Stokes 3-inch Trench Mortar

The Stokes 3-inch Trench Mortar was a bipod-mounted light mortar weapon designed and developed by English engineer Frederick Wilfred Scott Stokes, later to become Sir Wilfred Stokes KBE. It was adopted by the British Army in mid-1915 and would remain in service for more than two decades. While existing howitzers were extremely capable against entrenched enemy […]

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The Silver War Badge

The Silver War Badge (SWB), often referred to as the Wound Badge, Services Rendered Badge or Discharge Badge, was introduced in September 1916 and was awarded retrospectively to service personnel who had been honourably discharged, usually due to wounds or sickness, since the outbreak of World War One in August 1914. Designed to be worn on civilian clothes only, the main […]

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Mentioned in Despatches

During World War One, British and Empire soldiers could be officially commended for an act of gallantry or meritorious service without the award of a medal, this was called Mentioned in Despatches (MiD). Those recognised in such a manner were specifically named in the official military despatch written by the Commander-in-Chief, initially John French and from 1915 Douglas Haig, which […]

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