Wednesday, December 13, 1916

The gallantry awards system and its controversies

The process for awarding gallantry medals in the Canadian Expeditionary Force followed British Army procedure. A nomination typically began with an officer who witnessed or was told of the act, who wrote a citation and forwarded it up the chain of command. For the Military Medal (MM), approval rested at the divisional level; for the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), it went to Corps or Army headquarters; the Military Cross (MC) was reserved for officers and warrant officers. At each level, staff officers who had not witnessed the action decided whether to approve, downgrade, or reject the recommendation. A nomination for a DCM could be reduced to an MM without explanation to the nominee or his unit. This system generated persistent resentment in the ranks. Soldiers close to the action often felt that awards reflected proximity to officers who wrote citations rather than the actual merit of the deed. Men who served in headquarters, transport, or other rear-area roles were more visible to the officers who initiated nominations, while front-line stretcher-bearers and infantry who performed acts of equal or greater courage went unrecognised because no officer was present to observe. During the Somme battles of 1916, the Canadian Corps awarded approximately 1,900 Military Medals but only around 230 Distinguished Conduct Medals, making the DCM significantly harder to obtain. The MM had been created only in March 1916, partly to address complaints that other ranks had too few avenues for recognition compared to officers, who had the MC, DSO, and mentions in dispatches readily available to them. The distribution of awards was also unevenly spread across unit roles. A statistical analysis of Canadian gallantry awards shows that officers received decorations at a rate per capita several times higher than other ranks. This disparity was well understood by the men at the time and contributed to a cynicism about the honours system that runs through many soldiers' diaries and letters. When a man believed a comrade deserved a DCM but saw him receive only an MM, it reinforced the perception that the system rewarded rank and connections over courage.