An Important WWI Croix De Guerre Medal to an American Officer

Description: French Croix de Guerre with three stars awarded to Lieutenant Joshua G.B. Campbell,who served with the American Ambulance Field Service in WWI. He joined in NewYork in 1914. He wrote a memoir of his service in France. The certificate is in very nice condition and is signed in ink in two places. A wonderful item to a highly decorated WWI American officer who was a 1914 entrant to the war in France. JoshuaGabriel Baker Campbell was an American Field Service (AFS) and United StatesArmy Ambulance Service (USAAS) ambulance driver during World War I. Originallyfrom New York City, Campbell had been working at the British military hospitaland living in Paris, France, for several months before he enlisted with theAmerican Ambulance Field Service in 1914 (later renamed the American FieldService.) He was assigned to Section Sanitaire Etats-Unis (SSU) 1 and left forDunkirk on January 20, 1915, to provide aid during the long-range bombardmentsand air raids. SSU 1 was awarded two collective citations for activitiescompleted while Campbell was a member of the unit, including one for goodservice and crossing layers of toxic gas several times on July 11, 1916, andone for the evacuation of three wounded divisions in particularly hazardousconditions in September of 1916. Campbell and fellow SSU 1 driver Victor Whitewere awarded individual citations for the evacuations of poste de secours (aidstations) at clusier under heavy bombardment and for taking extreme care forthe safety and comfort of the wounded. Campbell became a sous-chef (assistantleader) of SSU 1, and was later awarded a Croix de Guerre for his service atclusier. After AFSceased to exist as an independent organization and was absorbed by the UnitedStates (U.S.) military after the U.S. entered the war in 1917, Campbellcompleted the officers course in Meaux, France, and became an ambulance driverfor SSU 623 of the USAAS. By November 1918 he had been named First Lieutenantand commanding officer of his unit. SSU 623 was awarded two collectivecitations for activities completed while Campbell was a member of the unit,including one on June 6, 1918, for evacuating the wounded despite a violent andtoxic atmosphere that the drivers had to cross during the offensive in May. Theunit was awarded another citation on January 9, 1919 for distinguished serviceduring the year, particularly during the Champagne action (September throughOctober of 1918) and during the evacuation of the civilian hospital Mzires,which was fire bombed by the Germans on November 10, 1918. Campbell was awardedan individual citation for extreme courage during the offensive of May 27,1918, when he saved the wounded that were part of the 61st French Divisionunder heavy bombardment and machine gun fire. Campbell also received theAmerican Field Service Medal and the Verdun Medal, and in May of 1928 theRepublic of France awarded him the Legion of Honour (Lgion dHonneur.) https://the-afs-archive.org/people-in-afs/article/campbell-joshua-g-b-1-0341

Price: 499.99 USD

Location: Portage la Prairie, Manitoba

End Time: 2024-10-22T13:37:52.000Z

Shipping Cost: 20 USD