Circular bronze medal with integral loop for ribbon suspension; the face with a Greek (Geneva) cross centrally imposed on oak and laurel branches and a standard, dated ‘1914 • 1918’ above; the reverse with a central plaque bearing the attribution ‘Mme PIERRE’ imposed on ivy and a palm branch, inscribed below ‘SOUVENIR DE LA GRANDE GUERRE’, circumscribed above ‘ASSOCIATION DES DAMES FRANÇAISES’, signed below left ‘TETERGER • EDIT’ (for the French Art Nouveau artist Henri Teterger), signed below right ‘H • CUZIN • G’; on original age-stained ribbon with embroidered red cross. The Société Française de Secours aux Blessés Militaires (French Society for the Aid of Wounded Military) was founded on 25 May 1864. In 1879, following disagreements about the participation of women, especially in areas of conflict, the breakaway Association des Dames Françaises (ADF) was created under the leadership of Dr. Duchaussoy. The Society remained independent until 1940 when the French Red Cross was created from the merger of the Société Française de Secours aux Blessés Militaires, the Association des Dames Françaises and the Union des Femmes de France under a decree issued by Marshal Pétain. A good untouched example of a relatively rare medal.
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