Army – Medal Rolls, Gallantry, Other Ranks & Officers, including WWI

Nature of Source

Introduction

Gallantry medals and their associated rolls provide valuable information about a soldier’s military service and acts of bravery. The medals were first awarded in 1854 during the Crimean War and were given to individuals for acts of bravery and heroism, covering multiple conflicts, including World War I and II. Royal Air Force and Royal Flying Corps service men and women were eligible for the same campaign and gallantry medals as the army.

Where to Find Gallantry Medal Records

For the most comprehensive information, it is often necessary to consult both the medal rolls and the official Gazette announcements as well as any surviving service records.

The London Gazette
Most gallantry medals were officially announced in the London Gazette. The Gazette entries only occasionally include detailed citations explaining the reasons for the award. Citations for certain medals, such as the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), are more likely to appear in the Gazette.

The National Archives
The Archives holds various gallantry medal name indexes and records. The Archives holds some quarterly indexes to the Gazette with gallantry medal name indexes. Citations are more likely to be found in The National Archives files.

Ministry of Defence Medals Office
For gallantry awards after 1919 and during WWII, the MOD Medals Office holds relevant records.

Unit War Diaries

World War I unit war diaries provide details into daily military operations and occasionally mention individual medal awards. The majority of these records are housed at The National Archives in the series WO 95, with some copies kept by regimental museums. A selection of these diaries has been digitised and can be searched and viewed online by unit details such as regiment, battalion, brigade, or division number through The National Archives Research Guide. To search the entire collection, digitised or not, use the advanced search of the catalogue restricting the search to reference WO 95. Additionally, Forces War Records offers access to a set of WWI war diaries covering operations in France, Belgium, Germany, and the Gallipoli-Dardanelles campaign, which have been extracted from the WO 95 series.

Researching with Newspapers and Publications

Local and national newspapers are a valuable resource for reports of gallantry medal awards. Unfortunately, reports of soldiers or other ranks awarded the most frequently issued WWI medal, the Military Medal, are very rare.

For WWI research, consult the following publications:

• The War Illustrated
• The War Budget
• The Illustrated War News

Many editions of these publications are freely available online and may contain reports of gallantry awards.

Medal Inscription Information

World War I medals are uniquely inscribed along the rim with detailed information about the recipient, including the soldier’s surname, first name or initial, rank, regiment, and service number. In contrast, medals from World War II and campaigns from the 19th century such as the Crimean War are not inscribed with this information.

Principal Gallantry Medals

The Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)
Awarded from 1855 to 1993 and open to NCOs and soldiers. Some awards went to those serving in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. In 1993, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Distinguished Service Order and the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal were discontinued and replaced by the second level gallantry award, the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross which was open to all ranks of the British Armed Forces.
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Awarded from 1886 to 1993 and open to junior officers from all services. In 1993 the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Distinguished Service Order and the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal were discontinued and replaced by the second level gallantry award, the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross which was open to all ranks of the British Armed Forces.
The Victoria Cross (VC)
Awarded from 1856-onwards and open to officers and other ranks from all services from Britain and the Empire/Commonwealth. The highest award for gallantry, awarded just 628 times to 627 recipients during WWI.
The Military Cross (MC)
Awarded from 1915-onwardsand open to officers below the rank of captain and also to warrant officers and sergeant majors. Warrant and junior officers were ineligible for the officer only Distinguished Service Order. In 1993 the other rank Military Medal was discontinued leaving the Military Cross open to all ranks of all services.
The Military Medal (MM)
Awarded from 1916 to 1993 and open to army NCOs and other ranks. Some awards went to those serving in the Royal Naval Division, Royal Flying Corp, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. In 1993 the Military Medal was discontinued leaving the Military Cross open to all ranks of all services.

Other Medal Records

The Military General Service Medal
The medal was instituted in 1847 to recognise service by officers and men serving in various military campaigns with the British Army. The award retrospectively covered the years from 1793 to 1814 including the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Anglo-American War of 1812. The Royal Navy and Royal Marine equivalent was the Naval General Service Medal 1915-1962. In 1962 both these medals were replaced by the General Service Medal and issued for all campaign across the services.
The Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
The medal was instituted in 1831 and remained in use until 1979. It was issued to other ranks and NCOs for long service with irreproachable character and conduct. The rolls are held at The National Archives in series WO 102 which is also available as part of the Digital Microfilm Records.
The Meritorious Service Medal
The medal was awarded to long serving NCOs from 1845. Between 1916 and 1928, the MSM was awarded to warrant officers (sergeant majors), NCOs, and other ranks from the army, Royal Navy, Royal Flying Corp and the Royal Air Force. The rolls up to 1919 can be found at TNA in series WO 101 and were announced in the London Gazette mostly without citation. For background information on the history of the Meritorious Service Medal and a list of those awarded the Medal with the London Gazette reference, see Sainsbury, J.D. For Gallantry in the Performance of Military Duty: Samson Books, 1980.

Post-1920 Service Records

Service records for all ranks who served after 1920 remain with the Ministry of Defence with each military service maintaining its own record office. To access these records consult the MOD Guide ‘How to apply for access to personal data held by the Ministry of Defence’. Please note, The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently in the process of transferring ten million personnel service records to The National Archives for permanent preservation.

See also
Army – Medal Rolls, Campaign, Other Ranks & Officers
Royal Air Force/Royal Flying Corps – Medal Rolls, including WWI
Royal Navy/Royal Marines/Royal Naval Air Service – Medal Rolls, Ratings & Officers

Where Found

The National Archives

• Series WO 146, Distinguished Conduct Medal, Submissions to Sovereign, 1855-1909.
• Series WO 391, Distinguished Conduct Medal Register, 1854-1998.
• Series WO 98, Correspondence and Papers Concerning the Victoria Cross, 1856-1977.
• Series CAB 106, List of the recipients of the Victoria Cross. Other lists include Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross and Mentions in Despatches.
• Series WO 389, Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross Registers. Name indexes to WO 389 can be found in series WO 389/9 covering 1914 to 1938. Indexes are available for the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross and Mentions in Despatches.
• Series WO 390, Distinguished Service Order Register, 1886-1945.
• Series WO 326, Military Medal Register, 1930-1993.
• Series WO 373, Recommendations for Honours and Awards for Gallant and Distinguished Service, 1935-1990.

Period Covered

1854 – 1918

Genealogical Value

• Full name of recipient
• Service number (for other ranks)
• Rank at time of award
• Regiment or unit recipient served with
• Theatre of war (on some rolls)
• Name of the medal awarded (e.g. Victoria Cross, Military Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal)
• Date the medal was awarded or gazetted
• Reason for the award, often including a citation describing the act of gallantry

Further References

Medals

• Adler, Michael. British Jewry Book Of Honour 1914-1918 (Two volumes), Naval & Military Press, 2007
• Bishop, Richard, Hayward, John & Birch, Diana. British Battles and Medals: Spink & Sons, 2006
• Brazier, Kevin. The Complete Victoria Cross: A Full Chronological Record of All Holders of Britain’s Highest Award for Gallantry: Pen and Sword Books, 2010
• Brown, George. For Distinguished Conduct in the Field: The Register of the Distinguished Conduct Medal 1939-1992: Naval & Military Press, 2009
• Buckland, Christopher. ed. Waterloo Medal Roll: Naval & Military Press, 2001
• Duckers, Peter. British Campaign Medals, 1914-2005: Shire Books, 2006
• Duckers, Peter. British Campaign Medals, 1815-1914: Shire Books, 2004
• Duckers, Peter. British Gallantry Awards, 1855-2000: Shire Books, 2005
• Duckers, Peter. British Campaign Medals of the First World War: Shire Books, 2011
• Duckers, Peter. British Military Medals: A Guide for the Collector and Family Historian: Pen and Sword Books, 2013
• Hearns, Douglas. Companions of The Distinguished Service Order 1923-2010: Army Awards: Naval & Military Press, 2011
• Mackay, James and Mussell, Philip. Medal Yearbook: Token Publishing
• Mullen, A.L.T. Military General Service Medal Roll 1793-1814: Naval & Military Press, 2001
• Norman, Charles Boswell. Battle Honours of the British Army: London, 1911
• Purves, Alec A. The Medals, Decorations & Orders of the Great War 1914-1918: Hayward, 1989
• Purves, Alec A. Collecting Medals and Decorations: Spink & Son, 1978
• Purves, Alec A. Orders and Decorations: Hamlyn, 1972
• Sainsbury, J.D. For Gallantry in the Performance of Military Duty: Samson Books, 1980 (The book includes a list of those awarded the Meritorious Service Medal with the London Gazette reference together with background information on the history of the medal)
• Spencer, William. Medals: The Researcher’s Guide: The National Archives, 2008
• Walker, R.W. & Buckland, Chris. Citations of The Distinguished Conduct Medal 1914-1920: Naval & Military Press, 2007

What Grandad Won in the War, DVD, Token Publishing

General

• Beckett, James Deuchar (ed). The Beckett Soldiers Index, A-C: Jade Publishing, 2003
• Beckett, James Deuchar (ed). The Beckett Soldiers Index, D-G Jade Publishing, 2009
• Beckett, James Deuchar (ed). The Beckett Soldiers Index, H-K: Jade Publishing, 2009 (Listing of soldiers from 1793 to about 1854 extracted from TNA series WO 120 and WO 116 and other sources such as marriage registers and medal awards. Arranged alphabetically by surname, forename and regiment including whether discharged at either Chelsea or Kilmainham Hospital. These published editions cover more ground than the Beckett Soldiers’ Index available at The National Archives)
• Bevan, Amanda. Tracing Your Ancestors in the National Archives: The National Archives, 2006
• Brereton, J.M. A Guide to the Regiments and Corps of the British Army: Bodley Head, 1985
• Blank, Dr. Stuart. Researching British Military History on the Internet: Alwyn Enterprises, 2007
• Cox. Reginald H. W. Military Badges of the British Empire 1914-18: Ernest Benn, 1982
• Farmer, John, The Regimental Records of the British Army: Grant Richards, 1901 (Free download available at the Internet Archive)
• Fowler, Simon. A Guide to Military History on the Internet: Pen & Sword, 2007
• Fowler, Simon. Tracing your Army Ancestors: Pen & Sword, 2006
• Fowler, Simon. Tracing Your Army Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2013
• Gaylor, John. Military Badge Collecting: Pen & Sword Books, 2002
• Grehan, John & Mace, Martin. British Battles of the Crimean Wars 1854-1856: Pen & Sword Books, 2014
• Kitzmiller, John. In Search of the Forlorn Hope: A Comprehensive Guide to Locating British Regiments and Their Records, 1640-WWI: Manuscript Publishing Foundation, 1988
• Murphy, Gerry. Where Did That Regiment Go? The Lineage of British Infantry and Cavalry Regiments at a Glance: The History Press, 2009
• Paterson, Sarah. Tracing Your Family History, Army: Imperial War Museum, 2006
• Pols, Robert. Dating Old Army Photographs: Family History Partnership, 2011
• Saks, David. Boerejode: Jews in the Boer Armed Forces 1899-1902: 2010
• Spencer, William. Family History in the Wars: The National Archives, 2007
• Spencer, William. Army Records: A Guide For Family Historians: The National Archives, 2008
• Storey, Neil. Military Photographs and How to Date Them: Countryside Books, 2009
• Swinnerton, Iain, An Introduction to the British Army: Its History, Traditions and Records: FFHS, 1996
• Swinson, Arthur. A Register of the Regiments and Corps of the British Army: The Archive Press, 1972
• The Great War: A Photographic Narrative: Imperial War Museum: Jonathan Cape, 2013
• Usher, George. Dictionary of British Military History: A&C Black Publishers, 2006
• Watts, Michael and Watts, Christopher. My Ancestor was in the British Army: Society of Genealogists, 2009
• Westlake, Ray. The Territorials 1908-1914: A Guide for Military and Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2011

WWI

• Banks, Arthur. A Military Atlas of The First World War: Pen & Sword Books, 2013
• Bridger, Geoff. The Great War Handbook: A Guide For Family Historians & Students Of The Conflict: Pen & Sword Books, 2013
• Christopher, John & McCutcheon, Campbell. 1914 the First World War in Old Photographs: Over by Christmas: Amberley Publishing, 2014
• Doyle, Peter & Foster Chris. British Army Cap Badges of the First World War: Shire Publications, 2010
• Doyle, Peter. Great War British Tommy Manual: The British Soldier 1914-18 [All Models]-Haynes Owners’ Workshop Manuals: Haynes, 2013
• Doyle, Peter & Foster Chris. Remembering Tommy: The British Soldier in the First World War: The History Press, 2013
• Doyle, Peter & Foster Chris. What Tommy Took to War, 1914-1918: Shire Publications, 2014
• Doyle, Peter. The First World War in 100 Objects: The History Press, 2014
• Forty, Simon. Mapping the First World War: Battlefields of the Great Conflict from Above: Anova Books, 2013
• Fowler, Simon. Tracing Your Great War Ancestors: The Somme: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2015
• Fowler, Simon. Tracing Your Great War Ancestors: The Gallipoli: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2015
• Gregson, Keith. A Tommy in the Family: First World War Family History Tales and Research Tips: The History Press, 2014
• Hadaway, Stuart. Tracing Your Great War Ancestors: The Egypt and Palestine Campaigns: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books, 2017
• Holding, Norman, More Sources of WWI Army Ancestry: FFHS, 1998
• Holding, Norman & Swinnerton, Iain. WWI Army Ancestry: FFHS, 2004
• Holmes, Richard. Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914-1918: Harper Perennial, 2005
• Holmes, Richard. Shots from the Front: The British Soldier 1914-18: HarperPress, 2010
• Holmes, Richard. The First World War in Photographs: Andre Deutsch, July 2014
• James, Brig. E. A. British Regiments 1914-18: Naval and Military Press, 2009
• Maddocks, Graham. Liverpool Pals: 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th Service Battalions The King’s Liverpool Regiment: Pen and Sword Books, 2015
• Paterson, Sarah. Tracing Your Prisoner of War Ancestors: The First World War: Pen & Sword, 2012
• Rawson, Andrew. The British Army 1914-1918: The History Press, 2014
• Spencer, William. First World War Army Service Records: The National Archives, 2008
• Swinnerton, Iain. Identifying Your World War One Soldier from Badges and Photographs: Federation of Family History Societies, 2001

Websites

GOV.UK
MOD medals. This series brings together Ministry of Defence medals related guidance and forms. This series brings together Ministry of Defence medals related guidance and forms with information about MOD medals, eligibility criteria and how to apply.
GOV.UK
Ministry of Defence Medal Office: Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility. Details of the medals awarded to serving members of the armed forces, veterans and MOD employees; and who can receive them.
The National Archives Research Guide
How to look for records of British Military Gallantry Medals. This guide will help find a record of a gallantry award and why it was awarded.
The National Archives Research Guide
How to look for records of Victoria Cross Registers 1856-1944.
The Long, Long Trail
Records of gallantry and bravery awards.
The Long, Long Trail
The British gallantry and bravery awards of the Great War.
Imperial War Museum
British First World War Service Medals.
Imperial War Museum
Army Family History: Medal Records. Resources for researching campaign and service medals.
Findmypast Article
Britain, Campaign, Gallantry & Long Service Medals & Awards abbreviations.
North East Medals
The company specialises in British military medals and has a section ‘Guides to British Medals’.
Peter Ghiringhelli
British Gallantry, Orders, Decorations, and Campaign ribbons. The site shows, and very briefly explains, all the gallantry medals and campaign stars that could be awarded to all British service personnel and civilians in World War 2. It includes those Orders, medals and WW1 campaign stars that could have been worn by the older participants of WW2.
GreatWar
The Great War. British WW1 Medals. Guide to campaign medals and gallantry or meritorious service awards.
Empire Medals
The company is licensed by the Ministry of Defence to produce and sell replica military and civilian medals and awards. They offer a wide range of products and services for those interested in military history and memorabilia.
Identify Medals
Medals from Great Britain. British Military Medals & Awards. The site offers information on all military medals, awards and decorations of the United Kingdom given by the British Armed Forces in recognition of service and personal accomplishments of individuals while a member of the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force.
The Victoria Cross
The site works to ensure the memory and graves of every Victoria Cross recipient are remembered and maintained for generations to come. The site includes an index of individual VC holder’s names and a list county and country of the location of graves of VC holders in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the rest of the world.
BFBS
Armed Forces honours: What are the different medals that can be awarded?

Online Databases

The Genealogist

Medal and award datasets include:

• The Victoria Cross and Distinguished Service Order records 1857-1923. This database includes nearly 25,000 biographical records of officers, non-commissioned officers and men of his Majesty’s naval, military and air forces who have been awarded these decorations from the time of their institution, with descriptions of the deeds and services which won the distinctions and with many biographical, and other details.
• Meritorious Service Medal. Search records of 29,000 individuals who were decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal for acts of gallantry and bravery in battle during the First World War and up to 1920.
• The Military Medal Collection. Record of servicemen awarded the Military Medal in The First World War. The Military Medal was a medal awarded for exceptional bravery. It was awarded to the Other Ranks (N.C.O.s and Men) and was first instituted in 25 March 1916 during The First World War to recognise bravery in battle.
• The Distinguished Conduct Medal Collection. Search servicemen awarded the DCM Medal in the Second Boer War and The First World War. The medal awarded for exceptional bravery and awarded to the Other Ranks (N.C.O.s and Men) and was first instituted in 1854 during The Crimean War.
• Mentioned in Dispatches: Over 81,000 records of soldiers and army nurses mentioned in dispatches in The First World War for an act of gallantry or meritorious action in the face of the enemy. Soldiers who were mentioned in dispatches did not receive a medal for their action but were entitled to receive a certificate and wear a decoration.

Ancestry

Datasets include:

• UK, WWII Civil Defence Gallantry Awards, 1940-1949. Records of civilian gallantry awards for acts of bravery by civilians, police, and fire including the British Empire Medal, Empire Gallantry Medal and the George Cross.
• Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949. This database contains lists of more than 2.3 million officers, enlisted personnel and other individuals entitled to medals and awards commemorating their service in campaigns and battles for the British Army.
• UK, Citations of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914-1920. This database provides access to more than 25,000 citations for recipients awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
• UK, Victoria Cross Medals, 1857-2007. This database lists names, gravesites, and other details for recipients of the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest award for valour “in the face of the enemy.”

To search or browse all medal and award datasets click on ‘View all in Card Catalogue’ on the Awards & Decorations of Honour home page.

Findmypast

Medal Rolls and Honours. Datasets include:

• Britain, Campaign, Gallantry & Long Service Medals & Awards. Search a vast collection of records for those who were recognised for their service, courage, and accomplishments in times of war and conflict. The awards include, campaign medals, gallantry medals, military medals, distinguished conduct medals, Waterloo Medals, Merchant Navy Medals, Royal Artillery Honours & Awards and the Victoria Cross Award. The records include names from the British Army, Royal Marines, Royal Navy, and Merchant Navy. You will find records from both world wars as well as the Peninsular War, Indian Mutiny, Waterloo, and many more conflicts. You can search by a specific medal type. Visit the dataset home page for a full list of medal types.
• British Army, Recommendations For Military Honours and Awards 1935-1990. Search for British Army personnel who were recommended for honours and awards. The recommendations were made for various reasons including, gallantry in the face of the enemy, ‘meritorious service’ and distinguished service. These records are from series WO 373 held at The National Archives in Kew.
• Waterloo Roll Call, 1815. Discover if your ancestor appears in Charles Dalton’s Battle of Waterloo roll call; a list of almost 4,000 men (mostly officers) who took part in this epic battle.

To restrict and filter your search to a county or place or dataset click on ‘Browse Record Set’ on the Military, armed forces & conflict in United Kingdom search page.

The National Archives
Victoria Cross Registers, 1856 and 1944. Search and download the records from series WO 98. Alternatively can download free of charge a list of the recipients of the Victoria Cross from 1856 up to 1946.
The National Archives
Digital Microfilm Records. You can view whole pieces from WO 373, which contains recommendations for honours and awards, 1935-1990. These pieces are arranged by theatre of war and date, although some of the pieces are indexed by name in the Catalogue. These documents are free of charge to download.
Forces War Records
The website is focused on military history and records with access to over 645 million records, covering a wide range of conflicts. The site offers extensive medals and awards records including: Medal rolls, citations for gallantry awards, campaign medal records and long service and good conduct medals covering various conflicts and branches of service.
The Gazette
Official Newspaper of Record – London, Edinburgh and Belfast. The Gazette consists largely of statutory notices and includes honours and awards for gallantry or meritorious service, officer commissions, appointments and promotions and casualties.
Naval & Military Archive
The site offers a number of medal and award records including: Campaign Medal Rolls 1914-1919; Distinguished Conduct Medal Citations 1914-1920; Silver War Badge 1914-1918; De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour 1914-1924; Men of the Battle of Waterloo 1815; Victoria Cross 1854-2006.

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