Military Medal
Encyclopedia
The Military Medal was (until 1993) a military decoration
awarded to personnel of the British Army
and other services
, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth
countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land.
The medal was established on 25 March 1916. It was the other ranks
' equivalent to the Military Cross
(MC), which was awarded to commissioned officers and rarely to Warrant Officer
s, although WOs could also be awarded the MM. The MM ranked below the MC and the Distinguished Conduct Medal
, which was also awarded to non-commissioned members of the Army, in order of precedence. Recipients of the Military Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters
"MM". In 1993, the Military Medal was discontinued, and since then the Military Cross has been awarded to personnel of all ranks.
Joseph Dick. 5th Kings Liverpool regiment. 1st World War for action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Awarded in 1917 in Manchester.
John T. McAleese SAS
sitcom Dad's Army
, Private Godfrey
is revealed to have been awarded the Military Medal whilst serving as a medical orderly during the First World War.
In the Central Television production Soldier Soldier
broadcast on ITV
, at the 50th D Day Anniversary, Robson Green
's character, Fusilier
Dave Tucker, gets a veteran called Jack Knight talking, who subsequently turns out to be a recipient of the Military Medal.
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
awarded to personnel of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and other services
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land.
The medal was established on 25 March 1916. It was the other ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
' equivalent to the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(MC), which was awarded to commissioned officers and rarely to Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
s, although WOs could also be awarded the MM. The MM ranked below the MC and the Distinguished Conduct Medal
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
, which was also awarded to non-commissioned members of the Army, in order of precedence. Recipients of the Military Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
"MM". In 1993, the Military Medal was discontinued, and since then the Military Cross has been awarded to personnel of all ranks.
Description
- A circular silver medal of 36 mm diameter. The obverse bears the effigy of the reigning monarch.
- The reverse has the inscription "FOR BRAVERY IN THE FIELD" in four lines, surrounded by a laurel wreathLaurel wreathA laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
, surmounted by the Royal CypherRoyal CypherIn modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
and Imperial CrownImperial State CrownThe Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.- Design :The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a velvet cap... - The suspender is of an ornate scroll type.
- The ribbon is dark blue, 1.25 inches wide, with five equal centre stripes of white, red, white, red, and white (0.125 inches each).
- Silver, laurelled bars are authorised for subsequent awards.
| Ribbon bars of the Military Medal | |
|---|---|
MM |
MM and Bar |
Notable recipients of the Military Medal
There have been over 135,000 people awarded the Military Medal. Among the notable recipients are:- Major-General F. F. Worthington was awarded the Military Medal for actions near Vimy Ridge.
- Ian Bailey, who won the medal as a Corporal in The Parachute Regiment during the Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
and went on to become a Captain. - Billy Bennett, British comedian
- Geoffrey BinghamGeoffrey BinghamReverend Geoffrey Cyril Bingham AM, MM, was an Australian author and Minister in the Anglican Church of Australia.Geoff Bingham was born in Goulburn, New South Wales...
, Australian theologian and author - Mairi ChisholmMairi ChisholmMairi Lambert Gooden-Chisholm of Chisholm , OLII, MM, OStJ, OEB, was a Scottish nurse and ambulance driver in the First World War who, together with her friend Elsie Knocker, won numerous medals for bravery and for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers in on the Western Front in Belgium...
, British volunteer ambulance driver - Douglas ClarkDouglas Clark (rugby league)Douglas "Duggy" Clark MM was an English rugby league footballer, wrestler and World War I veteran. He played at , or for Huddersfield, Cumberland, England and the Great Britain national side. Clark also served in World War I on the front line in France in 1917, earning the Military Medal for his...
, British rugby league footballer and wrestler - Jack CockJack CockJohn Gilbert "Jack" Cock DCM MM was an English footballer who played for various English club sides as a striker. He also had the distinction of being the first Cornishman to play for the England national team, a decorated World War I soldier, and an actor...
, British footballer - William Coltman, who also received the Victoria Cross and was the most highly decorated NCO of the First World War
- Ernest Albert CoreyErnest Albert CoreyErnest Albert Corey MM & Three Bars was a distinguished Australian soldier who served as a stretcher bearer during the First World War. He enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force on 13 January 1916, and was allocated to the 55th Battalion, where he was initially posted to a grenade section...
, the only person to be awarded the MM four times - Dorothie FeildingDorothie FeildingLady Dorothie Mary Evelyn Feilding-Moore , better known as Dorothie Feilding, MM, CdeG, OLII, was a British heiress who shunned her aristocratic background to become a highly decorated volunteer nurse and ambulance driver on the Western Front during World War I...
, first woman to win the MM - Billy HannaBilly HannaWilliam Henry Wilson "Billy" Hanna MM was a high-ranking Northern Irish loyalist who founded and led the Mid-Ulster Brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force until he was killed, allegedly by Robin Jackson, who took over command of the brigade.According to RUC Special Patrol Group officer John Weir,...
, Northern Irish loyalistUlster loyalismUlster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
and commander of the Ulster Volunteer ForceUlster Volunteer ForceThe Ulster Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in late 1965 or early 1966 and named after the Ulster Volunteer Force of 1913. The group's volunteers undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles...
's Mid-Ulster BrigadeUVF Mid-Ulster BrigadeUVF Mid-Ulster Brigade formed part of the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force in Northern Ireland. The brigade was established in Lurgan, County Armagh in 1972 by its first commander Billy Hanna. The unit operated mainly around the Lurgan and Portadown areas. Subsequent leaders of the...
. For gallantry in the Korean War - William HuttWilliam Hutt (actor)William Ian DeWitt Hutt, was a Canadian actor of stage, television and film. Hutt's distinguished career spanned more than fifty years and won him many accolades and awards...
, Canadian actor - Barney F. HajiroBarney F. HajiroBarney Fushimi Hajiro was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, Japanese American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, awarded for his actions in the Second World War - Fred 'Buck' KiteFred KiteWilliam Frederick Kite MM & Two Bars , known as Buck, was a highly decorated British soldier who fought in the Second World War....
, the only British soldier to be awarded the MM and two Bars in the Second World War - Elsie KnockerElsie KnockerElsie Knocker was a British nurse and ambulance driver in World War I who, together with her friend Mairi Chisholm, won numerous medals for bravery and for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers on the Western Front in Belgium...
, British volunteer nurse and ambulance driver - Norman Washington Manley, former First Minister of Jamaica, Sergeant in British Army First World War
- John McCallum (Scottish war veteran), organiser of a successful escape from prisoner of war camp in the Second World War
- James McCuddenJames McCuddenJames Thomas Byford McCudden VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Bar, MM was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
, the most highly decorated British pilot of the First World War - Andy McNabAndy McNabSergeant ‘Andy McNab’ DCM MM is the pseudonym of an English novelist and former SAS operative and soldier.McNab came into public prominence in 1993, when he published his account of the failed Special Air Service patrol, Bravo Two Zero for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in...
(pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
), Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
and author. - Tommy PrinceTommy PrinceThomas George "Tommy" Prince, MM was one of Canada's most decorated First Nations soldiers, serving in World War II and the Korean War.-Early life:...
, Devil's BrigadeDevil's BrigadeThe Devil's Brigade , was a joint World War II American-Canadian commando unit organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana in the United States...
, Canadian Aboriginal Veteran, Canada's most decorated aboriginal soldier of the Second World War, also received the AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Silver StarSilver StarThe Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy.... - Bob QuinnBob Quinn (Australian footballer)Robert Berrima Quinn MM was a champion Australian rules footballer with Port Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League and war hero.-Biography:...
, leading Australian rules footballer - Charles RutherfordCharles Smith RutherfordCharles Smith Rutherford VC MC MM was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Awarded the Military Cross, Military Medal and Victoria Cross. - Chris RyanChris RyanSergeant ‘Chris Ryan’ MM is the pseudonym of a former British Special Forces operative and soldier turned novelist...
(pseudonym), SAS Sergeant and author. - Wilfred SénéchalWilfred SénéchalJoseph Henry Wilfred Sénéchal MM, BCL was a Canadian lawyer, a decorated World War II soldier, and a politician.Known by Wilfred, he was born in Campbellton, New Brunswick...
, New Brunswick, CanadaNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
lawyer, politician - Randall SwinglerRandall SwinglerRandall Swingler MM was an English poet, writing extensively in the 1930s in the communist interest.His was a prosperous middle class Anglican family near Nottingham, with an industrial background in the Midlands. He was educated at Winchester College, and New College, Oxford...
, British poet - Willie ThorntonWillie ThorntonWilliam Thornton was a Scottish footballer and manager. His entire senior playing career was spent with Rangers, and he is considered to be one of the greatest players in the club's history...
, Rangers and ScotlandScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
footballer. - Karl VernonKarl VernonKarl Vernon , sometimes known by his nickname The Bean was a British rower and coach who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.-Life:Vernon was born in Neuenahr, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany...
, Olympic medallist oarsman and coach. - Arthur Wesley WheenArthur Wesley WheenArthur Wesley Wheen , MM & 2 Bars, was an Australian who chose to live his adult life in England. In 1920 he arrived in England on a Rhodes Scholarship, awarded on the basis of academic excellence and the Military Medal with two bars which he received in World War I...
, translator of All Quiet on the Western FrontAll Quiet on the Western FrontAll Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.The...
(MM and two Bars) - Al SlaterAl SlaterSergeant Alistair Ira Slater MM was a British Army soldier who served in B Sqn, 22 Special Air Service who was killed on 2 December 1984 whilst on operations against the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Kesh, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.The operation also led to the deaths of Antoine...
Appeared on British Documentary The Paras - Private Leonard Robert McGrath MM VX36229, Australian Army, 2/6 Australian Infantry Battalion.
Joseph Dick. 5th Kings Liverpool regiment. 1st World War for action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Awarded in 1917 in Manchester.
John T. McAleese SAS
Popular culture
In the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
, Private Godfrey
Private Charles Godfrey
For the American football player see Charles Godfrey Private Charles Godfrey MM is a fictional Home Guard platoon member and retired shop assistant portrayed by Arnold Ridley on the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army.-Personality:Godfrey is a gentle, mild-mannered and kindly - though more complex...
is revealed to have been awarded the Military Medal whilst serving as a medical orderly during the First World War.
In the Central Television production Soldier Soldier
Soldier Soldier
Soldier Soldier is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name.Produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 1991 to 1997...
broadcast on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, at the 50th D Day Anniversary, Robson Green
Robson Green
Robson Green is an English actor, singer–songwriter and presenter.-Biography:Robson Golightly Green was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and baptised in Bethel Chapel, , and named in Northeast tradition as first son after family surnames: Robson is his grandmother's maiden surname, while Golightly...
's character, Fusilier
Fusilier
Fusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil. The word was first used around 1680, and has later developed into a regimental designation.-History:...
Dave Tucker, gets a veteran called Jack Knight talking, who subsequently turns out to be a recipient of the Military Medal.