Military Medal

[InkyBill]

Hello

Can anyone help ?

I have a man who was awarded the MM. It was Gazetted on June 3rd 1916, does that mean it was won/awarded on this date or it was won before and appeared in the Gazette on June 3rd?

Cheers

Bill

[Staffsyeoman]

Strictly speaking, it was 'awarded' on that date, as the LG is the official notification of the fact of the award. (That doesn't mean it was actually pinned on him then!)

In my researches, as a rule of thumb - only - you can calculate that the gap between the deed and appearance of notification is about three months. So, the deed would certainly have occurred before appearance in the LG.

However, the gazetting of this MM - in the Birthday Honours - suggest that it is what is known as a 'periodic' award as opposed to an 'immediate' one. These generally passed through the bureaucracy more slowly. We can't assume, then, that he performed the act in/around March.

Unit war diaries can offer more clues; some report when the recommendation for the award has been approved - before the LG notification - and might refer to the action for which it was awarded. But this is far from an exact science and isn't uniform.

Unfortunately, no British MM recommendations - successful or unsuccessful - survive. They do in Australia!

[InkyBill]

Thanks Phil

Its a bit tricky working out what action it was awarded for without any real info, i'll have to re-check his battalion war diary incase i've missed something.

Bill