Medal engraving policy

[Guest chrisweber]

My father has queried the fact that neither of his father's first world war MBE or MC is engraved with his name.

Can anyone tell me what the normal practice regarding engraving was ? I vaguely thought that it was restricted to VCs, but would be grateful for anyone who knows better.

Thanks

Chris

[Paul Reed]

These medals were issued un-named. Many men had their MC's engraved, some quite elaborately (I once saw a beautiful one to a 9th Devons officer for 1.7.16 with his regimental badge even engraved on it!), but I have never seen an MBE engraved.

These days, of course, a lot of MCs are turning up 'unofficially named' as singles. One might be a little suspect of them, perhaps.

In WW2 MCs had the year of award on the reverse, but were again un-named.

[rflory]

I have one MBE and one OBE from the Great War privately engraved with the officer's name on the reserse arms of the cross. DSOs are sometimes also found with privately engraved names and award details on the reverse of the two suspension bars. I once had a two-bar MC that had the officer's name, unit and date of award privately engraved on the reverse of the MC and each bar had the date and place of the award engraved on the back strap. Regards. Dick Flory