The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration for British and former Commonwealth forces awarded for bravery in battle on land with the following requirement – ‘for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire’
The Medal was established on 25th March 1916 but backdated to 1914 with the first award dated 1914. The medal was discontinued in 1993.
It was the other ranks equivalent to the Military Cross (MC), which was awarded to commissioned officers and occasionally to Warrant Officers, who could also be awarded the MM.
In precedence the MM ranked is below the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), which was also awarded to non-commissioned members and above (MID) Mention in Despatches.
The MM is equivalent to the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), the Distinguished Flying Medal and the Air Force Medal. Recipients of the Military Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters MM
Over 115,000 awards were made for actions during the First World War plus some 5,700 bars were awarded and 180 second Bars. For the MM the bar is a small silver rosette on the ribbon.
There was one instance of a Third Bar being awarded; this was made to Private Ernest Albert Corey, who served as a stretcher bearer with the Australian 55th Infantry Battalion on the Western Front.
During the Second World War, some 15,500 awards of the MM were made.
The decoration has occasionally been bestowed upon non-British or Commonwealth subjects and has also been awarded to some civilians, with the first such award being made to two female civilians for actions during the Easter Rising in 1916.
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