Single 1914-19 Victory Medals to Arab Recipients

[oamotme]

Good morning.

 

As far as I am, or was, aware the British Victory Medal could not be awarded as single unlike like British War Medal.

 

I have photographic evidence of two soldiers from the Middle East Theatre who wear a single Victory Medal as part of their groups:

 

• Nuri Saeed, later Prime Minister of Iraq - see image - also bearing a MiD oakleaf device - not found in the London Gazette
• Sobhy Al Omary, later Jordanian then Iraqi soldier - see image 

 

They were awarded their respective DSO and MC in the UK War Office List No. 53 of 19^th December 1919 - but not published in the London Gazette.

 

A search of the Medal Cards at the National Archive has, to date, been unsuccessful. Of course the many possible transliterations of Arabic names means that perhaps they exist under a different spelling.

 

During my research I came across medal cards for two other Arab officers who received both the War & Victory Medals:

 

Name                          Tahsin Ali, M.C. (War Office List No. 53 of 19^th December 1919).

Corps                          Hedjaz Army.

Rank                           Rais Awal (Senior Captain), 1^st N. Inf. Bn.

                                    Qaid (Colonel), Camel Battalion.

Theatre of Service     Palestine

 

Name                          Abdul Razzak.

Corps                          Hedjaz Army.

Rank                           Commandant, Telegraph and Telephone Company.

Theatre of Service     Semnat between Aquaba and Mahmal.

 

Another recipient of a pair was Ja'afar Al Askari, later Prime Minister of Iraq - see image - also bearing a MiD oakleaf device - not found in the London Gazette.

 

So two queries:

1. Where do I look to find awards of single Victory Medals to non-British/Empire nationals?
2. Where do I look to find WW1 MiD awards to non-British/Empire nationals?

 

Many thanks,

 

Owain

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Megan]

These fellows have quite the collection of awards... The last one is wearing the sash and star of a Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and the Commander of the Order of St Michael & St George (CMG, neck badge).

[oamotme]

Thanks Megan - Nuri and Jaafar have featured in my OMRS/OMSA articles on Royal Iraqi awards - Sobhy is the grandfather of a friend. Owain