U.S. Awards to the British and Dominion Armies 1942-1945

Early in 1942, with official American involvement in the war against the Axis Powers only months old, the subject of conferring of honours and decorations began to be discussed between the U.S. War Department and the British War Office. By June, a decision was reached that awards for both gallantry and meritorious service would be made to each other's officers and enlisted personnel under mutual concurrence. Soldiers were either recommended by American Senior Officers or their own Commanders through a quota system in which the Allied Armies were allotted a certain number of each award (less the highest award, the Medal of Honor ). These awards were submitted through the senior British Officer to the War Office for approval. As a result, it is not uncommon to see the original written recommendation or citation of an award being amended to another medal (i.e. the citation for a U.S. Bronze Star Medal may show that the award was changed to the Legion of Merit or vice versa). Here are the details of almost 2,500 awards made to the soldiers of Britain and her Dominions. The award details shown are typed from the original recommendations or citations for the awards, with the same language or spelling used, be it English or American (i.e. honour or honor / armour or armor), depending on the initiator's nationality. Spelling and incorrect personal details have been corrected.