO 43-1950 with both citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army, for the 7th Armored Division of which the 424th Regiment was attached at the time of both actions described in the citations.
4. Copy of the original Decree nr. 7253 of 13 July 1950 by Prince Charles, Regent of Belgium, which awards the Belgian Fourragère 1940 to the 424th Infantry Regiment (See article 4 on page 4).
5. Unofficial English translation of Belgian Decree nr. 7253 of 13 July 1950