Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Institution

Evolution of the award

• During World War I the 'Commendation' was uniquely awarded to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine, and was the primary reward for gallantry by merchant seamen. While recipients appeared in the London Gazette and received a certificate, no award accompanied the commendation.
• The first list of awards for merchant seamen 'commended for good service' was published in the London Gazette on 22 December 1916, the recipients having been in action with U-boats or mines.
• The first posthumous award appeared in a list of 'Commendations' announced in the London Gazette on 15 May 1917, to Captain Peter MacLachlan of the steamship "Bellorado" who had been killed in a gun battle with U-boat UC-22 on 27–28 February 1917.
• The last Commendation awarded for service in World War I was announced in the London Gazette on 10 July 1919 to Able Seaman James Anderson of the steamship Petunia which had been torpedoed and sunk.
• Between the two World Wars the practice of awarding 'Commendations' fell into disuse.
• With the outbreak of World War II a system of commendations was again established. The first awards were announced in the London Gazette on 15 December 1939, when names of officers and men of the Merchant Navy ships "Mopan", "Lochgoil" and "Goodwood" were published following 'an expression of commendation of their good services' in action with U-boats and mines.
• Multiple civilian awards appeared in the London Gazette on 30 September 1940 alongside awards of the recently instituted George Medal, the majority being firefighters. Many more followed in the lists of 'Commendations' on 4 October 1940 where the first awards to female recipients appeared, to Miss Elizabeth Connie Lyle an Air Raid Warden of Newhaven Edinburgh and Miss Violet Morgan a Nurse from Weymouth.
• The first posthumous awards appeared in the London Gazette on 8 October 1940, when three British Merchant Navy seamen were killed when the ocean liner Lancastria was bombed during the Dunkirk evacuation operations in June 1940, to Richard Garonwy Roberts, John Hill and James Duncan.
• The last awards of King's Commendations for Brave Conduct appeared in the London Gazette on 12 February 1952, six days after King George VI had died.
• The first award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct was announced in the London Gazette, on 14 March 1952.
• The award was effectively replaced by the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in August 1994.

  Description

• Before 1943 there was no physical award other than a card certificate presented to the recipient. An example of a World War II 'Commended for Brave Conduct' certificate gives the details of the recipient and the date of the London Gazette announcement.
• From 1943 a gold and red coloured plastic pin-backed badge was issued to civilian recipients, bearing the design of an upright sword in a wreath, surmounted by a crown. The badge, intended for everyday wear in civilian dress, was long by wide and was designed by George Kruger Gray, CBE. Normally each recipient received two badges in a small red cardboard box.
• From 1946 the plastic badge was replaced by a silver metal laurel leaf for civilians, with a bronze oak leaf issued to armed forces personnel. The bronze oak leaf insignia was identical to that awarded to signify a Mention in Despatches. The devices were worn on the ribbon of the appropriate campaign medal, usually the Defence Medal for civilians and War Medal for servicemen, or directly to tunic or jacket if no medal had been awarded. Devices for commendations for post 1945 campaigns could be worn with the appropriate campaign medal if received.

  Awards

• In World War I about 420 'Commendations' were awarded, some posthumously, to men of the British Mercantile Marine.
• In World War II approximately 5,000 'Commendations' were made, including 2,568 to men of the British Merchant Navy, and almost 2,000 to civilians, mostly involved in Civil Defence, such as policemen and firefighters. Awards were also made to service personnel for brave acts where a mention in despatches would not normally be granted. Many awards were made posthumously.
• Some recipients received multiple 'King's Commendations', for example Captain E.G.B. Martin, O.B.E. of the Merchant Navy who received the award three times, on 23 October 1942, 27 August 1943, and finally posthumously on 22 June 1945, in addition to an Order of the British Empire Civil Division on 2 June 1944.
• The King's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct were awarded to 405 Australians. In 1992, Australia ceased recommendations for British awards. In 1975, the Australian Honours System was unilaterally inaugurated and the Australian Bravery Awards were instituted with three medals and a commendation named the Commendation for Brave Conduct.

  Example awards

• Engineer Commander Robert John Anderson, Royal Navy, awarded a 'Commendation' for his bravery during the Blitz on Coventry in April 1941.
• John Jarvis, Deputy Depot Ambulance Officer, ARP Casualty Service, Norfolk, awarded a 'Commendation' in July 1941 for his bravery in rescue operations after an aircraft crashed and caught fire.
• Cadet Ernest William Meaby, Air Training Corps, a schoolboy awarded a 'Commendation' in February 1943 for risking his life to rescue the occupants of a crashed aircraft.
• John William Fegan, Mining Surveyor, Adowsena Gold Mine, Gold Coast, Africa, awarded a 'Commendation' in March 1943 for his bravery when an accident occurred in the mine.
• Warden Edwin Ernest Wing, Lincoln Civil Defence, received a 'Commendation' in January 1944 for rescuing children from a burning house.
• John Morrison Ruthven, Chief Refrigeration Engineer, S.S. "Clan Macarthur", Merchant Navy awarded a 'Commendation' in February 1944 for remaining aboard his sinking ship trying to rescue trapped seamen.
• William Henry Shingleton, Leading Compressor Driver, Dover Harbour Board, awarded a 'Commendation' in June 1944 for rescuing men who had strayed into a minefield.
• Policewoman Mabel Ashley, Borough of Tynemouth Police, was awarded a King's Commendation for Brave Conduct in October 1948 for her services when effecting the arrest of a dangerous criminal.
• Donald Campbell, who broke eight world water and land speed records, was posthumously awarded a Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct on 28 January 1967 'for courage and determination in attacking the world water speed record.'

  King's and Queen's Commendations