Guest Lynn64 Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 Hi There Is it possible for posthumous awards to be given many years after the recipient has been killed. e.g. If a serviceman were killed in the great war and someone took up their cause now could they still be given an award. Or indeed does anyone know of this occurring. Any information would be gladly received. Many Thanks. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bonza Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 Lynn Back in April a discusssion started. Most valor awards in a single action. Towards the end of it there was an expose on the protocol for retrospective awards Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 During the Great War only the Victoria Cross and Mentions in Despatches could be awarded posthumously. Because of this I would guess that trying to obtain any other award retrospectively for a soldier killed in action in the Great War would be, at best, very difficult. Regards. Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Molier Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 Although it's not about WW1, I want to reply about the Posthumous awards. At this moment I'm researching the life of the Dutch RAF-pilot Bram 'Bob' van der Stok. He received many international awards and on his experiences the film 'The Great Escape' (with Steve McQueen) was made. However, Bram never received 'the Nederlandse Willems Orde', the highest Dutch military award for heroïsm. The last months I've contacted several societeys and ministrys to ask them for an explanation, and what I have to do to give him posthumous this high award. It seems that it's very difficult to find the thruth, and more difficult to find the anwsers I'm searching for. However, I will keep going on untill I've got satisfying anwsers and that's the only way to give those persons the credit they deserve. If you really want that someone receive a posthumous award, you'll have to carry on and don't give up. But it's not going to be easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 I have an MM which was awarded posthumously some 18 months after his death. There are other cases of the MM being awarded posthumously, but I seem to have misplaced the paperwork for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 I have an MM which was awarded posthumously some 18 months after his death. There are other cases of the MM being awarded posthumously, but I seem to have misplaced the paperwork for them. You have misunderstood what is meant by a 'posthumous award' - it is a medal won for an act of bravery which costs you your life. As Dick Flory states above, in WW1 only the VC and MID could be granted for this. No other medals could be issued 'posthumously' for such acts. However, it is indeed true that many awards were given for acts of bravery that preceeded a soldier's death (even by hours) and were later sent to the next of kin after he had been killed. However, this is not a 'posthumous award' in the military sense of the term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 It was Melville and Coghill that were awarded the first posthumous VCs for Ishandwana in about 1907 ... nearly 30 years after they had been killed in trying to save the Colours at Ishandwana. I believe Melville's widow had petitioned Victoria and then Edward VII for years. Also I believe the Australians raise the issue of John Simpson Kirkpatrick being given a posthumous VC every so often. He of course is better known as the "Man with the Donkey" and died at Shrapnel Valley near ANZAC Cove in 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 I have an MM which was awarded posthumously some 18 months after his death. There are other cases of the MM being awarded posthumously, but I seem to have misplaced the paperwork for them. You have misunderstood what is meant by a 'posthumous award' - it is a medal won for an act of bravery which costs you your life. As Dick Flory states above, in WW1 only the VC and MID could be granted for this. No other medals could be issued 'posthumously' for such acts. However, it is indeed true that many awards were given for acts of bravery that preceeded a soldier's death (even by hours) and were later sent to the next of kin after he had been killed. However, this is not a 'posthumous award' in the military sense of the term. The MM I have was awarded posthumous & was for the action in which he was killed. This is noted in the Regimental records, also the btn diary for that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 The MM I have was awarded posthumous & was for the action in which he was killed. This is noted in the Regimental records, also the btn diary for that day. Officially this could not occur in WW1,By WW2 thankfully thinking had changed & virtually all awards became eligible for Posthumous Awarding "Proper";ie an award being made for which the Recipient died during the enactment thereof,however in WW1 there are instances of Awards being Recommended & No doubt being Granted to men who died doing the deed for which the medal was Recommended,usually by clever wording in the Recommendation by a sympathetic Recommending Officer,who felt his Men deserved recognition,but it was by no means the Norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 John F wrote: The MM I have was awarded posthumous & was for the action in which he was killed. This is noted in the Regimental records, also the btn diary for that day. I have read of a number of cases where officers have been awarded MCs for actions in which they received mortal wounds; the recommendations being written and submitted prior to the death of the officer and this may have also happened with MMs. The regulations, though, definitely prohibited the award of any medal but the VC and MID for actions in which the soldier was killed. I would be very interested to see the paperwork and records for an MM that was awarded for an action in which the soldier was killed. Either someone ignored the regulations or there is something very unusual about the action and the man's death. Regards. Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lynn64 Posted 14 September , 2004 Share Posted 14 September , 2004 Many thanks to you all for the information you have supplied. I have read all your responses and subsequent conversations. Lynn x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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