Award of BWM to "civilians"

[NigelS]

Like a great many others I've been browsing through the newly available MICs on Ancestry - thanks to those that pointed this out elsewhere - and happened to chance on a record where the corp given was "YMCA" with a BWM awarded. Curiosity aroused, I found details of the YMCA's involvement at the front (http://www.1914-1918.net/ymca.htm). The IWM web site gives, under eligibility for the BWM - Army:"All those who served on the staff of military hospitals and all members of recognised organisations, for example the British Red Cross and the Order of St John, who actually tended the sick and wounded." and "Members of duly recognised or authorised organisations." So members of the Red Cross & the Order of St. John would have qualified automatically, and it would appear from looking through the Ancestry MICs, so would members of the YMCA, and The Church & Salvation Armies as "Recognised or authorised organisations".

I'm now left wondering what, other civilian organisations that served overseas as support to the BEF would have been deemed as "Recognised or authorised organisations" in order to qualify its members for the BWM - is any knowledgeable person able to give a definitive list or add some more?

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Try entering Civilian Organisations that you know;eg;Civilian;Civil;St George Ambulance,Scottish Hospital,Hospital Reserve;Scottish Churches Huts;Women's Legion,Royal Automobile Club;,etc;into the NA MiC site,under Regiment ,you may be pleasantly surprised...

NA Medal Index Card Search

[NigelS]

Thanks Harry; perhaps I should have asked what organisations weren't officially recognised! This begs the question as to how these guys entitlement became known, was it down to the parent organisation submitting names or was there some other mechanism in place for listing?

Nigel

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Presumably their Records of Overseas Service were maintained by the HQ of each organisation & Names submitted when details of the tentative awards became public~A nice little research project for someone...?

[Terry_Reeves]

Civilian contractors who went to France and Belgium also received the BWM, one of whom was Robert McAlpine who was of course later knighted.

TR