Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier mentioned in dispatches ( or despatches ) (MID) is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldiers gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.
In a number of countries, a soldier’s name must be mentioned in dispatches as a condition for receiving certain decorations.
In the British Armed Forces, the despatch is published in the London Gazette.
Soldiers of the British Empire or the Commonwealth of Nations who are mentioned in dispatches but do not receive a medal for their action, are nonetheless entitled to receive a certificate and wear a decoration. For 1914–1918 and up to 10 August 1920, the decoration consisted of a spray of oak leaves in bronze. This decoration was only established in 1919, but it had retroactive effect. From 1920 to 1993, the decoration consisted of a single bronze oak leaf, and in the Canadian Forces still does. Even if the soldier is mentioned in dispatches more than once, only a single such decoration is worn. In Britain, since 1993, the decoration is a single silver oak leaf. In each case the decoration is pinned or sewn diagonally on to the appropriate campaign medal ribbon. If no campaign medal is awarded, the oak leaf is worn on the left breast of the dress uniform.
Prior to 1979, a mention in dispatches was one of the few awards that could be made posthumously, the others being the Victoria Cross and George Cross. This anomaly caused considerable anguish. If a man performed an act of an unusually high degree of heroism, which led to his death, his commanders would know that any recognition of such a magnificent and inspirational act would be either the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth’s highest decoration – and therefore the subject of much scrutiny, both before and after it was awarded – or else the MiD, the Commonwealth’s lowest decoration – a decoration that did not even confer its own discrete medal. There have been several instances where colleagues, and those reading the reports, have been left with the uncomfortable feeling that a brave individual, who made the ultimate sacrifice of giving their life for the cause, was ‘dishonoured’ by their country, by being given an award much lower than the one that might have been given them had they survived. The 1979 reform removed the ‘all or nothing’ lottery.
Soldiers can be mentioned multiple times. The British First World War Victoria Cross recipient John Vereker, later Field Marshal Viscount Gort, was mentioned in dispatches nine times, as was the Canadian general Sir Arthur Currie. The Australian general Gordon Bennett was mentioned in dispatches a total of eight times during the First World War, as was John Dill.
Below are illustrations of the MiD being worn on a variety of ribbons, applying to the different armed services, the different nations of the Commonwealth and the different types of operation – campaigns recognised with a discrete medal, general war service, internal-security ‘Emergencies’ and UN peacekeeping operations – from across the 20th century:
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Victory Medal | First World War |
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Naval General Service Medal | Campaign Service (1920 onwards version) |
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General Service Medal | Campaign Service (1920 onwards version) |
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War Medal 1939-1945 | Second World War |
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Korea Medal | Korean war |
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General Service Medal | Campaign Service |
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Vietnam Medal | Vietnam war |
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Gulf Medal | Gulf war |
Regimental MID
Brig HMG Bond
Lt Col ENW Bramall
Maj RA Pascoe
Capt RH Kerr
LT PJW Harrison
Sgt T Lloyd
Rfn MF Ryves
Cpl D Hunt
Sgt KC Ambrose
Cpl DJ Baker
2Lt JA Daniell
Lt ABC Dollard
Rfn J MCA Farrier
Rfn JH Hanna
Cpl TH Hansford
Maj CLGG Henshaw
Cpl APF Liggins
Rfn MJ O`Shea
Lt ADM Palmer
Cpl I Parfitt
2Lt CJL Puxley
Sgt CP Slocombe
Cpl JW Sweeney
Cpl GA Coney
Cpl Grimes
Capt Gde VW Hayes
Lt Col CEW Jones
Cpl BE Lawrence
Capt NC Legh
WO2 P Maher
Maj SCH Marriott
Sgt J Mulvaney
Rfn L Murray
Capt BW Rimmer
LCpl A Robe
Cpl DJ Shepherd
Capt The Right Hon PR Smith
Cpl EC Tuvey
Lt Col JRG Evelegh
Sgt W Foxton
CSgt CF Heyman
Cpl SL Holman
Lt Col RAS Pascoe
LCpl DJ Rimmer
Capt JR Rimmer
Cpl MJ Harris
Cpl D Judge
2Lt AC Kinnear
Maj PJ Lyddon
Capt RCH Luscombe
Sgt FJ O`Shea
Rfn Gd Reid
Lt PJF Schofield
Cpl K Spence
Capt RGK Williamson
Maj JMP Durcan
Lt MJ Austin
LCpl WJ Gordon
Maj Gde VW Hayes
Capt PJM Hearn
CSgt RJ Meeson
Lt Col MJC Taylor
Cpl RJ Wright
( Posthumous ) Cpl RE Armstrong
Capt RAM Constant
Capt AM Coles
Sgt RJ Jones
Cpl M Haley
Cpl PA Sheddon
Cpl CE McBride
LCpl AJM Crook
Sgt P Bohan
Sgt AD Jones
Maj RP Matters
CSgt PMJ O`Brian
Lt Col CCLO Owen
Maj PD Browne
Rfn PA Ross
Col CBQ Wallace
Lt Col G deVW Hayes
Maj SR Stanford-Truck
Lt Col RJ Rimmer
Lt Col JS Carter
Lt Col SC Hearn
CSgt EV Baker
CSgt MJ Keating
Lt Col AMD Palmer
Capt EA Butler
Cpl WB Tyson
Rfn SG Fairs
Maj NR Haddock
Capt NJ Hyslop
Capt JL Mann
Lt Col CEM Snagge
Maj DM Tobey
Cpl G Wilkinson
Capt JRD Bryson
Col NJ Cottam
LCpl DRW Ware
Cpl ME Downard
Lt MA Hughes
Cpl M Harris
Sgt G Miller
Maj S Plummer
Sgt SM McNiff
CSgt SM McNiff
Maj ME Foster-Brown
Lt Col MJE Ellis
Lcpl SA Flores
Major ME Foster-Brown
Rfn DR Jones
Rfn VR Ratu
Rfn B Campbell
Rfn AC Gormley
( Posthumous) Maj PHG Harding (KIA )
Maj QWM Naylor
WO2 LR Roberts
Lt CA San Jose
Capt EA Smith
( Posthumous) Cpl RL Wilson (KIA )
Maj ME Milford
Lt HG Bomford
Sgt KSA Gahgan
Rfn JA Irving
Maj NR Haddock
Maj MN Prideaux
Rfn PK Scannell
Cpl M Walsh
Lt Col ID Corden-Lloyd (Since Deceased)
Rfn DC Bosworth
( Green Jackets Brigade Below )
Cpl Costello
Sourced from Wikipedia and the RGJRA http://www.rgjassociation.info/
original source from www.thegazette.co.uk