Names and Ranks on Medals

[DCLI]

Excuse my ignorance - again.

Why do medals which were issued after the war, a trio, for example, have different ranks? ie if a man started out as a private and ended up as a sergeant, why didn't they all have the latest rank impressed? I can understand gallantry medals because they were issued during the war, but the Stars, BWM and VM - weren't they issued after the war, in one go?

Thank you

Anthony

[dycer]

Anthony,

I can only assume as in my Uncle's case that the Star was awarded to him as a Cpl as that was his rank in 1914 whilst serving in France.

Hie BWM and VM bear the Rank Sgt which was his rank on his death in 1918.

George

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

The Rank on the Star is the Highest Rank achieved during the qualifying period for that Star,The Rank on the BWM/AVM is usually the Rank held @ the Cessation of Hostilities,{& Not always the Higher Rank,often one sees Sgt/Cpl on Star & Pte On Pair},S'easy really

Also the Stars were issued first circa 1919~21,the Pair followed anytime from around 1921 onwards to around 1923/4

[rflory]

Harry BettsMCDCM wrote:

The Rank on the Star is the Highest Rank achieved during the qualifying period for that Star,The Rank on the BWM/AVM is usually the Rank held @ the Cessation of Hostilities,{& Not always the Higher Rank,often one sees Sgt/Cpl on Star & Pte On Pair},S'easy really

The rank on the BWM/VM is not the rank held on the cessation of hostilities. Rather it is the highest rank held in a theater of war. Many officers and men held higher ranks at the cessation of hostilities than what is on their BWM/VM, but those higher ranks were gained in the UK rather than in a theater of war. Regards. Dick Flory