Why did officers have to claim their medals?

[Tom Kilkenny]

Other ranks had them sent to them automatically but not officers.  What was the thinking here?   

[Keith_history_buff]

Chris Baker points out that the officers were asked to apply when the 1914 Star was announced by Army Order 350 of 1917, so this set the precedent.

I do believe that the records for Other Ranks were kept at the respective regional Infantry Record Office, or equivalent. Hence, it makes sense for these organisations to compile the roll for the ORs, and to issue the medals. These had been in existence since 1905.

It is my understanding that the Officer records were kept centrally by the War Office, hence requesting the person concerned would complete an EF9 form, to apply for their medals. I do recall coming across unofficial practices whereby lists of men commissioned from the ranks were shared, to avoid duplication of issue of medals.

This is different to the Admiralty, where Officers, Ratings, ORs & NCOs of the Royal Marines all had their names on the roll if eligible, yet they still had to apply.

[Keith_history_buff]

In due course, it appears there was a similar philosophy with the IGSM and Afghanistan 1919 clasp, of the eventual automatic issuance, and discharged men could apply in advance.

A.C.I. 530 of 1921

5. The preliminary issue of the riband to officers and soldiers not now serving will be made as under:-
(a) Officers. - Application for the riband, giving rank name, and the corps in which the applicant last served, should be addressed to-
THE SECRETARY, WAR OFFICE (A.G. 10), 27, PILGRIM STREET, LONDON, E.C. 4.
(b) Discharged and demobilized soldiers may submit applications to the officers i/c records of the corps in which they last served. Such applications should contain the following particulars:-
(i) Full name
(ii) Name of unit and corps, and regimental number therein, in which the medal was earned.
(iii) Full address to which the riband should be sent.

[Keith_history_buff]

Image of Army Order 350 of 1917 (68/121/362), courtesy of forum member Justinth 
https://warrecordsrevealed.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/medals-acis-and-aos-362.jpg

[Tom Kilkenny]

Thanks for this Keith.  I was sure there must have been discussion of this previously but a search didn't throw anything up!

So, it looks like there is still no definitive answer as to why officers and O/Rs were treated differently. 

It did occur to me there might, as someone suggested, have been an assumption that officers would be more comfortable with the process of applying but, given the relatively small numbers of them in the whole scheme of things, you'd imagine it would have been easier simply to have sent medals out to everyone who qualified without the need for any additional paperwork. 

Edited 17 April by Tom Kilkenny

[Keith_history_buff]

I've never seen an explanation as to why the War Office treated officers and ORs differently when it came to medals.

I think the question you need to ask is what went on before 1914? As I understand it, the Boer War campaign medals were issued to all and sundry. I presume that each infantry regiment were responsible for compiling the roll, and issuing medals thereafter?

Whilst there had been men who enlisted in the British Army for "Short Service" during the Boer War, there had been the tradition of the British Army as being a professional body, with the result that most men were still in the army at the time when campaign medals were issued. The administrative challenges of the campaign medals for the 1914-18 war, let alone the Mons Star, had not been faced before by the War Office.