Thanks to all the people who pointed out that the DCM was available in the Boer War. Anyone who reads what I wrote will have to agree that the DCM was not then and never was available to junior Officers and other ranks, which is what I said.. It was/is available ONLY to Warrant Officers and below. The DSO was not available to other ranks being usually awarded only to Majors and above. As for the MID, you really should read a report written by someone much cleverer that I. It is at http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/history-mid.htm and makes it clear that the "mention" was not considered in the same light as it was in later years. Until WW1 the soldier did not even receive a certificate to acknowledge that he had been mentioned. You are correct in saying that there was no outward sign of the fact that the praise had been made. In the absence of post nominals and any outward indicator it is hard to make the case that it was an award. In later years the "award" of the MID changed, an outward indicator was instituted and being "mentioned" was not actually necessary. Weary Dunlop was one person who was awarded the MID after being recommended for the OBE. We have to be careful not to rewrite history using rules applicable 50 or 100 years after the event. And as for saying that an award was easier to win but was held in the same degree of honour appears to me to be a counter argument. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anthony Staunton" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 12:51 AM Subject: RE: "The Featherbed Soldiers"/ VC non-award > Ross Mallett on Tuesday, 11 February 2003 quoted Val Harris: > > >When talking of the VC in the period of the Boer War, it is well to keep in > >mind that it was the only award available to junior officers and "other > >ranks" for bravery. It had not yet assumed the degree of importance or > >status that it now commands. Now, of course, there is the DCM, MC, MSM, MM, > >MID and a dozen other methods of recognising gallantry and or superior > >service. > > > >That was not so in 1899/1902. > > Ross commented. > > The DCM was available during the Boer War and was awarded to Australians. It > dates back to the Crimean War, being instituted in 1854. Being mentioned in > Dispatches (MID) was also possible. > > I endorse the comments of Ross and add that as well as 62 DCM awards to > Australians the same number of DSOs, the award having being instituted in > 1886, were also awarded to Australians. The MID of WWI and later actually > originated in the Boer War when an Interdepartmental Committee gave the > award its present definition although there was no emblem on the QSA and/or > KSA. > > More gallantry decorations were awarded per head to Australians troops in > South Africa than in Vietnam. > > I also believe that by the Boer War the VC had assumed the degree of > importance and status that it now commands. However, despite how difficult > it was to win in the Boer War it became much more difficult in WWI and > later. > > Anthony Staunton >