Victoria Cross

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28939 Cpl. John McNamara VC. East Surrey Regiment (formerly Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross.

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Military Cross

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The Military Cross was only available to be awarded to officers.  Apart from Colonel Trimble, OC the St John's Ambulance Field Hospital in Étaples, and Capt. Jasper Shovel, a military chaplain, Bamber Bridge appears to have had no officers (if you know of any I have missed please let me know).  So there are no recipients of the Military Cross.​

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Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)

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680862 Pte. Joseph Jackson D.C.M., Royal Field Artillery

680994 Sgt. Thomas Jackson, D.C.M., Royal Field Artillery

680426 Sgt. James Parkinson, D.C.M., Royal Field Artillery

242016 Pte. Robert Shackleton, D.C.M., Scottish Rifles, killed in action 25 October 1918

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Military Medal (MM)

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The Military Medal was introduced in March 1916.  About 115,000 medals were awarded in the course of the War, and 5,700 bars.  It was apparently not highly regarded by the troops.  It was considered "junior" to the DCM, and many considered it to have been introduced to save money - the DCM attracted a pension whereas the MM did not. 

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There are no citations for the Military Medal, though sometimes accounts of the act of bravery appeared in local newspapers.  The awards were announced officially in the London Gazette, usually about two or three months after the event, though towards the end of the War the delays got longer and many awards were not announced until 1919.  In the field, medals would often be awarded by the Commanding Officer while the battalion was in camp but War Diaries are inconsistent in recording these events.

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680909 Pte. Joseph Banks, M.M., Royal Field Artillery

680888 Bdr. John Blanchflower, M.M., Royal Field Artillery

695072 Pte. Robert Coupe, M.M., Royal Field Artillery

200005 Sgt. Thomas Joseph Entwistle, M.M., Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, died 16 April 1919

681010 Pte. Joseph Hanna.  M.M., Royal Field Artillery, died 25 May 1919

680936 Pte. Isaac Hendrickson, M.M., Royal Field Artillery

201932 Pte. John Aelred Hull, M.M., Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

12782 Pte. J. Ernest Parkinson. M.M., Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

25630 LCpl. J. Riley, M.M., Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), died 22 March 1918

680991 Sgt. Francis Schultz. M.M., Royal Field Artillery, died 13 April 1918

2334 Pte. James Shannon, M.M., Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

680548 Sgt. John Southworth, M.M., Royal Field Artillery

680841 Sgt. Thomas Emmanuel Southworth, M.M., Royal Field Artillery

680839 L/Bdr. George Spencer, M.M., Royal Field Artillery

680838 Dvr. James Sumner. M.M. +bar, Royal Field Artillery

680159 Sgt. Joseph Whelan, Royal Field Artillery

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The Bamber Bridge men in 286Bde RFA attracted a disproportionate number of military awards.  

• 105 men from Bamber Bridge enlisted, including Dr/Col Trimble.

• 60 were Roman Catholics, 4 Methodist, 41 Anglican.

• 18 men were killed (17% compared to national rate of 11.5%)

• 2 DCMs were awarded (nationally 1 DCM : 50 MM, 286Bde = 1:5) (James Parkinson DCM was in 276 Brigade not 286 Brigade)

• 1 MM and Bar

• 8 MMs were awarded (nationally 2%, 286Bde = 10%).

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