Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)

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Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (UK) Obverse.jpg Distinguished Service Medal (UK) Reverse.jpg
Obverse and reverse of the medal
TypeMilitary decoration.
Awarded forSet an example of bravery and resource under fire at sea
Presented by UK and Commonwealth
EligibilityRoyal and Commonwealth Naval ratings
StatusDiscontinued in 1993
Established14 October 1914
First awarded1914
TotalCirca 11,311
UK Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg UK DSM w Bar ribbon.svg
Ribbon bars. Rosette signifies award of a clasp
Order of Wear
Next (higher) Union of South Africa Queen’s Silver Medal for Bravery (de jure) [1]
George Medal (de facto) [2]
Next (lower) Military Medal [1] [2]
Related Distinguished Service Cross

The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) was a military decoration awarded until 1993 to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, up to and including the rank of Chief Petty Officer, for bravery and resourcefulness on active service at sea.

Contents

History

The medal was established on 14 October 1914 as the third level decoration for gallantry in action for ratings of the Royal Navy, not at the standard required to receive the Victoria Cross or the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. [3] The equivalent decoration for Officers and Warrant Officers was the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). The DSM ranked below the DSC in order of precedence, between the George Medal and the Military Medal after those medals were established in 1940 and 1916 respectively. [1] Awards of the DSM were announced in the London Gazette. Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "DSM".

The DSM was intended to reward bravery at sea. For example, members of the Royal Naval Division, who served alongside the Army in France in the First World War, were eligible for Army decorations, including the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal. [4]

From 1916, ribbon bars could be authorised for subsequent awards of the DSM. [5]

In 1940 the award was extended to Royal Air Force personnel serving with the Fleet and, in 1942, to members of the Merchant Navy, and Army personnel serving afloat, for example manning a merchant ship's anti-aircraft guns. [5] A number of awards were also made to civilians, including two for ferrying troops from the beaches during the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation. [6]

In 1979 eligibility for a number of awards, including the DSM, was extended to permit posthumous awards. [7] Until that time, only the Victoria Cross and a mention in dispatches could be awarded posthumously.

The Distinguished Service Medal was discontinued in 1993, as part of the review of the British honours system which recommended removing distinctions of rank in respect of awards for bravery. Since then the Distinguished Service Cross, previously only open to Commissioned and Warrant Officers, has been awarded to all ranks. [5]

The DSM had also been awarded by Commonwealth countries but by the 1990s most, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, were establishing their own honours systems and no longer recommended British honours. [8]

Description

Obverse variations

The medal was awarded with one of five obverse designs: [3]

Numbers of awards

Between 1914 and 1993, approximately 11,311 medals and 227 bars were awarded. [3]

PeriodMedals1st bar2nd bar3rd bar
1914–19194,100 [lower-alpha 1] 672
1920–193810
1939–19457,13215341
1946–199369 [lower-alpha 2]
TotalCirca11,31122061

These figures include:

See also

Notes and citations

Notes

  1. Precise estimates vary. 4,100 is a rounded figure from: John W. Mussell. Medal Yearbook 2015. p. 98. Token Publishing Ltd, Honiton, Devon. ISBN   978-1-908-828-16-3
  2. Abbott lists 55 DSMs from 1947-79. A further 14 were awarded before 1993: S. Georgia: 1; Falklands: 11; Gulf War :2.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 "No. 56878". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2003. p. 3352.
  2. 1 2 "JSP 761 Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces" (PDF). p. 12A-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 P E Abbott & J M A Tamplin. British Gallantry Awards. pp. 113–117. Nimrod Dix & Co, London, 1981. ISBN   0-902633-74-0
  4. P E Abbott & J M A Tamplin. British Gallantry Awards. p. 74. Nimrod Dix & Co, London, 1981. ISBN   0-902633-74-0
  5. 1 2 3 Peter Duckers. British Gallantry Awards 1855 – 2000. pp. 42–43. Shire Publications, Oxford, 2010. ISBN   978-0-7478-0516-8.
  6. "No. 34953". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 September 1940. p. 5711.
  7. P E Abbott & J M A Tamplin. British Gallantry Awards. p. xx. Nimrod Dix & Co, London, 1981. ISBN   0-902633-74-0
  8. John W. Mussell. Medal Yearbook 2015. pp. 390, 429, 459. Token Publishing Ltd, Honiton, Devon. ISBN   978-1-908-828-16-3

Bibliography

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