Author Topic: Brothers awarded MC how common was it  (Read 6292 times)

Offline jody 101

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Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« on: Saturday 19 May 07 01:20 BST (UK) »
 Can someone please tell me a bit about the medals awarded  and the reasons behind them. I have a family of three brothers who all received an MC. One also recieved a DFC with bars please help as i have no knowledge.What do these letters after a persons name represent?
O.B.E., M.C., R.E., T.F., How do i find out about there service records. All three survived the war.
Jody
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Offline bernard_lewis

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 19 May 07 09:17 BST (UK) »
OBE - Order of the British Empire - an award for civilians, as far as I know. As regards the Great War - MC is Military Cross. RE is Royal Engineers. TF is Territorial Force the forerunner of the Territorial Army.

Bernard
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Offline bernard_lewis

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 19 May 07 09:18 BST (UK) »
DFC is Distinguished Flying Cross - another war time award. The Bar(s) means that he won the award more than once - so first time you get the 'real' medal and next time you get a bar that can be clasped onto the first medal ribbon. Some people did win the same award twice but I think its fairly uncommon.

Noel Chevasse won the Victoria Cross twice - which I think has never been repeated.

Bernard
Author 'Swansea and the Workhouse - the Poor Law in 19th century Swansea' (2003); 'Swansea Pals - the 14th (Service) Battalion, the Welsh Regiment in the Great War' (2004); 'Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Swansea''. (2009); 'Swansea in the Great War' ( 2014); 'Neath! Neath! Neath! The Record-Breaking 1988/89 Season' (2016). My blog: https://bernardlewisauthor.wordpress.com/

Offline pwenlock

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 19 May 07 09:32 BST (UK) »
Sorry to correct Bernard but OBE, MBE CBE etc come in two categories called military & civil divisions. Although the medal is the same, they divisions are distinguished by different ribbons.

It's possible for an individual to receive two OBEs or MBEs, one from each division.

Regards
Paul
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Offline pwenlock

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 19 May 07 09:38 BST (UK) »
Multiple awards are not as rare as you think, here are some basic statistics on the George Vth Military Cross issued between 1914 & 1920:

Military Cross
George V - 37,000
George V - 1 bar - 3000
George V - 2 bar - 170
George V - 3 bar - 4

Regards
Paul
Searching for WENLOCK, DEAKIN, MATTHEWS, CHEW & CHURM.

Researcher of Boer War & WW1 history of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, Oxfordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars) & Berkshire Yeomanry.

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Soldiers of Oxfordshire http://www.sofo.org.uk
& The Berkshire Yeomanry Museum Trust

Offline Uncle Reff

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 19 May 07 12:05 BST (UK) »

Noel Chevasse won the Victoria Cross twice - which I think has never been repeated.

Bernard

Actually there are three double Victoria Cross holders; Surgeon Captain Arthur Martin-Leake, Captain Noel Chavasse and Captain Charles Upham.

A total of 1,356 Victoria Crosses have been awarded since 1856, including awards in 1921 to both the British & American Unknown Soldiers of the First World War.

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Offline Paul Caswell

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 19 May 07 12:12 BST (UK) »
And on a slightly more humorous note, I remember my father telling me a couple of alternatives:

OBE - Other Bu**ers Efforts
MBE - Many Bu**ers Efforts

He was in India in WWII.

Paul
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Offline jody 101

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 19 May 07 16:10 BST (UK) »
Thankyou for the information on the various initials and medals. Was it common to swap from one corps to another ie royal engineers to flying or did they usually stay in the same one? Where would i find information on the various family members and what they received their medals for? I think Royal Engineers, Signals, Air Force and Navy are what i need.
Jody
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Offline old rowley

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Re: Brothers awarded MC how common was it
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 19 May 07 16:32 BST (UK) »
Jody what were their names?

old rowley
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