The Luxembourg War Cross is a military decoration of Luxembourg which was first created in 1945 by the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg. The War Cross recognizes military service and feats of bravery performed between the years of 1940 and 1945. The concept of the medal was based on the French Croix de guerre and the medal is often referred to as the Luxembourg Croix de guerre.
The Luxembourg War Cross was bestowed to both Luxembourg citizens and service members of the Allied Forces who liberated Luxembourg from German occupation. The Luxembourg War Cross was one of the rarest of foreign decorations to be bestowed upon allied troops due to the small number of combat operations which took place in Luxembourg, in contrast to major fighting in such places as Belgium, France, and Germany.
In addition to the War Cross Medal, a War Cross unit citation also exists which may be bestowed upon military units who perform feats of bravery equal to those which would be required for presentation of the individual award. The unit citation is known as the Luxembourg Croix de guerre unit award and appears as a blue and yellow ribbon, enclosed within a gold frame.
Famous recipients of the Luxembourg War Cross include:
