Military Cross

[Anne & Bob]

I have a inscribed Military Cross to a Captain of the 8th Battalion Tank Corps and I am trying to find more information on it, citation etc. Can anybody offer advice as to where I should look. I have tried the London Gazette but with no luck.

[Ewood27]

The records will surely be at the Public Record Office in Kew.  If you can go there, that would be the best, but have a look at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ and follow links to military history and Army gallantry medals.  In a very quick read I notice they do refer you to the London Gazette though.  Does the medal have a date?  Something in my rusty old brain says that will be the date of the award, NOT the date of the event that led to the medal, nor the date of the Gazette, citation or any of the other processes.  Hope I've been some help!

[Octavius]

Instituted on 28th December 1915, the Military Cross (MC) fulfilled the need for an officer's gallantry award lesser than the VC or the DSO, and was originally awarded to captains, lieutenants and warrant officers of the Army, including the Royal Flying Corps. The eligibility was later extended to equivalent ranks of the Royal Naval Division, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force when performing acts of gallantry on land. In 1931 a warrant extended the award to those of the rank of major.

This award was originally for gallant and distinguished Conduct not necessarily in the face of the enemy. The regulations were changed during the First World War to make the awards purely for gallantry. It is now open to all ranks.

A silver cross with straight arms ending in broad finials decorated with imperial crowns. The Royal cipher is placed at the centre, and the whole medal is suspended from a 38mm wide purple ribbon by a plain silver suspender.

The reverse is plain, although since 1938 the date of the award appears on the lower reverse, and it has been said that any awards personally presented by the Monarch are officially named thereon. Private engraving of the reverse is fairly common.

Awards can be verified from the London Gazette or the Army List, and regimental histories or unit war diaries often document these awards.

Since 1993, when the Military Medal was discontinued, this award has been available to both officers and other ranks.

It is a very long shot, but I have found a record of a Captain Walter Edmund Boucher of the Tank Corp who was awarded the MC (London Gazett 1t Feb 1919), I believe he may have taken part in the battle of Amiens in 1918.  As I say, its a very very long shot, but may be worth a look.  He belonged to the Worcester Regiment of which in WW1 288 men were awarded the MC but he is the only Cptn in the tank corps.

[Anne & Bob]

Thank you EWood and Octavious for your replies to our question.   It has helped us find the information we want and we are now able to move on to the next state.

Thanks again

[Ewood27]

And thank you, Anne (or was it Bob?) for taking the trouble to post back and say "Thanks".  Regrettably rare!

[whealgrace]

My sister has a copy of the Tank Corps Book Of Honour which records all awards up to it's publication date.

This includes all WWI awards, among which is the MC awarded to my Grandfather, HS Elton, for "Most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty throughout the operations from March 21 to 27 1918 as Battalion Reconnaissance Officer.  On many occasions, he was ordered to lead tanks to their starting points over very difficult ground, and always succeeded.  He also displayed wonderful courage and initiative on the battlefield in obtaining information from neighbouring infantry units and carrying orders to isolated tanks.  When the battalion was fighting on foot, with Lewis guns, he showed an absolute disregard of danger in going from one company to another with orders."

I could probably check for similar information on the MC in your posession, if it is old enough.

[Anne & Bob]

Thankyou Whealgrace..... We have researched the Book of Honour and now have the citation. Your help appreciated.