Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent unused condition. No notes or highlighting. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> In 1916 a Royal Warrant was issued whereby bars were authorised for subsequent acts of gallantry. Because of the wording of the original Warrant which provided that the DSO was to be awarded for “meritorious or distinguished services in war” some appointments made in the early stages of the First World War were not regarded as having been awarded under fire. It was subsequently recommended that all awards be for “services in action with the enemy (including air raids bombardments etc.) producing conditions equivalent to actual combat)”. However it was not until the Warrant of 5th February 1931 that these conditions were firmly laid down. In 1943 a Royal Warrant was issued whereby members of the Merchant Navy became eligible taking effect as from 31 August 1942. This subsequently led to the award of 14 Distinguished Service Orders to Merchant Navy Officers during the Second World War. This same Warrant also removed the condition which required a recipient to have already been Mentioned-in-Despatches. The fine published record on the DSO compiled by Sir O’Moore Creagh and E.M. Humphris included details of the recipients of the Order from the date of its institution until the 11th June 1923 (see The Distinguished Service Order 1924; Reprint 1978 J.B. Hayward & Son). My objective with this work has been to bring the record up to date endeavouring to add as much personal information for each recipient as possible. Some are well-known and this is an advantage in recording an Order awarded exclusively to officers. (MP)