WWII medals - a way OTT I know !

[robgraham]

Does anyone here know where to go to get information on old medals ?

My elderly mother has passed on my father's medals from WWII. Not many as he spent most of the war training gunners in the UK, but he went to France shortly after D day, and I knew that he had a Military Cross, but he never told anyone why.

There is a curiosity to know what the award was for but I'm puzzled by it further as associated paperwork show that it was issued in February

1946, some 9 months the war ended.

Rob

[Farmer Giles]

His Regimental Association would be a good start.

[whisky-dave]

You could try here,

there was a little bit about medals on the antigues road show on sunday

[Terry Fields]

All medal owners are 'gazetted' (the award and the reason for it were published at that time in the London Gazette).

You might be able to get his citation here:

regimental history might turn up further detail, some histories of WWII were published before records were destroyed, and can be incredably detailed about individual actions.

Terry Fields

[Terry Fields]

PS: A Military Cross was awarded to officers (Other Ranks got the Military Medal) and it is second in standing to the Victoria Cross.

Your dad must have done something very courageous. It's well worth following this up.

Terry Fields

[Onetap]

You could also ask here;

There are regular queries about relatives' medals and they get usually answered by some knowledgeable history buffs, who often have contacts with Regimental museums or associations.

Just don't go in the NAAFI bar. 8-0

[Malcolm]

As the closest surviving relative, your mother should be able to apply for a copy of your father's service record. This may shed light on the reason for the issue of the medal. I obtained a copy of my father's RAF service records and dredging my memory and having checked, if you Google 'Army disclosures' you should be able to find the info you need to apply (a death certificate IIRC). The service is not free

Malcolm

[Terry Fields]

Yes, you're quite right.

The DSO has an element of leadership in its award, and isn't available to all (officer) ranks in the same way that a MC is/was.

I'm glad you got this far so soon. The citation should be available somewhere, perhaps your next port of call is the regimental history. Contact details should be online.

Terry Fields

[Peter Parry]

For officers the order at the end of WW2 was Victoria Cross, George Cross, Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Service Cross/ Military Cross/Distinguished Flying Cross. The MC was awarded to officers of Capt & Lt rank - Majors would have been eligible for the DSO.

As Terry said you can search at

details of the award and buy copies of the Gazette. All awards of the MC were gazetted but won't contain the citations. Searching for the citation isn't always easy - you usually have to find the correct person via name and initials first - find his service number from that (if you don't already know it) and then search for all entries for that service number.

You should also try the National Archive

again search by service number and possibly by name and unit as well.

If you know his unit and the date of the action also try searching the national archive for the unit war diary, it is possible something about the award would be in that. War diary copies are held at Regimental Museums and originals at the Public Record Office at Kew Gardens

As next of Kin you are also entitled to a copy of his service record which can be obtained from

Army Personnel Centre, Historical Disclosures, Mail Point 555, Kentigern House,

65 Brown Street, Glasgow, G2 8EX

There is a fee for this, £30 and other documentation is needed, see

There is a curiosity to know what the award was for but I'm puzzled by

It would take time to process and gazette an award, especially if it came from the Far East theatre. In addition a number of awards were made years after the event on the recommendations of commanders who had been held as prisoners of war and unable to make reports of gallantry in the actions which ended with their capture.

[polygonum]

I went to the public records office in Kew and saw some details about being awarded the CGM - but not everything. Then my mother went through the RAF who, eventually, turned up the actual citations and some other info. From being a very young child I vaguely remembered something about a wing, a fire and a radio - but it was an incoherent memory. Seems he helped to put out a fire in a Lancaster while under attack from four fighters - and they got back. But I so wish that the full story had been recorded somewhere rather that just some tantalising hints.

[robgraham]

Thanks guys - once again the depth of knowledge and assistance in this group takes some beating.

The google search I did sent me off to the London Gazette and I was able to find 3 entries for my Dad for the period 1939 to 1948. One thing I didn't realise is that his army service number wasn't unique to him as it also turned up an RAF guy, so I'm presuming now that the army, navy and air force had parallel numbering systems.

I also read a forum thread which indicated that the Service Records that other people had bought didn't record citations so didn't help them locate the history behind medal awards.

Rob

[Peter Parry]

Try the RAF Historic Branch.

Squadron 540 (operational record book) from the time should give more details.

[Peter Parry]

His unit's war diary is probably the best starting point for the narrative. You can arrange to view the originals at Kew or alternatively what Regt was he? If there is a Regimental museum the curator may hold the citation.