Here's something you don't see that often... an MC & bar for second award. Created on December 28th, 1914 for warrant officers and commissioned officers up to the substantive rank of captain to recognise: "An act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land." The first of the awards were made on January 1st 1915 to 71 officers and 27 warrant officers
On August 26th, 1916 the London Gazette published a War Office order regarding a bar to the MC being instituted. A total of 37,081 MC's were awarded during the course of WW1 and up to the end of 1920. Of these recipients, 2,983 went on to win a 1st bar, 168 a 2nd bar, and four a 3rd bar. Such low figures make ANY MC with a bar highly desirable. I was very fortunate to pick up an example just the other week. It is a lovely example, and is 'as issued' with no inscription on the back. Unlike some other gallantry awards the MC was not named to the recipient, and any example named has been engraved privately by the recipient - or the recipients relatives.
Shown below is the official citation for the award of the bar to Lt (acting captain) Philip Howard Walker. Note the embossed War office stamp at the top of the note. Click on images to enlarge.
Cheers,
Steve
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