TheMilitary Medal (MM) was amilitary decoration awarded to personnel of theBritish Army and other arms of thearmed forces, and to personnel of otherCommonwealth countries, belowcommissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award was established in 1916, with retrospective application to 1914, and was awarded toother ranks for "acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire". The award was discontinued in 1993, when it was replaced by theMilitary Cross, which was extended to all ranks, while other Commonwealth nations instituted their own award systems in the post war period.
When the medal was first introduced, it was unpopular among regular soldiers. MM and DCM recipientFrank Richards wrote that "the Military Medal without a shadow of a doubt had been introduced to save awarding too many DCMs. The old regular soldiers thought very little of the new decoration".[6] Both the DCM and the MM attracted a gratuity and the decoration allowance of an extra sixpence a day to veterans with a disability pension. However, the allowance was only awarded once even if the recipient was awarded more than one gallantry award. The ratio in the First World War was approximately five MMs awarded for every DCM.[7]
From September 1916 members of theRoyal Naval Division, serving on Western Front alongside the Army, were made eligible for military decorations, including the Military Medal, for the war's duration.[4] It could also be awarded to members of theRoyal Air Force for gallant service on the ground.[8]
Eligibility for the MM was extended, by a Royal Warrant dated 21 June 1916, to women whether British subjects or foreign, with the first awards gazetted on 1 September 1916. Although nurses of theQueen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) and theTerritorial Force Nursing Service (TFNS) and other women serving with the British Army often had the social status of officers, they did not hold an officer's commission and were therefore ineligible for theMilitary Cross, but could be and were awarded the MM.[9]Louisa Nolan, a civilian during theEaster Rising in Dublin, was awarded the Military Medal for her courage under fire in providing humanitarian aid to the wounded.[10]
Eligibility was extended to soldiers of theIndian Army in 1944.[13]
The Military Medal was discontinued in 1993, as part ofthe review of the British honours system, which recommended removing distinctions of rank in respect of awards for bravery. Since then the Military Cross, previously only open toCommissioned andWarrant Officers, has been awarded to all ranks.[14] The MM had also been awarded by Commonwealth countries but by the 1990s most, includingCanada,Australia andNew Zealand, were establishing their own honours systems and no longer recommended British honours.
The ribbon is dark blue,1+1⁄4 inches (32 mm) wide with five equal centre stripes of white, red, white, red, and white, each1⁄8 inch (3 mm) wide.
The name and service details of the recipient were impressed on the rim of the medal, although honorary awards to foreign recipients were issued unnamed.
Silver, laurelled bars were authorised for subsequent awards, with a silver rosette worn on the ribbon bar to indicate the award of each bar.
French soldiers, after having been awarded the Military Medal,Battle of the Somme 1916King George V decorating U.S. Army soldier James E. Krum with the Military Medal in 1918
Nearly 140,000 people have been awarded the Military Medal. Among the more notable recipients are:
In theDad's Army episode "Branded", the platoon discover that the characterPrivate Godfrey was aConscientious Objector. He is then ostracized by the platoon, until they find that he was awarded the Military Medal in theFirst World War whilst serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, for rescuing wounded men under enemy fire. The medal itself is central to the storyline in that it is higher than all the medals held by the rest of the platoon and is seen as a mark of true heroism which earns him great respect from them all.[22]
InANZAC Girls episode 6, "Courage", Sister Ross-King and three other nurses are awarded the Military Medal for bravery under fire.[citation needed]
In the video gameTom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege, the SAS character named Mike "Thatcher" Baker is seen wearing the Military Medal. The reason why it has been awarded to him is not mentioned.[citation needed]
^abcdefAbbott, Peter Edward; Tamplin, John Michael Alan (1981). British Gallantry Awards (2nd ed.). London, UK: Nimrod Dix and Co.ISBN9780902633742, Chapter 33, The Military Medal
^Williamson, Howard J. (2018).The Military Medal Awarded to The Allied Armies by The British Government. privately published by Anne Williamson.ISBN978-1-9996727-1-3.
^Richards, Frank.Old Soldiers Never Die. (Library of Wales) (Kindle Locations 1742-1745). Parthian Books. Kindle Edition.
^Including bars: 25,101 awards of DCM and 121,566 of MM. See pages 82 and 226, British Gallantry Awards, (2nd ed), Abbott & Tamplin.
^Captain H. Taprell Dorling.Ribbons and Medals. p. 49. Published A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.
^Howard Williamson.Awards of the DCM and MM to the Allied armies during the Great War of 1914-20. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, Vol 59, No 1. March 2020, p 13. Numbers based on names published in theWar Office Lists up to August 1925 and includes MMs forRussian intervention 1919-20.
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