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.
| Ordre de l'Étoile Noire | |
|---|---|
 The Grand Croix badge, ribbon and plaque | |
| Type | Order with five degrees: Grand-Croix Commandeur avec Plaque Commandeur Officier Chevalier |
| Presented by |  France Benin |
| Status | Deprecated 3 December 1963 by the Ordre National du Mérite |
| Established | 1 December 1889 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Médaille militaire |
| Equivalent | Ordre national du Mérite |
| Next (lower) | Croix de guerre |
Classes
editThe 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The order was deprecated by decree on 3 December 1963, and superseded by the Ordre National du Mérite.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
edit- Grand Crosses
- Commanders with Plaque
- Commanders
- Officers
- Knights
- Unknown Class
References
edit- ^ "General Sherburne Receives Decoration," Boston Post, April 9, 1920, p. 22.
- ^ "Gen. Vollrath Gets French Honor". Bucyrus Telegraph. Bucyrus, OH. March 15, 1920. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals In Khaki. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press. pp. 368–369. ISBN 978-1-5719-7088-6 – via Google Books.
- ^ 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
- Marc Champenois (9 August 2008). "Ordre de l'Étoile noire". Les décorations Francaises (in French). Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-06.