Jessye Forrest Gwynn
Contributed by Penny Leggett and
Eugenia Hobday
Jessye Forrest Branscomb, was born November 25, 1889, and grew up in Union Springs, Alabama, taught at Athens College in Athens,
Alabama, spent three years teaching in an American-English College in Shanghai, China before marrying William Martin Gwynn, Vice
Consulate of the United States, on July 8, 1929, in Paris, France.
They honeymooned in Constantinople. They were stationed in Riga, Beirut, Greece, the Belgian Congo and Nice, among other spots.
Before getting married, she "spent several years in Europe including France & Poland with the Red Cross (Oct. 1918 -Sept. 1919)
and other agencies" and as treasurer/secretary of A. W. Grocers Association, Washington. Her experiences well equipped her for
the position as wife of a diplomat in the US Diplomatic Service. We do have some remarkable people in our family!
[The First World War 1914-1918 Europe was thrown into conflict in June 1914. At the beginning of the war, the American Red Cross
was a small organization still in the process of developing its identity and programs. When the United States declared war against
Germany on April 6, 1917, the organization began a period of extraordinary growth.] Start: June 28th, 1914 End: November 11th, 1918.
Photos & medal from Aunt Jessye's scrapbook: This is the back side of the French Croix de Guerre ["Cross of War"] that was awarded by the
government! Jessye can be seen wearing it in the pictures on this page of her scrapbook, I think.
Front and back images of the French Croix de Guerre with a Polish badge. Note that Jessye's medal has 2 bronze stars to denote 2
separate acts of bravery in the face of the enemy.
The French Croix de Guerre was instituted on 8 April 1915 by the French Government to recognise acts of
bravery in the face of the enemy specifically mentioned in despatches. This is a relatively common award, equivalent to "mentioned
in dispatches." Many were issued to US and British soldiers.
Open to soldiers, sailors and airmen of all ranks, and of any Allied army, various types of Croix de Guerre were available: bronze
(awarded by the army), silver (awarded by a division), silver-gilt (awarded by a corps), silver star (awarded by a division) and
bronze star (awarded by a regiment or brigade).
Medal designed by the sculptor Paul-Albert Bartholomè. It took the form of a cross surmounted by crossed swords, the centrepiece
bearing the head of the French Republica young woman wearing a Phrygian cap. The reverse of the medal shows the dates of the conflict:
first, it was 1914-1915 then 1914-1916, 1914-1917 and finally 1914-1918. Ribbon: green ribbed with seven narrow vertical red stripes."
http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/croixdeguerre.htm
[Twin sisters Gladys and Dorothy Cromwell of New York, Red Cross nurses and volunteers during World War I in France were awarded the
Croix de Guerre by the French government.]
There is also a Lègion d'Honneur medal - the highest French distinction! I don't know if this is for Aunt Jess or her husband, Vice
Consulate and Consul General of the U. S.: William Martin Gwynn.
Penny Branscomb Leggett wrote to the U.S. State Dept. concerning the records of Wm. Martin Gwynn, and Colin Powell's staff
sent her the following:
The Biographic Register 1949 had him v.c. of career June 15, 1926;
v.c. at Prague Mar.26, 1927;
language officer at Paris Aug. 16,1928;
v.c. at Tallinn, temp., June 15, 1929;
Jessye Gwynn married William Martin Gwynn, Vice Consulate of the United States, on July 8, 1929, in Paris, France.
language officer at Paris Nov. 7, 1929;
class eight and cons. May 9, 1930;
sec. in the Diplo. Ser. June 19, 1931;
3d sec. at Riga July 8, 1931;
class seven July 1, 1934;
2d sec. at Riga Jan. 31, 1935;
also cons. at Riga Nov. 7, 1935;
class six Apr. 1, 1936; 2d sec. at Paris Dec. 19, 1936;
also cons. at Paris Sept. 18, 1937;
cons. at Beirut Jan. 17, 1938;
[Foreign relations of the United States. Diplomatic papers, 1938. (In five volumes.) Volume II. The British Commonwealth, Europe,
Near East, & Africa.
Report Letter: Beirut, June 3, 1938 Christian T. Steger and William M. Gwynn, Consuls at Beirut; pp. 936-938. Beirut, March 20, 1940;
Foreign relations of the United States. Diplomatic papers, 1940; pp. 940-41; Beirut, June 07, 1940
(In five volumes) Volume III. The British commonwealth. The Soviet Union. The Near East and Africa. Date: 1941-01-03;
Publication: Serial Set Vol. No. 10604-3, Session Vol. No.27]
[Beirut, March 12, 1943 Consul General at Beirut Wadsworth: Gwynn [Second Secretary at Beirut] lunched with President
Alfred Naccache, head of the Lebanese Government, yesterday and called on him at his request today for a confidential
talk (discussion of Lebanese independence from France).
[Report letter to the Secretary of State: Beirut, January 10, 1944]
[The Consul at Beirut (Gwynn)]
class five Aug. 16, 1941; 2d sec. at Beirut in addition to duties as cons. Nov. 19, 1942;
also 2d sec. at Damascus Dec. 1, 1942;
[Beirut, March 12, 1943 Consul General at Beirut Wadsworth mentioned in a letter that Gwynn [Second Secretary at Beirut]
lunched with President Alfred Naccache, head of the Lebanese Government, yesterday and called on him at his request today
for a confidential talk (discussion of Lebanese independence from France).]
[Beirut, November 10, 1943 This letter refers to responsibilities to the Lebanese Government and to our French Allies.]
class four, Nov. 16, 1943
[Report letter to the Secretary of State: Beirut, January 10, 1944 The Consul at Beirut (Gwynn)]
1st sec. at Beirut in addition to duties as cons. Apr. 29, 1944; also 1st sec. at Damascus May 12, 1944;
cons. at Athens, temp.; Oct. 27, 1944; cons. gen. Dec. 7, 1944; cons. gen at Athens, temp., Dec. 29, 1944 (cancelled);
cons. gen. at Salonika Dec. 14, 1944;
class three May 16, 1945;
cons. gen. at Leopoldville, Sept. 13, 1946;
For. Ser. Officer of class three Nov. 13, 1946; to the Dept. Nov. 25, 1947; cons. gen. at Nice Apr. 19, 1948; also at Monaco July 16, 1948.
1948, Photo of Martin Gwynn take with Admiral Richard L. Conolly, USN, Commander on board his
flagship, USS Columbus.
