Early in 1942, with official American involvement in the war against the Axis Powers only months old, the subject of conferring of honours and decorations began to be discussed between Representatives of the U.S. War Department and those of His Majesty's Government in the British War Office. By June of that year, a decision was reached whereby, similar to the First World War, awards for both gallantry and meritorious service would be made to each other’s officers and enlisted personnel under mutual concurrence.

These awards were made under one of two arrangements, soldiers were either recommended by American Senior Officers or by their own Commanders through a quota system in which the Allied Armies were allotted a certain number of each award (less the highest award, the Medal of Honor*). These awards were recommended within the soldier’s Chain of Command and the list of names was submitted through the senior British Officer to the War Office for approval. As a result of this quota system, it is not uncommon to see the original written recommendation or citation of an award being amended to another medal (i.e. the citation for a U.S. Bronze Star Medal may show that the award was changed to the Legion of Merit or vice versa).

Enclosed are the details of almost 2,500 awards made to the soldiers of Britain and her Dominions. The award details shown are typed from the original recommendations or citations for the awards, with the same language or spelling used, be it English or American (i.e. honour or honor / armour or armor), depending on the initiator’s nationality. Spelling and incorrect personal details have been corrected.

Among the recipients listed are: the women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service who collectively were conferred 19 U.S. awards; one Officer of the Legion of Merit, 14 Bronze Stars and four Medals of Freedom including one with Bronze Palm; 126 various decorations to Australian soldiers; 250 awards to Canadians, 68 to men of the Indian Army^; 43 New Zealanders and 73 awards to South Africans.

The Australian-American cooperation in the Southwest Pacific accounted for a large percentage of the awards made to the Diggers. Three women of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Service are included amongst those decorated. Similarly, the posting of the 6th South African Armoured Division from XIII Corps of the British Eighth Army to IV Corps of the U.S. Fifth Army while serving in Italy in August 1944 resulted in the relatively higher number of awards made to that formation.

The number of U.S. awards made to Canadians was heavily influenced by the formation of a joint Canadian- American unit, the First Special Service Force, in July 1942. This 1,800-man, highly trained, ski and parachute qualified unit was first sent to counter a Japanese move in the Northern Pacific region of the Aleutian Islands in the summer of 1943. Following this, the Force was heavily engaged in Italy and later Southern France before being disbanded in December 1944. In 2005, the bond between the two nations in this unique unit was reaffirmed by the decision to award Bronze Star Medals to the surviving Canadian members of the Force. Unfortunately, these awards were not published in the Canada Gazette and no list of the recipients has been located. Therefore these awards are not included in this work.

The awards have been confirmed by entry in the London Gazette and/or the applicable Gazettes of the Commonwealth countries. The exceptions which I have found have been confirmed by reference in the applicable U.S. General Orders. These have been added at the end of the gazetted awards.

D.V.P.H.

* The Medal of Honor has been awarded once to a member of the British Military, that being the symbolic award to the Unknown Warrior in 1921.

^ Including ex-members of the Indian Army (i.e. those no longer holding appointments in the Indian Army due to positions on Higher Staff or those on the Special List following The Partition of India and dissolvent of the British Indian Army in 1947).

The Distinguished Service Medal (Army), the highest non-valorous military decoration of the United States Army, was authorized by Presidential Order dated 2 January 1918, and confirmed by Congress on 9 July 1918.

Awarded for “exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in a duty of great responsibility”, awards made to foreign officers were made only under exceptional circumstances during wartime services and each awarded required the express approval of the President.

Details of 15 British and Dominion awards are shown.

The Legion of Merit was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 20 July 1942 and announced in War Department Bulletin No. 40, 5 August 1942, for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements”.

This decoration is awarded, in different fashion, to both United States and foreign military personnel. Awarded without class or degree to U.S. personnel, when bestowed upon a foreigner it is awarded in one of four degrees similar to Orders of Knighthood or Merit. The four degrees are: Chief Commander; Commander; Officer and Legionnaire. Award of this decoration also required the approval of the President. Subsequent awards were designated by the traditional U.S method of adding Oak Leaf Cluster devices to the ribbon of the award.

Enclosed are the details of nine awards of the Chief Commander; 172 awards and one Oak Leaf Cluster of the Commander Degree; 522 awards of the Officer Degree and 83 Legionnaire awards.

The Distinguished Service Cross was instituted under Presidential Order dated 2 January 1918. It is second only to the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army. It is the highest award made to foreigners for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force.

This prestigious decoration was awarded to 55 soldiers of Britain and her Commonwealth.

The Silver Star finds its origins in two decorations made during the First World War; the Citation Star and the Certificate of Merit Medal. Established in July 1932 the authorization for the Silver Star was placed into law by an Act of Congress for the U.S. Army on 15 December 1942.

Officially the third-highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States armed forces, it is the second-highest award for “gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States” made to non-American soldiers.

The details of 276 Silver Star awards are shown.

The Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for distinguished service in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight”, was authorized by the United States Congress on 2 July 1926 and subsequently amended by Executive Order 7786, 8 January 1938.

The criteria for the award differed by theatre and depended on, amongst other things, the aircraft role or mission type. It was apparently also awarded for heroism not necessarily in combat (i.e. at flying schools).

Only one gazetted award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to a member of the British Army has been found for the period of service covered by this work.

The Soldier’s Medal was established by the U.S. Congress on 2 July 1926 as a military award of the United States Army for “any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy.”

Nine awards of the Soldier’s Medal were made to the British Commonwealth during WW2 which includes three to Australians and one to a member of the Palestinian Engineers.

The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419 on 4 February 1944 as a military award for “heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States”.

When awarded for heroism it is considered to rank immediately below the Silver Star. When awarded for merit it ranks below the Legion of Merit. Awards for heroism or valor are signified by the addition of a bronze “V” Device to the centre of the ribbon. The traditional U.S method of adding Oak Leaf Cluster devices to the ribbon of the award signifies subsequent awards of this medal.

The details of 1,165 Bronze Star Medals and one Oak Leaf Cluster awarded to British and Dominion soldiers for service during WW2 are enclosed.

The Medal of Freedom, established by President Harry S. Truman in Executive Order 9586 on 6 July 1945, was awarded “to any person, not hereinafter specifically excluded, who, on or after December 7, 1941, has performed a meritorious act or service which has aided the United States in the prosecution of a war against an enemy or enemies and for which an award of another United States medal or decoration is considered inappropriate. The Medal of Freedom may also be awarded to any person, not hereinafter specifically excluded, who, on or after December 7, 1941, has similarly aided any nation engaged with the United States in the prosecution of a war against a common enemy or enemies. The Medal of Freedom shall not be awarded to a citizen of the United States for any act or service performed within the continental limits of the United States or to a member of the armed forces of the United States.”

The degree of meritorious achievement or meritorious service required for the award of the Medal of Freedom without palm is the same as that for which the Bronze Star Medal is awarded to members of the armed forces.

The further degrees of the Medal of Freedom correspond to degrees of the Legion of Merit as shown:

Medal of Freedom: Legion of Merit
Gold palm: Chief Commander
Silver palm: Commander
Bronze palm: Officer and Legionnaire

The Bronze, Silver, and Gold Palm Devices are worn on the centre of the ribbon.

For each additional meritorious achievement or meritorious service warranting an additional award to a citizen of a foreign (non-U.S.) nation, the Medal of Freedom in a higher degree will be awarded in lieu.

154 Medals of Freedom are shown including 75 with Bronze Palm, 16 with Silver Palm and one Gold Palm.

The Air Medal was established by Executive Order 9158, 11 May 1942 as an award for “any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Armed Forces of the United States, shall have distinguished himself/herself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.”

Two gazetted awards have been found to the British Army.

The United States Typhus Commission Medal was authorized in December 1942 and was awarded primarily to the U.S. Army, Navy and U.S. Public Health Service for service on the Typhus Commission between 1942 and 1946.

Only four awards of this medal have been found to the British Army.