Medal Presentation

[aglastonbury]

My Great-Grand Uncle was awarded a Military Medal, Gazzeted 17^th December 1917 he was later Killed In Action 27^th October 1918.

What I want to know how & when would he have notified of the award, would he have worn the ribbon from notification and what would have happened about him receiving the medal?

Alex

[KevinBattle]

The London Gazette has a Search function, so you should be able to find more information there.

As you don't provide any other details, it's difficult for anyone here to help you further, as we don't know who your great grand uncle was!

The more help you give, then the more help you get!

[aglastonbury]

Kevin, thanks for that his details are

R A AGER

Joined: September 1916 Suffolk Rgt. (2425)

Shortly after transferred to Yorkshire Rgt. (33310)

MM Gazetted as L/Cpl KIA full Cpl in Italy

I know that there is some debate about the 4 months from the action to the gazette rule of thumb. But if it's true I've already been told that the action would have taken place at the Battle of Passchendaele. I've already checked with the Museum & they don't have a citation but I went on the archivists day off so wasn't able to check the battalion war diary

Alex

[stevem49]

Brigadier or GOC Division usually presented ribbons to men.

S

[regimentalrogue]

London Gazette: SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 DECEMBER, 1917.

Date: 14 December 1917

Issue number: 30431

Page number:13187

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30431/supplements/13187

Has Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the Field to the under-mentioned Non-commissioned Officers and Men: —

33310 L./C. R. A. Ager, York. R. (Ipswich).

[kenf48]

The Military Medal was instituted by Royal Warrant published in the London Gazette on Wednesday 5th April 1916

http://www.london-ga...upplements/3647

It was intended to recognise acts of courage by NCOs and men that did not 'merit' the VC or Distinguished Conduct Medal, invidious though it may be to apply degrees of courage it was a 'level 3' award and over 115,000 were awarded during the war, a few were 'back dated' but most were awarded after this date.

There are many accounts in the literature of parades being held out of the line and medals being awarded by the GOC of the Division, and or other dignitaries visiting the troops. As a generalisation the level of the award usually dictated how and by whom it was presented to the recipient. Thus the VC was presented by the Sovereign at the Palace, or if the recipient could not attend by the King's Representative overseas.

The next level would be presented at a more formal ceremony for example the Times reported a visit to the Front by HRH Duke of Connaught, the seventh child of Queen Victoria and King's representative on November 8th 1916 where among other awards 'he presented MCs to officers and the DCM to a group of NCOs who had previously won the MM.'

The number of MMs awarded, and their status meant they were usually, although not exclusively, presented at Divisional level.

One soldier who has left an account of the award of his M.M. is George Coppard in 'A machine gun to Cambrai'. His award was gazetted on the 19th March 1918, he is typically modest as to the action that merited the award but was wounded on the 22nd November and evacuated back to the UK. Hospitalised in the UK he recounts how he received a letter from his Section Commander Lieutenant Garbutt the leter is dated the 13th January 1918 and said:-

"Dear Coppard,

Herewith I have great pleasure in enclosing your Soup Ticket. I also have great pleasure in informing you that you have been awarded the Military Medal. Please accept my heartiest congratulations, also Mr Cattells. Trusting you are progressing favourably and will soon be able to rejoin us. (signed)

The Soup Ticket was a blue linen card which said:

Your Commanding Officer and Brigade Commander have informed me that you have distinguished yourself by your conduct in the field.

I have read their report with much pleasure

(signed) A.B. Scott

Major General

Commanding 12th Division."

Coppard did not rejoin his comrades but remained in hospital until June when he went to the MGC Convalescant Camp at Alnwick. He does not give a date but while he was there Sir John Maxwell the GOC Northern Command came to the camp to present medals including Coppard's MM for 'conspicuous gallantry while in action at Cambrai'. He recalls,"The presentation ceremony which was held in front of the entire camp was an exciting experience." (He then allows himself a little grumble that there was no bounty paid unlike WW2 recipients!)

This is only one man's experience but I imagine it was pretty typical save for the fact he was at a convalescent camp in the UK when the presentation was made. One can also speculate it depended on the administrative efficiency of the Regiment, but in this case it was around two months when he was notified of the award. As the horizons of the average soldier were probably limited to Battalion Command meeting a Divisional commander would certainly have been very special. An example of a 'Soup Ticket' was I believe illustrated in a recent post on the forum.

I don't know but from my experience if the medal ribbon was available I suggest it could have been worn from what the current regulations state is the 'effective date' of the award which in Coppard's case cited above would presumably be January 1918.

No doubt the criteria for wearing the ribbon on Army uniform was governed by Kings Regulations at the time, and someone may have access to those.

Ken

[Chris_Baker]

Those who were awarded the MM were given a choice as to whether they wished to attend an investiture to be given their medal, or to have it sent home by post. You quite often see the forms on this in men's service records.

[Staffsyeoman]

Although it is considered infra dig for an officer to put up promoted rank before it has been 'Gazetted', quite often lower levels of command had discretion to award lower level gallantry awards, such as the MM; so there would be 'ribbon parades' where recipients would have ribbon pinned on by the Division/Corps/Army commander long before the announcement was in the LG, as it had been approved an published in the appropriate level of 'Orders'.

As to the post - partner's grandfather's MM - for an action in early 1918 and Gazetted later that year - came in the post in 1923.

[aglastonbury]

Thank you everyone, your replies have been very insightful. I guess the next stop is archives and see what I can find. Thanks again,

Alex