Eleven men - two posthumously - were given the Légion d'Honneur at a ceremony on the navy helicopter carrier Dixmude at HM Naval Base Devonport.
They fought at the D-Day Landings more than 70 years ago.
Plymouth's honorary French consul said the event on board the warship was "quite exceptional" and would never be repeated.
It was the second time France had held such a presentation on a warship, with a similar ceremony staged on board FS Aquitaine in Glasgow in 2015.
The men who were honoured at Sunday's ceremony are aged between 90 and 97 years old.
Gillian Garrlick collected the medal on behalf of her late father, Charles Dixon, from Plymouth.
"My father had actually received it through the post back in October, so he did know he'd received it but was waiting for an official presentation.
"Unfortunately he died on 30th December so didn't get to be here today, but it was an honour to receive it for him."

A 35-year-old woman had to be cut out of a pair after her calves ballooned in size, the medics said in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
She had spent hours squatting to empty cupboards for a house move in Australia. By evening, her feet were numb and she found it hard to walk.
Doctors believe the woman developed a condition called compartment syndrome, made worse by her skinny jeans.
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Compartment syndrome is a painful and potentially serious condition caused by bleeding or swelling within an enclosed bundle of muscles - in this case, the calves.
The condition caused the woman to trip and fall and, unable to get up, she then spent several hours lying on the ground.
On examination at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, her lower legs were severely swollen.
Although her feet were warm and had enough blood supplying them, her muscles were weak and she had lost some feeling.
As the pressure had built in her lower legs, her muscles and nerves became damaged.
She was put on an intravenous drip and after four days was able to walk unaided.
Other medics have reported a number of cases where patients have developed tingly, numb thighs from wearing the figure-hugging low-cut denim trousers - although the chance of it happening is still slim for most people.
Priya Dasoju, professional adviser at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: "As with many of these warnings, the very unfortunate case highlighted is an extreme one.
"There's no need to ditch the skinny jeans just yet, simply avoid staying in the same position for too long and keep moving throughout the day. If you do suffer any prolonged pain you should of course seek help, but no-one should be alarmed by this warning or change the cut of their jeans."
D-Day veterans have received France's highest military decoration on a French warship in Plymouth.
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Skinny jeans can seriously damage muscles and nerves, doctors have said.