Mentioned in Despatches

Mentioned in Despatches (MID) is a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service.

A despatch is an official report from a senior commander, usually of an army, to his superiors, detailing the conduct of military operations.

United Kingdom and Commonwealth

In the British Armed Forces, this report is published in the London Gazette. If a subordinate officer or soldier performs a noteworthy action included in the report, he/she is said to have been "mentioned in despatches".

In the nations of the British Commonwealth, soldiers who are mentioned in despatches, whilst not awarded a medal, receive a certificate and are entitled to wear a silver or bronze (depending upon date) oak leaf on the ribbon of the campaign medal issued to soldiers who served in a campaign or conflict. From 1920 to 1994, the oak leaf was bronze, and in the Canadian Forces it still is. If no campaign medal is awarded, the oak leaf is worn on the left breast of dress uniform. The oak leaves were first issued after the end of World War I.^[1]

Prior to 1979 a Mention in Despatches was one of the few awards that could be made posthumously, the others being the Victoria Cross and George Cross.^[2]

Soldiers can be mentioned multiple times. The British World War I Victoria Cross recipient John Vereker, later Field Marshal Viscount Gort, was mentioned in despatches nine times, as was the Canadian general Sir Arthur Currie.^[3] The Australian general H.G. Bennett was mentioned in despatches a total of eight times during the First World War, as was John Dill.

Australia

Australian service personnel are no longer eligible to be Mentioned in Despatches. Since 15 January 1991, when the Australian Honours System was established, the MID was replaced by two Australian decorations—the Commendation for Gallantry, a fourth level gallantry decoration, and the Commendation for Distinguished Service, a third level distinguished service decoration.^[4][5]

Canada

Mention in Dispatches is an award to recognize a mention in dispatches from a senior commander for brave or meritorious service, normally in the field. Mentions in Dispatches are among the list of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada.^[6]

Pakistan

Under the current Pakistani military honours system, the Imtiazi Sanad is conferred upon any member of the Pakistani armed forces who are mentioned in dispatches for an act of gallantry that does not qualify for a gallantry award. ^[7]

United States of America

In the early U. S. Army no awards or medals were given with the exception of a Purple heart then known as the Badge of Military Merit, though this award fell into disuse shortly after the Revolution. Being noted in dispatches or official reports was the common manner in which to recognize heroic action and gallantry of individuals and units.

During the American Civil War, the Medal of Honor was created, thus instituting a system of awards in the American Military. In the years leading up to the First World War, Citations for bravery, very similar to the Commonwealth practice of Mentioned in Despatches, evolved into Citation Stars, and eventually the Bronze and Silver Star Medals.

France

Example of a Croix de guerre (the one of Col. Brébant) with 4 acknowledgments :
1 bronze palm
1 silver gilt star
1 silver star
1 bronze star

In the French military, mentions in Despatches—or more precisely, mention in Orders (citation dans les ordres)—are made by senior commanders, from the position of regimental commanding officer to General-in-Chief, in the Orders they give to their unit, recognizing the gallantry of an action performed some time before. The mentions are awarded for gallantry to any member of the French military or its allies and are, depending on the degree, roughly the equivalent for U.S. Bronze Star and Silver Star or UK Military Cross and Military Medal.

Mentions made during World War I, World War II or colonial conflicts were accompanied with awards of a Croix de guerre or a Croix de la Valeur Militaire, with attachments on the ribbon depending on the mention's degree : the lowest degree is represented by a bronze star while the highest degree is represented by a bronze palm

• a bronze star for those who had been mentioned at the regiment or brigade level.
• a silver star, for those who had been mentioned at the division level.
• a silver gilt star for those who had been mentioned at the corps level.
• a bronze palm for those who had been mentioned at the army level.
• a silver palm represents five bronze ones.
• a silver gilt palm for those who had been mentioned at the Free French Forces level (World War II only).

Nowadays, a mention with award of the Croix de la valeur militaire (the Croix de guerre is no longer awarded) is rare, and most mentions are awarded with a gold Médaille de la Défense nationale and the same attachments as the Croix de guerre.

A unit can be mentioned in Despatches. Its flag is then decorated with the corresponding Croix. After two mentions, the men of the unit are entitled to wear a fourragère.

Germany

During World War II, the Wehrmacht sometimes mentioned individual soldiers in its daily radio report to the public. This was known as the Wehrmachtbericht and a mention in this report was held in high esteem by German soldiers. In mid 1941 mentions in Wehrmachtbericht were awarded by the soldier's name being included on the Honour Roll of the German Army. Later, after January 1944, inclusion on this list was also sometimes awarded with an honour clasp, known as the Honour Roll Clasp of the Army.^[8][9]

Confederate States

During the American Civil War, the Confederate Army offered no awards or medals. However, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee would sometimes mention individual soldiers and units in his dispatches, and this was considered to be the highest honor among Confederate soldiers.

References

External links

• History of the MID
• Primary Documents: Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches as British Commander-in-Chief, 1916–19
• Stephen Stratford Medals page
• Canadian Forces Administrative Order 18-4 Recommendations for Canadian Orders, Decorations and Military Honours
• Search 'mentioned in despatches' cards on The UK National Archives' website.

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