Order of the Liberation

Order of Liberation
Order of Liberation (obverse)
Awarded by France
Type	Single degree Order of Merit
Awarded for	Outstanding contribution to the liberation of occupied France
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	November 16, 1940
First awarded	January 29, 1941
Last awarded	January 23, 1946
Total awarded	1061
Precedence
Next (higher)	Legion of Honour
Next (lower)	Military Medal
Ribbon of the Order of Liberation

The Order of Liberation (French: "Ordre de la Libération") is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour). Very few people, military units and communes were ever awarded it; and only for their deeds during World War II. A different order, the Médaille de la Résistance ("Resistance Medal") was created and awarded for lesser but still distinguished deeds by members of the Resistance.

The Order of Liberation was established by General de Gaulle in order n° 7, signed in Brazzaville on November 16, 1940. The object of the Order was to “reward people, of the military or civilian communities, who will have distinguished themselves in the task of liberating France and her Empire”.

There were no restrictions as to age, sex, rank, origin or nationality; nor any regarding the nature of the deeds, other than their exceptional quality.

The Order has a single rank, the title of Compagnon de la Libération (“Companion of the Liberation”). General de Gaulle, founder of the Order, was the only Grand Maître (“Grand Master”) of the Order.

The Order was usually bestowed by the traditional French military ceremony of "prise d'armes". The recipient was summoned forward by rank and name, and given the insignia while being commended thus: Nous vous reconnaissons comme notre Compagnon pour la libération de la France dans l’honneur et par la Victoire (“We acknowledge you as our companion for the Liberation of France, in honour and by Victory”).

The last awards to French citizens, units and communes were made on 23 January 1946. Awards to foreign nationals were made until 1960.

The medal of the Order is called the Croix de la Libération (“Cross of Liberation”). It is a 31 mm wide by 33 mm high rectangular bronze shield bearing a 60 mm high vertical gladius on its obverse. On the blade of the gladius: a black enamelled Cross of Lorraine (symbol of the Free French Forces). On the reverse, in Latin: a relief inscription in bold letters on four rows, “PATRIAM SERVANDO VICTORIAM TULIT” (“By serving the Fatherland, he/she achieved Victory”).