The Cross of Lorraine

A heraldic two-barred cross, consisting of a vertical line crossed by two shorter horizontal bars, the Cross of Lorraine has been the symbol of the Lorraine province of eastern France since the 15th century.

Between 1871 and 1918 (and again between 1940 and 1944), the north-eastern quarter of Lorraine was annexed by Germany, along with Alsace. During that period, the Cross served as a rallying point for French ambitions to recover its lost provinces. This historical significance lent it considerable weight as a symbol of French patriotism.

During World War II, the Cross of Lorraine was used as the symbol of the Free France government-in-exile led by General Charles de Gaulle as a response to the Nazi swastika. The Cross was displayed on the Free French Flag, Free French warships and aircraft, as well as on the shoulder patches of Free French army units.

The green-ribboned Order of Liberation medal bears the Cross. Second only in significance to the Legion of Honour, the medal was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. Very few people, military units and communes were ever awarded the medal (1038 medals were issued, 270 posthumously). Also portraying the Cross, the red-ribboned Resistance Medal was awarded for lesser, but still distinguished deeds by members of the Resistance (62, 000 medals were issued, 24,463 posthumously).

The Cross of Lorraine can be found on many French war memorials of the Second World War and commemorative coins in honour of the French Resistance. An 18-metre high cross can be found at Juno Beach in Normandy (right). Dating from 1990, it was placed on the spot where General de Gaulle landed on 14 June 1944 between Courseulles-sur-Mer and Graye-sur-Mer (Free French Forces at D-Day).

Lorraine Cross Juno Beach Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime

Credit: ID 52842089 © Enrico Della Pietra- https://www.dreamstime.com/edella_info

General De Gaulle is also memorialised by a 44-metre (145 foot) Cross of Lorraine erected in 1972 in his home village of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises. Attribution: Mathieudu68, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (No changes made to the image)

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Lorraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Liberation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistance_Medal https://frenchmoments.eu/cross-of-lorraine/