Order of the Black Star

Ordre de l'Étoile Noire
The Grand Croix badge, ribbon and plaque
TypeOrder with five degrees:
Grand-Croix
Commandeur avec Plaque
Commandeur
Officier
Chevalier
Presented by France Benin
StatusDeprecated 3 December 1963 by the Ordre National du Mérite
Established1 December 1889
Precedence
Next (higher)Médaille militaire
EquivalentOrdre national du Mérite
Next (lower)Croix de guerre

The Order of the Black Star (Ordre de l'Étoile Noire) was an order of knighthood established on 1 December 1889 at Porto-Novo by Toffa, future king of Dahomey (today the Republic of Benin). Approved and recognised by the French government on 30 July 1894, after the establishment of the new statutes of 30 August 1892, according this distinction to all those who worked to develop French influence on the west coast of Africa.

Classes

The order has five classes: Grand-Croix (Grand Cross), Commandeur avec Plaque (Commander with Plaque), Commandeur (Commander), Officier (Officer), and Chevalier (Knight).

Grand-Croix
Commandeur avec Plaque
Commandeur
Officier
Chevalier

The order was deprecated by decree on 3 December 1963, and superseded by the Ordre National du Mérite. Extant members of the order are permitted to wear their original decorations.

Recipients

References

  1. ^ "General Sherburne Receives Decoration," Boston Post, April 9, 1920, p. 22.
  2. ^ "Gen. Vollrath Gets French Honor". Bucyrus Telegraph. Bucyrus, OH. March 15, 1920. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals In Khaki. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press. pp. 368–369. ISBN 978-1-5719-7088-6 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ 2nd Lieutenant US Infantry (New York) d. 13 August 1919. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 - 1985; Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers, 1917 - 1922 File Unit: Hanf - Harrisburg entry 1481 and 1482