SCARCE PRE WW1 1870-71 FRANCO GERMAN WAR RED CROSS SERVICE MEDAL GENEVA

Description

Offered is a French Red Cross Wound Relief Society Medal for the Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871.

38 mm bronze, toned gilt finished cross, single sided, obverse inscription: 1870 Société Francaise de Secours aux Blessés des Armees de Terre et de Mer. 1871″ reverse blank. Cross retains the original white ribbon with embroidered red cross (ribbon fold fraying to lower arm), very good overall.

The French Red Cross (La Croix Rouge Francaise, CRF) came into existence in its present form in 1940 by the order of Marshal Pétain, and was created by the unification of three separate organisations of similar function (organisations which had cooperated with each other anyway since 1907 ). The work of these bodies was the same before and after unification – that is to provide volunteer medical and relief aid services to the military and in civil emergencies such as natural disasters. Manned by doctors, nurses and various aid workers.