Hi Everyone, I am beavering away on my Whitelaw article - thank you to all who have offered assistance. I do have one specific question, if anyone can help. At the bottom of Page 8 in the dossier of Donald John Whitelaw at http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=8386216&I=1&SE=1 There is an entry headed "Laudatory" which talks of his conduct during, I think, the Messines campaign. Is this what is normally referred to as "Mentioned in Despatches"? Or is it some other form of comment that was routinely attached to files? Thanks, in advance, for any advice, Linda

Morning Linda, I have reviewed his file, your question relates to the period during the Battle of Messines, south of Ypres Belguim, during which he received a gun shot wound to the back. Page 38 has no entry of being awarded a Mention in Dispatches. I have checked the Honour and Awards Recommendations file at the Australian War Memorial again no mention of a formal recommendation. From the entry on Page 8 of his file, it states he was worthy of being mentioned in the 10th Infantry Brigade Routine Orders for his conduct nduring the Battle and it was taken no further apart from being noted on his file. We the (Army) can still do on occasion mention a person in the units Routine Orders and this is recorded on their Personal File, information such as this would be used either on their Annual Report in the case of a NCO, or when considering the promotion of a Private soldier as what appears to have happened to Donald when he returned to the Battalion after his spell in Hospitial with his Gunshot Wound. -----Original Message----- From: Linda Barraclough [mailto:kapana@netspace.net.au] Sent: Thursday, 20 July 2006 3:39 PM To: AUS-MILITARY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [AUS-MIL] Mentioned in Despatches? Hi Everyone, I am beavering away on my Whitelaw article - thank you to all who have offered assistance. I do have one specific question, if anyone can help. At the bottom of Page 8 in the dossier of Donald John Whitelaw at http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=8386216&I=1&SE=1 There is an entry headed "Laudatory" which talks of his conduct during, I think, the Messines campaign. Is this what is normally referred to as "Mentioned in Despatches"? Or is it some other form of comment that was routinely attached to files? Thanks, in advance, for any advice, Linda ==== AUS-MILITARY Mailing List ==== First AIF Order of Battle 1914-1918 http://www.adfa.edu.au/~rmallett/index.html

Linda, Here is a sample entry in my "Letters from WW!" showing another recommendation by a field commander, for outstanding service in action. In this case it did result in the award of the DCM, but so far I have come across a few similar cases, where a commander caused an entry being made in the member' s file, but with no other action. Ian KLUMP, Leonard DCM 2971 Pte 5 MG Batn Enl 3 Feb 15 DoW 28 Sep 17 Born at Coopernook, NSW, the son of Christopher Joseph and Kate Klump of "Dunoon" Blackwell Pt Road Chiswick, Abbotsford Sydney, he was a 24 year-old butcher when he enlisted in the 5th Reinforcements for the 31st Battalion, and gave his father, Christopher Klump of Langley Vale, Manning River as his next of kin. It seems he enlisted at Telegraph Point in the 31st Battalion, which sailed from Sydney on the "Anchises" on the 14th March 1916 for Egypt. After further training, he embarked at Alexandria aboard the "Huntsend" on the 20th June 1916 and sailed to Marseilles, disembarking on the 30th June. On the 28th October he was admitted to hospital with a sprained back and was transferred to the Canadian General Hospital at Etaples, France. Returning to his unit, he was commended by his Divisional Commander "Private Klump showed great daring in his work, attacking the enemy with considerable skill and determination, and succeeded in killing three". In February 1917 he was again in hospital at the 3rd Australian Field Hospital and rejoined his unit on the 24th April. On the 29th May 1917 he attended the 3rd Army Snipers and Observers School of Instruction and on the 31st August he went to England on leave. Returning to France in September he was wounded in action on the 27th September, receiving a gunshot wound to the chest. Treated at the 10th Casualty Clearing Station, he died of his wounds on the 29th September 1917 and was buried by Chaplain H.S. Clark in the Lyssentholk Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West Vlaanderen, Belguim XXIV G 16. ----- Original Message -----

Linda There are the exceptions as Ian highlights but soldiers noted in Routine Orders are not usually also awarded a medal. I would expect that being listed in Routine Orders would result in an entry in the soldier's service record. This is the case for Leonard Klump. His name is noted in the 5th Division Routine Orders of 7 December 1916 and this is recorded on his service record. Although being noted in Routine Orders is not a mention in dispatches and does not give the soldier the right to where an emblem on the Victory Medal 1914-1919 it is actually a much rarer honour. Leonard Klump was not awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. His service records indicate that his family were under the misapprehension that he had been awarded the Military Medal but each time they enquired to the Army they received a negative reply. All DCM, MM and mention is dispatches were listed in the gazette and the name of Leonard Klump is not listed. Anthony Staunton -----Original Message----- From: Ian Symonds [mailto:isymonds@swiftdsl.com.au] Sent: Friday, 21 July 2006 10:36 AM To: AUS-MILITARY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [AUS-MIL] Mentioned in Despatches? Linda, Here is a sample entry in my "Letters from WW!" showing another recommendation by a field commander, for outstanding service in action. In this case it did result in the award of the DCM, but so far I have come across a few similar cases, where a commander caused an entry being made in the member' s file, but with no other action. Ian KLUMP, Leonard DCM 2971 Pte 5 MG Batn Enl 3 Feb 15 DoW 28 Sep 17 Born at Coopernook, NSW, the son of Christopher Joseph and Kate Klump of "Dunoon" Blackwell Pt Road Chiswick, Abbotsford Sydney, he was a 24 year-old butcher when he enlisted in the 5th Reinforcements for the 31st Battalion, and gave his father, Christopher Klump of Langley Vale, Manning River as his next of kin. It seems he enlisted at Telegraph Point in the 31st Battalion, which sailed from Sydney on the "Anchises" on the 14th March 1916 for Egypt. After further training, he embarked at Alexandria aboard the "Huntsend" on the 20th June 1916 and sailed to Marseilles, disembarking on the 30th June. On the 28th October he was admitted to hospital with a sprained back and was transferred to the Canadian General Hospital at Etaples, France. Returning to his unit, he was commended by his Divisional Commander "Private Klump showed great daring in his work, attacking the enemy with considerable skill and determination, and succeeded in killing three". In February 1917 he was again in hospital at the 3rd Australian Field Hospital and rejoined his unit on the 24th April. On the 29th May 1917 he attended the 3rd Army Snipers and Observers School of Instruction and on the 31st August he went to England on leave. Returning to France in September he was wounded in action on the 27th September, receiving a gunshot wound to the chest. Treated at the 10th Casualty Clearing Station, he died of his wounds on the 29th September 1917 and was buried by Chaplain H.S. Clark in the Lyssentholk Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West Vlaanderen, Belguim XXIV G 16. ----- Original Message ----- ==== AUS-MILITARY Mailing List ==== AUS-MILITARY is set so that, by default, replies go to the list. Please check your replies before sending, to make sure that is what you know is happening.

Hi. Not quite. It is one level lower. Details are on http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/history-mid.htm Cheers, Ted Harris ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Barraclough" <kapana@netspace.net.au> To: <AUS-MILITARY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 3:38 PM Subject: Mentioned in Despatches? > Hi Everyone, > > I am beavering away on my Whitelaw article - thank you to all who > have offered assistance. > > I do have one specific question, if anyone can help. At the bottom of > Page 8 in the dossier of Donald John Whitelaw at > > http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=8386216&I=1&SE=1 > > There is an entry headed "Laudatory" which talks of his conduct > during, I think, the Messines campaign. > > Is this what is normally referred to as "Mentioned in Despatches"? Or > is it some other form of comment that was routinely attached to files? > > Thanks, in advance, for any advice, > > Linda > > ______________________________