The Long, Long Trail

Gallantry medals are comparative rarities. The award of gallantry medals was always notified in the London Gazette. In addition there are indexes to the awards held on microfiche at the National Archives. So if he won such an award, your chances of finding something about Grandad's service from the announcements are very good.

 

The most common award was
the Mention in Despatches

 

The gallantry medals were
the Military Medal, MM
the Distinguished Conduct Medal, DCM
the Military Cross, MC
the Distinguished Service Order, DSO
the Victoria Cross, VC

 

For long service or acts of gallantry not in the face of the enemy
the Meritorious Service Medal, MSM

 

A less well-known award:
the Albert Medal, AM

 

The London Gazette is the official newspaper of the State, which has existed since 1665 and is still published today. An invaluable resource for WW1 researchers, as it carried information concerning officer's commissions, honours and awards, Commanding Officers despatches and much more. An extensive index to the Gazette, as well as microfilmed copies of each publication, can be found at the National Archives.

 

You can now search the London Gazette on-line. Beware: the search engine can be very tricky. If you know it, try the man's service number and well as every variant of his name you can think of. For an initial and surname, type a full stop (period) after the initial.

 

Other sources: Many awards of the gallantry medals are mentioned in published sources. Local newspapers carried stories of men receiving everything from the MM upwards. Post-war, many books were published that gave whole lists of men who had received such honours. Modern researchers have added to the list in their great work on, for example, the Pals battalions - but overall the coverage is for only a relatively few units. The award of the campaign medals is unlikely to be mentioned anywhere.

 

Where next? Once you have identified Grandad's unit and an approximate date of his gallantry award, you should go to the unit's war diary. Some extracts from diaries appear on this site and some are available on-line. The majority are not and require a visit to the National Archives.

This is the lowest form of recognition that was announced in the London Gazette. Originally there was no award as such, the literal mention of the individual in the Commander-in-Chief's despatch being deemed sufficient. However, eventually it was decided during the Great War that an oakleaf emblem could be worn with the ribbon of the Victory Medal, denoting the mention. The mentioned man also received a certificate carrying his service details and a reference to the despatch in which he was mentioned. No complete index or register of those who were mentioned exists, although the National Archives has a partial list. The mention did not entitle the man to use the letters MID after his name for official purposes, although this form is seen from time to time. It is possible to search the online London Gazette for mentions.

First instituted in March 1916 as an award for distinguished service in the field for Warrant Officers, NCO's and lower ranks. The award of an MM was also possible for women. All awards of the MM were announced in the London Gazette, with no citation.

When you find the listing in the London Gazette, note the date of publication. The event for which the award was made was usually some 3-4 months before.

First instituted in 1854 as an award for distinguished service in the field for Warrant Officers, NCO's and lower ranks. All awards of the DCM were announced in the London Gazette, usually with a citation although awards made as part of the King's Birthday or New Year's honours do not always have one.

A very detailed reference is "Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal 1914-1920" by R. W. Walker, published 1980. A veterans group, called the DCM League, existed after the war.

 

First instituted on 28 December 1914 as an award for gallantry or meritorious service for officers with the rank of Captain and below, and for Warrant Officers (NCO's with warrant - at the time, this was only a Regimental Sergeant-Major). In August 1916 it became possible to award a bar or bars to the MC, for repeated acts of gallantry.

A rosette worn with the medal ribbon denoted the bar. All awards of the MC were announced in the London Gazette, usually with a citation, although awards made as part of the King's Birthday or New Year's honours were made for reasons of meritorious service and do not usually have a citation.

37,081 MC's were awarded in the war. In addition 2,992* men were awarded a bar to the MC (that is, they won the MC again); 176 a second bar and 4 men a third bar.

* Data differs according to source: 2,992 according to J.V.Webb's "Recipients of bars to the Military Cross"; 2,983 according to Abbott & Tamplin's "British Gallantry Awards".

A high award for meritorious or distinguished service rather than an act of gallantry, although in many cases during 1914-1918 it is not easy to discriminate between these two reasons for granting an award; in fact in some cases it appears that a DSO was awarded when perhaps a full recommendation for a VC could not be justified or corroborated.

 

In existence since 1886, for officers who were not eligible for an award of the CB (Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath): however, after the establishment of the award of the Military Cross, it was unusual for a DSO to be awarded to an officer with a rank below Major.

All awards of the DSO were announced in the London Gazette, usually with a citation, although awards made as part of the King's Birthday or New Year's honours were made for reasons of meritorious service and do not usually have a citation.

 

A very detailed reference book, detailing each award, is "The Distinguished Service Order" by General Sir O'Moore Creagh.

The supreme British award for gallantry in the face of the enemy, which was established in 1856 and is still awarded today.

 

633 VC's were awarded during the war, of which only two only were bars (second awards to a man who already had a VC): they were to Arthur Martin-Leake (who won his first VC before the war) and Noel Chavasse (who won the award in 1916 and posthumously in 1917). Both were medical officers.

 

Each award of the VC followed a regimental-level recommendation that had to be supported by three independent eye-witness accounts. The recommendation was escalated, with the final submission and approval being by the Secretary of State for War, and HM the King.

 

The VC awards have been extensively researched and many publications cover the men and actions that led to the them. Perhaps the best modern volumes are the series edited (and in some cases written) by Gerald Gliddon, titled "VC's of the First World War"; a superb internet resource can be found at Victoria Cross Reference.

 

All awards of the VC were announced in the London Gazette, with a citation.

This award was originally for long-service or acts of particular merit; from 1916 it was also for gallantry or meritorious service when not in face of the enemy. The latter awards ("Immediate MSM's") were announced in the London Gazette.

An award for acts of bravery or heroism in "preventing accidents in mines, on railways, and at fires, and from other perils on the shore". There was also a seaborne type.

 

All awards of the Albert Medal to army personnel are listed on this site.