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Established on 4 December 1854 during the Crimean War, the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) could only be awarded to Warrant Officers, NCO's, and other ranks. For non-commissioned personnel, it was a distinction second only to the Victoria Cross. A bar was awarded for a subsequent act of distinguished conduct in the field.

There were 2076 awards of the DCM for the Boer War.

During the Boer War, 6 dated second award bars were issued. Of these, three recipients won their first DCM in the Boer War. The recipients were:

  • Andrews, 3502 Sergeant Frank Leon, 9th Lancers & 2nd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. DCM LG 27 Sep 01, Bar LG 21 Apr 03, dated '27th September 1901', OBE LG 3 Jun 19.
  • Crampion, 1313 Private C, 2nd Norfolk Regiment. DCM, 16 Oct 1889 for Upper Burma, Bar LG '29 March 1900' for Karee Sidings.
  • Crookes, 4691 Staff Sergeant F, RAMC. DCM for Omdurman 2 Sep 98, bar 'February 1900' for Paardeberg LG 19 Apr 01.
  • May, 25417 Corporal T J, 38th Field Company Royal Engineers. DCM LG 26 Jun 1902, Bar LG 21 Apr 03. Bar dated '1st July 1901'.
  • Smith, 16821 Sergeant G, 24th Company Royal Engineers. DCM for Crete LG, 7 Mar 99, Bar dated 'January 1901' LG 27 Sep 1901 for South Africa.
  • Worthing, 9738 Colour Sergeant Harry Evans, 4th Rifle Brigade. Bar dated '8th June 1901' DCM LG 26 Jul 1901, Bar LG 11 Mar 1902, for capture of Boer convoy at Rooival 8 Jun 1901. Miniature group to Worthing shown below (courtesy of DNW).

During the Boer War, 6 DCMs were awarded posthumously.

Between 1881 and 1900 it was not uncommon to append the date of the award to the recipient's name on the rim of the medal. Most DCMs issued during this period are dated although there are example of medals appearing without dates just as there are medals outside the range of dates which are dated. Most dates are in the format dd-mm-yy, for example, "23-2-00" but some are also dated in the earlier format of "2nd SEPT: 1889".

Naming is in plain block capitals.

See the forum posts on the Boer War DCM.

Surname: 
Forename: 
No: 
Notes: 
Unit: 
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(2096 Records)

 Surname   Forename   No   Rank   Notes   Unit 
AbbottA P373PrivateDied of wounds 1 Feb 01 Roodebank. Served with the Mounted Infantry
Source: DCM recipients
West Australia, 6th Mounted Infantry Contingent
AbramsS119SergeantDefence of Mafeking (wounded 27 Mar 00)
Source: DCM recipients
Cape Police
AchesonA1072Colour SergeantSource: DCM recipientsYork and Lancaster Regiment
AcklandG E7492PrivateD.C.M. London Gazette 19 April 1901. The following details appeared in Lord Roberts' final despatch published in an earlier edition of the London Gazette on 8 February 1901: ‘Private G. E. Ackland and Private J. B. Fisher, Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, for crossing the Tugela under heavy fire to see if there were barbed wire in the drift, on 21 February 1900.' George Edgar Ackland was born in Dublin and originally enlisted in the Connaught Rangers in Galway in August 1890, aged 18 years, but purchased his discharge for £10 a few weeks later. Judging by details supplied in his attestation papers for Brabant's Horse, dated 28 November 1899, he nonetheless returned to military employ in the interim, for in these he stated prior service in the 5th Dragoon Guards and a currently an Army Reserve. Be that as it may, Ackland went on to win entitlement to the ‘Cape Colony' clasp with Brabant's Horse before transferring to Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry in late January 1900 and winning his D.C.M. in the following month, as per the above cited deeds during the crossing of the Tugela (Army Order 163/01). He was killed in action at Marakabi, a farmstead in the Orange Free State, on 8 July 1901. Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (Pte. G. E. Ackland, Thorneycroft's M.I.); Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 7 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing's Nek, South Africa 1901 (7492 Serjt., Th'croft's M.I.). DNW Jun 07 £4,800
Source: DCM recipients
Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry
AcramenWilliam Edward3070Sergeant MajorMC
Source: DCM recipients
Grenadier Guards
AdamsA E63QMSSource: DCM recipientsDevonshire Regiment
AdamsEdward186502 Corporal1st Telegraph Division. LS&GC medal
Source: DCM recipients
Royal Engineers
AdamsJ1264PrivateKaree Siding 29 Mar 00 wounded
Source: DCM recipients
Norfolk Regiment
AdamsJohn Percy90344Sergeant38th Battery. Bakenkop 3 Jul 00. Severely wounded 20 Sep 01 Quaggafontein. LS&GC medal. Died 17 Apr 58 Farnborough, Kent
Source: DCM recipients
Royal Field Artillery
AdamsW T9520PrivateDefence of Ladysmith 23 Feb 00
Source: DCM recipients
(Prince Consort's Own) Rifle Brigade
AddisonW87767CorporalSource: DCM recipients38th Battery, RFA
AgerE3308SergeantSource: DCM recipientsSuffolk Regiment
AgnewH M6345Lance SergeantSlightly wounded 25 May 00 Senekal. Killed in action 25 Dec 01 Tweefontein
Source: DCM recipients
11th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry
AlbertS J3591PrivateSource: DCM recipients9th (The Queen's Royal) Lancers
AldersladeH4343CorporalRelief of Ladysmith. Wounded 21 Jan 00 Spearman's camp.
Source: DCM recipients
(Queen's) Royal West Surrey Regiment
AldridgeT3801PrivateSource: DCM recipients19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars
AlexanderG2545Colour SergeantSource: DCM recipientsKing's Own Scottish Borderers
AllamFrank656QMS Source: DCM recipients(Duke of Cambridge's Own) Middlesex Regiment
AllcockTColour SergeantSource: DCM recipients(King's Own) Royal Lancaster Regiment
AllenJ3389PrivateNo 1st Company Mounted Infantry
Source: DCM recipients
Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
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