Distinguished Service Cross.—As already explained on page [343], His Majesty King Edward VII instituted the Conspicuous Service Cross in 1901 to reward "distinguished service before the enemy" on the part of warrant or acting warrant officers and subordinate officers of His Majesty's Fleet who do not hold naval commissions. On October 14th, 1914, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty—being "of opinion that it would be desirable to enable the said Cross to be granted also to commissioned officers" of the Navy below the rank of Lieutenant-Commander "for meritorious or distinguished services in cases where those services may not be considered sufficient to warrant the appointment of such officers to the Distinguished Service Order"—memorialised His Majesty King George V, who graciously approved of the suggestion that the Cross be in future designated the Distinguished Service Cross with the right to the recipient to append the letters D.S.C. to his name. The Cross is identical with the Conspicuous Service Cross, illustrated on page [208], except in the change of the Royal Cypher, G.R.I. replacing E.R.I. on the obverse. The ribbon, from which the decoration is suspended is dark blue with a broad white stripe down the centre. The decoration, facing page [208], is made by Messrs. Garrard & Co.
Naval Distinguished Service Medal.—In response to a memorial from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, His Majesty King George V decided at the Court held at Buckingham Palace on October 14th, 1914, to institute a medal for courageous service in war by chief petty officers, petty officers, and men of His Majesty's Navy, and by non-commissioned officers and men of His Majesty's Corps of Royal Marines, and all other persons holding corresponding positions in His Majesty's Service afloat, in cases where the award of the Conspicuous Service Medal would be inappropriate (Her Majesty Queen Victoria having instituted it as an award for pre-eminent bravery in action with the enemy), the Distinguished Service Medal will be awarded to such men "as may at any time show themselves to the fore in action, and set an example of bravery and resource under fire without performing acts of such pre-eminent bravery as would render them eligible for the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal."
The design of the Naval Distinguished Service Medal is the same as the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, except that the suspender is straight and the obverse bears the profile of His Majesty King George V and the reverse FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE. The decoration is suspended by a dark-blue ribbon, 1¼ in. wide, with two broad white stripes down the centre divided by a thin dark-blue stripe. (See page [252] for squeezes, the medal not being struck at time of going to press.)
The Military Cross.—Following the institution of the Cross and medal above described, His Majesty King George V, by a Royal Warrant published as a supplement to the London Gazette on December 31st, 1914, announced that he had instituted a new decoration to be known as The Military Cross for distinguished service in time of war. The decoration consists of a silver cross, having on each arm the Imperial Crown, and bearing in the centre the letters G.R.I. The Royal Warrant states that "No person shall be eligible for this decoration unless he is a captain, a commissioned officer of a lower grade, or a warrant officer in Our army, or Our Indian or Colonial Military Forces, and the Cross shall be awarded only to officers of the above ranks on recommendation by the Principal Secretary of State for War," and that "The Cross shall be worn immediately after all Orders and before all decorations and medals (the Victoria Cross alone excepted), and shall be worn on the left breast pendant from a riband 1⅜ in. in width which shall be in colour white with a purple stripe." The Cross does not carry with it any individual preference or entitle the recipient to use any letters after his name. The list of first recipients of the decoration was published the same day, included in the list being Lieutenant Dimmer, K.R.R.C., a ranker, who has also the distinction of winning the V.C. in the European War now waging.
LONG SERVICE MEDALS
MILITARY LONG SERVICE MEDALS
The institution of the Long Service and Good Conduct medal is due to an order of King William IV., who notified his intention to establish it in an Order to the Secretary of War on July 30th, 1830. In it His Majesty states that "discharged soldiers receiving a gratuity for meritorious conduct shall be entitled to wear a medal having on one side the words FOR LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT, and on the other in relief the King's Arms, with the name and rank of the soldier, and the year, inscribed on the medal." Those entitled to the medal "must have completed twenty-one years of actual service in the Infantry, or twenty years in the Cavalry, never have been convicted by Court Martial, and must have borne an irreproachable character, or have particularly distinguished themselves in the service." The medal, designed by Pistrucci, was suspended from a dark-crimson ribbon by means of a steel bar attached to a steel clip which gripped the medal as on the Waterloo medal. This medal is sometimes found, however, with a ring through which the ribbon is passed. The name, rank, and regiment and the year of discharge were impressed in large capital Roman letters round the edge of the medal. On the accession of Queen Victoria the Arms of Hanover were omitted. About 1851 a silver scroll suspender replaced the steel clip, and in the new die the lettering on the reverse was cut smaller and the date was omitted. By a warrant dated January 16th, 1860, the grant of the medal was extended to non-commissioned officers on the permanent staff of the Militia. Since 1874 the names and rank of the recipients have been engraved on the edge of the medal. The earlier medals realise from 10s. to £1, and the later ones from 5s. to 7s. 6d. each, according to rank and condition.
