Originally Posted by RAF_Louvert
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Wulfe, the French CdG is the equivalent of the British MID. Nearly all pilot CdGs in WWI were at the Army level, thus the palm attachments. Historically, a WWI pilot was mentioned at the Army level nearly every time he was credited with downing an enemy plane, so the aces had a lot of palms on their CdG ribbons. Given Fullard's record it is entirely feasible that he would have been mentioned at least ten times by this point, thus the two silver palms showing on his latest presentation by la fée du gong. And now that James is off to the Somme it is likely he will be mentioned even more often.


True. And I think the silver palms in WWI were actually unofficial at first, but their use was accepted by the French military, because it made wearing the CdG much easier, in case you happened to be one of the guys decorated with a very large number of bronze palms. There are only so many you can fit on a regular-length ribbon, after all.

Here's a CdG from my collection, awarded to a French pilot in the Great War:

[Linked Image]

There are six palms for army citations, and one gold star for a corps citation.

"Upon my word I've had as much excitement on a car as in the air, especially since the R.F.C. have had women drivers."

James McCudden, Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps