The War Merit Cross () is an Italian

military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations award ...

. It was instituted by King

Victor Emmanuel III Victor Emmanuel III (; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941 and King of the Albani ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on 19 January 1918. The award received major changes during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and currently is issued by the

Italian Republic Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

as well.

Eligibility

The Italian War Merit Cross was awarded to members of the armed forces with a minimum of one year's service in contact with an enemy, or who received the Medal of the Wounded, or to those who, when mentioned for war merit, received a promotion. Also, if an act of valour was deemed insufficient for the

Medal of Military Valor The Medal of Military Valor (Italian language: ''Medaglia al valor militare'') is an Italian medal, originally established as a Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinian award. It is awarded to military personnel, units above the level of Company (milita ...

, the War Merit Cross could be awarded instead; from 1922 onwards a bronze sword on the ribbon showed this class of award. From its institution until 30 May 1927, 1,034,924 Crosses were issued.

Design

The War Merit Cross was in bronze, 38mm wide (1-1/2 inches). The reverse side bears a 5-pointed star on a background of rays. The obverse has the

royal cypher In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram or monogram-like device of a country's reigning Monarch, sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a Crown (heral ...

("VE III" under a crown) in the upper arm, "MERITO DI GVERRA" (War Merit) on the horizontal arms and a Roman sword point upwards, on oak leaves, in the lower arm. The ribbon is blue with white stripes. While the latter originally were five, within months they were reduced to two white stripes. Successive awards, three awardings per person being the maximum, were indicated by one or two bronze royal crowns. During

, the War Merit Cross underwent a number of significant changes. The number of awards was limited to ten, indicated by a combination of bronze, silver and gold crowns. The medal received another change under the

in 1947, the royal cypher being replaced by the intertwined letters "RI" for Repubblica Italiana. Limited to three awardings once again, with one cross or bar for every war allowed, multiple awards were shown by bronze stars. In the current form multiple awards are shown by silver stars.

Notable recipients

* Robert L. Blackwell, Private, US Army, MoH *

Tasker H. Bliss Tasker Howard Bliss (December 31, 1853 – November 9, 1930) was a United States Army officer who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army during World War I, from September 22, 1917, until May 18, 1918. He was also a diplomat involved i ...

, General, US Army *

Inigo Campioni Inigo Campioni (14 November 1878 – 24 May 1944) was an Italians, Italian naval officer during most of the first half of the 20th century. He served in four wars, and is best known as an admiral in the Italian Royal Navy (''Regia Marina'') d ...

. Lieutenant Commander (later Admiral), Italian Navy * Evans Carlson, Brigadier General, US Marines, leader of Carlson's Raiders * Giuseppe Cirrincione, Maresciallo Dell'aeronautica *William Alexander Cunningham, Captain 321st Battalion US Army, Awarded January 19, 1918, n205 *

William J. Donovan William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat. He is best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to ...

, Major General, US Army, MoH * Gino De Giorgi (twice), Admiral, Italian Navy *

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

* Richmond H. Hilton, Sergeant, US Army, MoH *

Edouard Izac Edouard Victor Michel Izac (December 18, 1891 – January 18, 1990) was a lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient. From 1937 to 1947, he served five terms as a United States House of Representative ...

, Lieutenant, US Navy, MoH, Representative from California * Clayton P. Kerr,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Major General and member of Allied Mission to Italian Army in

* Frank Luke, Jr., Second Lieutenant, US Army Air Service, MoH *

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

, General, US Army, MoH * Richard W. O'Neill, 2nd Lieutenant, US Army, MoH * Carioti Quinto, Private, Italian Army * Thomas Sheppard, British Army officer *

Milan Rastislav Štefánik Milan Rastislav Štefánik (; 21 July 1880 – 4 May 1919) was a Slovak politician, diplomat, aviator and astronomer. During World War I, he served at the same time as a general in the French Army and as Minister of War for Czechoslovakia. ...

, Czechoslovak general *

Sebastiano Visconti Prasca Sebastiano Visconti Prasca (27 February 1883, Rome – 25 February 1961, Monte Porzio Catone) was an Italian general. A veteran of the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912 and he led the initial offensive of the Greco-Italian War in 1940 during Worl ...

, General, Italian Army * George H. Weems,

Brigadier General, DSC *

Alvin York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

, Sergeant, US Army, MoH

References

{{Reflist Military awards and decorations of Italy *