Order of the Black Star

Award

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

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The order was deprecated by decree on 3 December 1963, and superseded by the Ordre National du Mérite.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

Grand Crosses
- Amha Selassie
- Hamengkubuwono VIII
- Edgard de Larminat
- Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
- Charles Debbas
Commanders with Plaque
- Michel Arnaud
- Pedro Correia de Barros
- Gustaf Bonde (1911–1977)
- Smedley Butler
- Jacob Emil van Hoogstraten
- Harry J. Malony
- Jacques Massu
- Ernest Dichmann Peek
- Bengt Rabaeus
- Howard Robertson (architect)
- Sisavang Vong
Commanders
- Ewart Culpin
- William H. Hay
- John H. Hughes (general)
- Palden Thondup Namgyal
- Pakubuwono X
- Wilhelm Winther
- Arthur Young (police officer)
- Smedley Butler
- John H. Sherburne^[1]
- Edward Vollrath^[2]^[3]
Officers
Knights
Unknown Class
- Willy Coppens
- John F. Curry
- Ernest J. Dawley
- Pierre Pouyade
- Michael Scott (golfer)
- Emmet Harris^[4]

References

^ "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.

Orders, decorations, and medals of France

Orders

National	Order of the Legion of Honour Order of Liberation Order of Merit
Ministerial	Order of Academic Palms Order of Agricultural Merit Order of Maritime Merit Order of Arts and Letters
Territorial	Order of Tahiti Nui

Decorations and medals

Civilian	Honour medal for courage and devotion Honour medal of Aeronautics Honour medal of Foreign Affairs Agricultural honour medal Honour medal of railroads Regional, departmental and municipal honour medal Honour medal of customs Honour medal of Waters and Forests Honour medal of 1st degree education Penitentiary honour medal Honour medal for civilian personnel of the Defense Ministry Honour medal of the National Police Honour medal for firefighters Medal for internal security Honour medal of Musical Societies and Choirs Honour medal of the Judicial Protection of Youth Honour medal for work Honour medal of Civil Engineering Insigne des blessés civils Medal of the French Family Honour medal for youth, sports and associative engagements Medal of Mines Medal of Tourism National Medal of Recognition for victims of terrorism Defence and Internal Security Volunteer Reservists Medal
Military	Médaille militaire Croix de guerre 1914–1918 Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures Cross for Military Valour Medal of the National Gendarmerie Resistance Medal Escapees' Medal Volunteer combatant's cross 1914–1918 Volunteer combatant's cross Cross of the resistance volunteer combatant Combatant's Cross Aeronautical Medal Overseas Medal National Defence Medal Medal for voluntary military service Defence and Internal Security Volunteer Reservists Medal Medal of the Nation's Gratitude Medal for the War Wounded Military Health Service honour medal

Civilian

Honour medal for courage and devotion
Honour medal of Aeronautics
Honour medal of Foreign Affairs
Agricultural honour medal
Honour medal of railroads
Regional, departmental and municipal honour medal
Honour medal of customs
Honour medal of Waters and Forests
Honour medal of 1st degree education
Penitentiary honour medal
Honour medal for civilian personnel of the Defense Ministry
Honour medal of the National Police
Honour medal for firefighters
Medal for internal security
Honour medal of Musical Societies and Choirs
Honour medal of the Judicial Protection of Youth
Honour medal for work
Honour medal of Civil Engineering
Insigne des blessés civils
Medal of the French Family
Honour medal for youth, sports and associative engagements
Medal of Mines
Medal of Tourism
National Medal of Recognition for victims of terrorism
Defence and Internal Security Volunteer Reservists Medal

Military

Commemorative medals

1852 – 1871: Second Empire	Saint Helena Medal Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign Commemorative medal of the 1860 China Expedition Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition
1871–1914: Belle Époque	Commemorative medal of the 1870–1871 War Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal (1885) Dahomey Expedition commemorative medal (1892) Madagascar Expeditions commemorative medal Colonial Medal China Expedition commemorative medal (1901) Morocco commemorative medal (1909)
1914–1918: World War I	1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal Dardanelles campaign medal Orient campaign medal Commemorative medal of the 1914–1918 War Medal of French Gratitude Medal for Victims of the Invasion Medal for civilian prisoners, deportees and hostages of the 1914-1918 Great War
1918–1939: Interwar	Syria-Cilicia commemorative medal
1939–1945: World War II	Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France Italian Campaign medal Medal for deportation and internment for acts of resistance Political deportation and internment medal Commemorative medal of the 1939–1945 War Medal of a liberated France Recusant's insignia
1945–1964: Decolonisation	United Nations operations in Korea commemorative medal Indochina Campaign commemorative medal Middle East operations commemorative medal North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal
Since 1964	Medal of the Nation's Gratitude North Africa medal United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon medal French commemorative medal Medal for the Military Protection of the Territory

Defunct orders

Royal & Imperial	Order of Saint Michael Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint Louis Order of Military Merit Order of the Iron Crown Order of the Three-Golden Fleeces Order of the Reunion Decoration of The Lily Decoration of the Bordeaux Armband Decoration of the Fidelity Medal of the wounded Order of the Cross of July
Ministerial	Order of Merit for Veterans Order of Military Merit Order of Civil Merit Order of Social Merit Order of Labour Merit Order of Touristic Merit Order of the National Economy Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit Order of Artisan Merit Order of Public Health Order of Postal Merit Order of Sport Merit
Colonial	Order of Indochinese Merit Order of Saharan Merit Order of the Black Star Order of the Star of Anjouan Ordrer of Nichan el Anouar Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam Royal Order of Cambodia Order of Merit of Madagascar and dependencies Order of Merit of Cameroon