pre-WW2 Polish Cross of Valour (Krogulec 12) – Bertrand France

Polish Cross of Valour. A version made of bronze, produced by the Arthus Bertrand workshop in Paris. Version 12 according to Grzegorz Krogulec’s book “Krzyż Walecznych”, featuring characteristic “A” and “H” letters with a broken crossbar. The ribbon is of British manufacture from the World War II period.

This is a privately purchased variant of the Cross of Valour. Quoting Mr. Grzegorz Krogulec in his book “Krzyż Walecznych”: “A version popular in Poland, especially in the second half of the 1920s. These crosses also appear in sets of pre-war decorations reconstructed in the West from around 1940 to about 1950, and also on French-made ribbons of the World War II pattern.”

The Polish Cross of Valour was awarded for bravery on the battlefield. The award is in the shape of a cross, with a crowned Polish eagle with outstretched wings at the center. The arms bear the inscription “Na Polu Chwały 1920” (“On the Field of Glory 1920”).

The reverse side features a sword and laurel wreath with the inscription “Walecznym” (“To the Valiant”).