Gallery Title
Gallery Title
Distinguished Service Order
Accession Number NWHRM : 5102
Description
Medals awarded to Brigadier F.P. Barclay M.C., D.L. This Military Cross was the first to be awarded to the British Expeditionary Force during the 2nd World War. The medals in this set are: Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.), Military Cross (M.C.) Order of St John, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal with Oak leaf fo a Mentioned in Dispatches, 1953 Coronation Medal.
Read MoreDistinguished Service Order
On the night of January 3rd-4th 1940, Captain Barclay and a team of four men went out on patrol under a bright moon which was reflected in snow, making concealment difficult. Having checked their objective and found it empty, Capt Barclay and Lance Corporal Davis continued further in order to find out the position and strength of the enemy's defensive posts. They ran into barbed wire and were immediately subjected to rifle fire which gave away the enemy’s position. After a sharp exchange of fire Capt Barclay and L/Cpl Davis were able to get away. For their coolness and resourcefulness, Capt Barclay and L/Cpl Davis were given an immediate award of the Military Cross and Military Medal respectively, while the rest of the patrol were Mentioned in Despatches (MiD). These were the first awards for gallantry made to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
