§ Colonel CROFTasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the lists of honours and awards for gallantry in the field only contain a small proportion of the names submitted by officers commanding battalions; whether he is aware that, apart from immediate awards, battalions after six or eight months' service in the trenches are limited sometimes to three or four names for mention in dispatches or honours; and whether he will consider a more liberal allowance of honours to regimental officers and men?
§ Mr. FORSTERIt is, of course, the case that not all those recommended for honours by officers commanding battalions1628W or other units are, in fact, awarded honours or awards, but my hon. and gallant Friend is possibly not aware that the number of "immediate awards" is very large. I will give the numbers of such awards gazetted for the period from 1st July:—
V.C. … … 77 D.S.O. … … 333 M.C. … … 2,309 D.C.M. … … 1,576 M. Medal … … 12,430 M.S. Medal … … 651 17,376 Bars to D.S.O. … … 9 Bars to M.C. … … 55 Bars to D.C.M. … … 36 Bars to M. Medal … … 67 167 These numbers are not, however, complete, as many other rewards have been given which are not yet gazetted.