MEDAL OF THE ESCAPED (MEDAILLE DES EVADES) :

  HISTORIC :  

The deputy Marcel Pleasing puts down in 1935 a proposition of law in order to create a particular decoration.

It drags the assignment of the War Cross for those that made more according to the general Mangin " that to owe them while running away of the hostile jails in order to return to the battle ".

The vote of the law of August 20, 1926 institutes the Medal of the Escaped prisoners, destined to commemorate the acts or tentative of escape of the prisoners during the war of 1914 -1918 or on one outside operation theaters, whatever is the length of captivity.

The decree of stationary October 1926 2 the details of arrangements as well as the model of the badge and the ribbon of the medal.

A decree of April 7, 1927, complete the conditions of obtainings of this decoration for the " particular " cases of the Alsatians and the Lorraine.

It is necessary to be patient however until the decree of February 7, 1959, completed by a decree of May 20, 1959 and an instruction of July 10, 1959 to get similar and relative conditions to the war of 1939-1945.

One date limits (reported several times) was fixed like stop for the receipt of the demands of decorations.

 

  RECIPIENTS :  

Period First World War:

• military prisoners of war during the fights in Europe or in one outside operation theaters (escaped), than her that either the length of captivity.

• the Alsatians and Lorraine (enters the 2/08/1914 and the 1/11/1918) escaped of the ranks of the German army.

• the civilians interned in Germany as well as the occupied region inhabitants who crossed the borders or cleared hostile lines.

Subject to be presented itself at the disposal of the authorities military French.

Period Second World War (included actions between September 2, 1939 and August 15, 1945):

Concern people susceptible to prove an escape succeeded according to the criterias;

• of a camp of war prisoner,

• of a place where they were detained either stopped because of act in the resistance,

• coming from a hostile or occupied, or controlled territory by the inimical strengths, including the clandestine clearing of a front of war or a customs line,
  

Concern people in measure to justify;

• two tentatives of consistent escapes of disciplinary pains,

• of a tentative followed of the transfer in camp of reprisals or a measure of deportation recognized by the assignment of the Cross of the Fighter Volontaire of the Resistance,

• the Alsatian and Lorraine incorporated by force in the German army and escaped of the ranks in order to fight in the resistance or having joined the ranks of the armies allied,

• the Alsatians and Lorraine escaped of their provinces in order to fight the enemy.
  

* The Medal of the Escaped prisoners maybe awarded to the strangers in the same conditions that the French.

The military or civil killed or die of the received injury continuations during an escape have right to the Medal of the Escaped prisoners.

 

  CONDITIONS OF CONTEST :  

The demands are to establish on forms put back by the military authority.

Must be related with care and sincerity, the évènements and the circumstances of the escape.

Should be mentioned possible so, the names, addresses and quality of people susceptible to confirm this escape.

 

  THE DISTINCTION :  

Ribbon :

of green color (width 36 mm), cut in the sense of the length of three orange stripes.
The one of the middle of a width of 7 mm and those of the sides of 2 mm.

Medal :

it is in bronze (engraver A. Dubois) and door to the obverse the effigy of the Republic French and to the reverse, a crown of leaves of oaks with in the center the enrollment " awards a medal some escaped prisoners ".

Quotes :

the Cross of War 1914-1918 or the outside operation theaters comes with the Medal of the Escaped prisoners gotten during the big war. For the war of 1939-1945, the quote is only granted in exceptional cases.

Star :

in vermeil. Fixed on the ribbon it indicates a new assignment of the medal at the time of another period of hostilities.

 

  PROTOCOL :  

No obligatory ceremonial.

The diploma delivered by the military authority is sufficient to get the right in the harbor of this decoration.

The document specifies besides, if the person concerned is mentioned on the occasion of his escape.

If the discount takes place during a hold of weapons, the dedicated formula is:

" rank, name, first name..... in the name of the defense secretary, we award you the medal of the escaped prisoners ".

The relative particular protocol to the discount of the War Cross is applied if the Medal of the Escaped prisoners is accompanied by a quote.

 

  PARTICULARITIES :  

The law of August 26, 1926 instituting this medal also concerns the prisoners of war, interned in Germany and escaped during the war of 1870-1871.

The Medal of the Escaped prisoners is a title of war that occupies a place privileged at the time of the demands of candidacy to a national order or to the Military Medal.

The commission is composed exclusively of escaped prisoners, presided by a general officer.

The candidacies are submitted to the minister charged of the armies.

The initial arrangements including the outside operation theaters, permit to award the Medal of the Escaped prisoners without new text.

Only, the operations hired after the Second World War and in particular in Far East (enters 1945-1954) are concerned.

APPENDIX :

The 2Snd Dragons of the Earth army are the only unit to be decorated of the Medal of the Escaped prisoners.