The Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross was instituted by Queen Victoria on 29 January 1856 and is the highest British military award available for gallantry.  Awarded for ‘… most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy…’, the cross was available to all ranks of the […]

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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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The Distinguished Service Medal

The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) was instituted by Royal Warrant on 14 October 1914 and was awarded to members of the Royal Navy, up to and including Chief Petty Officer, and other services for acts of bravery at sea. The other ranks’ equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross, the DSM was awarded to approximately 4100 individuals during […]

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The Meritorious Service Medal

The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) was instituted on 19 December 1845 and was originally awarded to warrant officers and sergeants of the British Army and Royal Marines in recognition of long and meritorious service. This eligibility continued following the outbreak of World War One, however, in 1916 it was decided to extend the award to all non-comissioned […]

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The Distinguished Service Cross

Instituted in June 1901 as an award for warrant officers and subordinate officers of the Royal Navy who had distinguished themselves on active service at sea, the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) began life as the Conspicuous Service Cross but was renamed in October 1914 when eligibilty was widened to include all officers below the rank of lieutenant commander. Almost 2,000 were issued […]

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The Distinguished Service Order

The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) was instituted by Queen Victoria on 6 September 1886 and was awarded to commissioned officers of the British Army, usually to those above the rank of major, who had rendered meritorious or distinguished service during war and had been Mentioned in Despatches. Almost 9,000 were issued during World War One, with all awards […]

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The Distinguished Flying Cross

The Distinguished Flying Cross was instituted by Royal Warrant on 3 June 1918 and was awarded to officers and warrant officers of the Royal Air Force and other services for ‘an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operations against the enemy’. Just over 1,100 DFCs were awarded during the […]

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The Distinguished Flying Medal

The Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) was instituted by Royal Warrant on 3 June 1918 and was awarded to non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Air Force for ‘an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operations against the enemy’. Issued to just 104 recipients during World War One, […]

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The Military Cross

The Military Cross was instituted by King George V on 28 December 1914 and was awarded to junior army officers – those holding the rank of captain and below – and warrant officers of the British and Dominion forces for gallantry in the field. More than 37,000 were issued during the First World war, with four […]

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British Gallantry Awards of the First World War

In addition to the various campaign medals that were instituted for issue to members of the British Armed Forces for operational service during the First World War, there were also a number of decorations that could be awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry and/or distinguished and meritorious service. These medals were normally awarded to recognise […]

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