Oval nickel silver (maillechort) medal with laterally-pierced ball suspension; the face with the intertwined letters ‘UFF’ (for Union de Femmes de France) on laurel leaves within a beaded border circumscribed ‘UNION DES FEMMES DE FRANCE’ above and ‘CROIX ROUGE FRANÇAISE’ below with a vertically hatched Greek (Geneva) cross at the base, the hatching representing the heraldic colour ‘gules (red); the reverse numbered ‘9426’ and hallmarked maillechort; on original ribbon with embroidered red cross.
The UFF was founded in 1881 by Madame Koechlin-Schwart with the aim of offering impartial assistance to combatants in times of war and support to public agencies in time of national catastrophe.
In 1940, following German occupation, the UFF, the Société Française de Secours aux Blessés Militaires and the Association des Dames Françaises merged under a decree issued by Marshal Pétain to create the French Red Cross.
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