The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) was instituted by Royal Warrant on 6 September 1886. The award is generally not given to officers below the rank of Captain.

Some time after the Indian Mutiny it was realized that no adequate means existed of recognizing the services of junior officers. The Victoria Cross was reserved for outstanding gallantry and the CB could only normally be awarded to officers the rank of Major and above so a new award was needed.

In terms of gallantry awards, The DSO ranks below the Victoria Cross and above the Military Cross, in order of precedence. It is almost always awarded for gallantry in action. There were 8,981 awards for the First World War.
The DSO was available to officers of all the armed services, and in September 1942 the regulations allowed it to be awarded to officers of the Merchant Navy for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Foreign Officers were eligible as honourary recipients the order. Very early awards are of gold and enamel, but the order has been made of silver gilt since 1889.

The metal is overlaid with white enamel, the obverse showing a green enamel laurel wreath encircling an imperial crown. The reverse shows the Royal cipher, changing with each reign, within a similar wreath. The cross is suspended by a swivel ring from a straight suspender decorated with laurel leaves.

The ribbon, 29mm wide, is crimson with dark blue edges, and is surmounted by a top clasp similar to the suspension bar. When the DSO is mounted together with other medals this clasp is often removed and sewn back at the top of the ribbon. The DSO has always been issued unnamed, but since 1938 (George VI) the year of issue has been engraved on the rear of the lower suspension bar.

In 1993, changes to the gallantry awards system meant that the DSO can now be awarded to all ranks, but only for 'leadership'. It has been replaced as an award for gallantry by the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC), first awarded in 1995.

Surname

Forename/s

Rank

Gazette

Medal No.

Engagement

Hickman

Thomas Edgecomb

Captain

08/11/1889

139

Toski

Surname

Forename/s

Rank

Gazette

Battalion

Engagement

Bartholomew

Hugh John

Captain

27/09/1901

2nd

South Africa

Bennett

Charles Hugh

Captain

19/04/1901

Staff

South Africa

Dillon

Constantine Theobald Francis

Captain

26/06/1902

M.I.

South Africa

Gibb

John Hassard Stewart

Major

27/09/1901

1st

South Africa

Green

Arthur Dowson

Captain

19/04/1901

M.I.

South Africa

Hovell

Hugh de Berdt

Major

27/09/1901

2nd

South Africa

Lambton

George Charles

Captain

27/09/1901

M. I.

South Africa

Wodehouse

Ernest Charles Forbes

Captain

27/09/1901

2nd

South Africa

Richards

Bernard Ogilvie

Captain

27/09/1901

M.I.

South Africa

Boyd-Moss

Ernest William

Lieut. (now Captain)

27/09/1901

AS Corps

South Africa

Surname

Forename/s

Rank

Gazette

Medal No.

Engagement

Breading

George Remington

Captain

06/09/1904

-

Att. W.A.F. Somaliland

Captain George Remington Breading was originally commissioned in to the 3rd Battalion The East Surrey Regiment as a Second Lieutenant on the 23rd March 1898.

On the 4th March 1899 as a Lieutenant he was seconded for service with the East African Rifles.

He was seconded for service under the Foreign Office on the 11th April 1900.

He transferred to the Worcestershire Regiment and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the 28th July 1900.

On the 1st January 1902 he was given the rank of Local Captain whilst commanding a company of the 3rd Battalion King's African Rifles. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette dated 2nd September 1904) for command of this company throughout the operations in Somaliland. He was wounded at Jadballi.

Promoted to substantive rank of Captain on the 14th April 1904.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his service in Somaliland (London Gazette date 6th September 1904).

On the 13th October 1906 he was seconded for service with the Colonial Office.

On the 29th September 1909 he was granted the temporary rank of Major whilst again employed with the King's African Rifles.

On the 25th October 1913 he resigned his commission (Captain) and joined the list of Reserve Officers. On the 15th December 1915 he joined the Somaliland Camal Corps and was granted the temporary rank of Major. He was mentioned in despatches by Lieut.-Colonel T. Astley Cubitt (Commander of troops in Somaliland Protectorate) for his service during operations at Shiber Berris in February 1915.

On the 29th January 1917 he was promoted to Major and on the 24th October 1917 he was appointed Temporary Lieut.-Colonel whist serving as the Commandant of the Somaliland Camel Corps. On the 5th April 1919 he was finally promoted to Lieut.-Colonel.

He retired from the army in 1927 and then went on to command the Somaliland Constabular

Captain G. R. Breading D.S.O.

Surname

Forename/s

Rank

Gazette

Battalion

Engagement

Adam

William

A/Lt. Col.

03/06/1918

17th

Italy (general)

Arden

John Henry Morris

Capt.

28/04/1915

1st

Neuve Chapelle

Armitage

Charles Leathley

Bt. Maj.

24/07/1915

att. 2nd

Festubert

Badham

Jonathan Frederick

Bt. Lt. Col.

27/07/1918

(W.A.F.F.)

East Africa

Bate

John Percival

A/Maj.

01/01/1919

1/8th

Italy 1918 (general)

Bate - - bar

John Percival

A/Maj.

02/04/1919

1/8th

Selle

Bomford

Leslie Raymond

A/Capt.

02/04/1919

1/8th

Sambre

Boswell

Harold Edward

T/2nd Lt.

08/03/1919

2nd

Selle

Bowen

William Allan

A/Lt. Col.

03/06/1918

Comdg. 1/4th K.S.L.I.

Somme 1918

Bowen - - bar

William Allan

A/Lt. Col.

01/01/1919

Comdg.1/4th K.S.L.I.

Aisne 1918

Bowring

Edward Langley

Capt.

18/02/1915

2nd

Gheluvelt

Bridges

John Victor

T/Maj.

18/07/1917

(Att. N. Fus.)

?

Briscoe

George Seton

T/Maj.

26/09/1916

3rd

Thiepval

Carr

Henry Arbuthnot

Maj.

02/05/1916

4th

Krithia

Clarke

Bowcher Campbell Senhouse

T/Lt. Col.

04/06/1917

(Staff)

Somme 1916

Clarke

Sir Edward Henry St. Lawrence Bt.

Lt. Col.

01/01/1917

Comdg. 21st W. Yorks

?

Clarke

Hubert Thomas

A/Lt. Col.

08/03/1919

1/8th

Beaurevoir, &c.

Clarke - - bar

Bowcher Campbell Senhouse

T/Lt. Col.

16/09/1918

4th

Lys 1918

Clarke - - bar

Hubert Thomas

A/Lt. Col.

02/04/1919

1/8th

Sambre

Cooper

Arkwright Richard

T/Capt.

26/07/1917

11th

Doiran 1917

Crawshay

Henry

Maj.

03/06/1918

(Staff)

?

Davidge

Guy Mortimer Coleridge

A/Lt. Col.

26/09/1917

1st

Ypres 1917

Davidge - - bar

Guy Mortimer Coleridge

A/Lt. Col.

24/09/1918

1st

Aisne 1918

Davies

Hugh Warburton

Capt.

30/01/1920

2/8th

St. Quentin

Davies-Evans

Delme William Campbell

A/Lt. Col.

03/06/1919

2/8th

Selle, &c.

Dippie

Herbert

A/Maj.

03/06/1918

11th

Macedonia (general)

Dore

Alan Sidney Whitehorn

Maj.

01/01/1918

Att. R.F.C.

?

Dorman

Leslie Claud

T/Lt. Col.

04/06/1917

2/7th

Vermand

Dugan

Winston Joseph

Capt.

23/06/1915

(Staff)

France 1915 (general)

Dunlop

Frank Passy

T/Lt. Col.

01/01/1917

Comdg. 20th Midd'x.

Somme 1916

Faviell

William Frederick Oliver

T/Lt. Col.

25/08/1917

9th

Kut 1917, &c.

FitzJohn

Tudor

T/Lt. Col.

01/01/1917

?

France 1916 (general)

FitzJohn - - bar

Tudor

A/Lt. Col.

15/02/1919

4th

Ypres 1918

Franklin

William Veasey

Maj.

03/06/1919

1st

Douai, &c.

Fulton

Herbert Albrecht

T/Lt. Col.

04/06/1917

(Staff)

?

Gascoigne

Cecil Claud Hugh Orby

T/Lt. Col.

01/01/1918

14th

Ypres 1917

Gibbon

William Duff

A/Lt. Col.

17/03/1917

9th

Kut 1917

Gogarty

Henry Edward

Lt. Col.

26/11/1917

2nd

Ypres 1917

Gordon

William Alexander

Maj.

02/02/1916

Att. R. Warwick

?

Grogan

George William St. George

T/Lt. Col.

11/05/1917

1st

Bouchavesnes

Grogan - - bar

George William St. George

T/Brig-Gen.

26/07/1918

23rd Brigade

Somme 1918

Hankey

Edward Barnard

Bt. Lt.-Col.

01/01/1918

Att. Tank Corps

Ypres 1917

Harman

Alexander Ramsey

Lt. Col.

20/10/1916

1/7th

Ovillers

Heselton

John Lister

A/Lt. Col.

26/11/1917

Comdg. 9th Manchester

France 1917 (general)

Hill

John Charles Holden

T/Lieut.

26/09/1916

1/7th

Ovillers 21/8/16

Holcroft

Cyril Walter

A/Capt.

04/02/1918

2/8th

Cambrai 1917

Jefferies

Hugh St. John

A/Lt. Col.

26/09/1917

Comdg. 1st W. Yorks

Ypres 1917

Johnston

Alexander Colin

T/Lt. Col.

04/06/1917

(Comdg. 10th Cheshire)

Somme 1916

Johnston - - bar

Alexander Colin

T/Lt. Col.

01/01/1918

Comdg. 10th Cheshire

Ypres 1917

Kerans

Edward Thomas John

T/Lt. Col.

04/06/1917

4th

Arras 1917

Kitching

Charles H.

T/Lt. Col.

04/06/1917

Comdg. 18th K.R.R.C.

France 1917 (general)

Lawrence

Edward Lafone Graham

Bt. Maj.

03/06/1919

(Staff)

Italy (general)

Leggett

Robert Anthony Cleghorn

T/ Col.

01/01/1917

(Staff)

France 1916 (general)

Leman

John Frederick

T/Lt. Col.

02/04/1919

Comdg. 13th R.W.Fus.

Sambre

Linton

Charles Strangway

Maj.

26/06/1916

(Staff)

France 1915 (general)

Linton - - bar

Charles Strangway

A/Lt. Col.

26/11/1917

4th

Ypres 1917

Maben

Herbert Carteighe

T/Capt.

26/07/1918

14th

Somme 1918

Marryatt

Richard Herbert

Maj.

03/06/1919

4th

Courtrai

McCombie

Hamilton

T/Capt.

01/01/1918

(Staff)

France 1917 (general)

Mould

James

Lieut.

25/08/1916

3rd

Ovillers 15-17/7/16

Myles, V.C.

Edgar Kinghorn

2nd/Lieut.

17/03/1917

9th

Kut 1917

Pardoe

Thomas Kenyon

Maj.

01/01/1918

2nd

Arras 1917

Roberts

Frank Crowther

Lieut.

18/02/1915

1st

Raid 3/1/15

Rose

Richard Aubrey de Burgh

T/Lt. Col.

14/01/1916

(W.A.F.F.)

W. Africa

Rose - - bar

Richard Aubrey de Burgh

Bt. Lt. Col.

21/07/1918

(W.A.F.F.)

E. Africa

Sladden

Cyril Edgar

T/Maj.

08/03/1919

9th

Baku

Sole

Denis Mavisyn Anslow

Maj.

01/01/1917

10th

Somme 1916

Sole - - bar

Denis Mavisyn Anslow

T/Lt. Col.

01/01/1919

10th

Aisne 1918

Stephenson-Fetherstonhaugh

Alexander John

Maj.

01/01/1919

(Staff)

France 1918 (general)

Stevens

Leighton Marlow

T/Lt. Col.

01/01/1917

Comdg.23rd Manch.R.

France 1916 (general)

Stoney

Gerald Johnston Lipyeatt

A/Lt. Col.

16/09/1918

2nd

Neuve Eglise

Temple

Richard Durand

T/Lt. Col.

01/01/1918

Comdg. 24th North'd Fus.

France 1917 (general)

Tomkinson

Francis Martin

Maj.

01/01/1917

1/7th

Ovillers

Tomkinson - - bar

Francis Martin

T/Lt. Col.

18/07/1917

1/7th

Gillemont Farm

Traill

Robert Francis

Maj.

16/09/1918

3rd

Lys 1918

Tyrwhitt

Frederick St. John

Maj.

14/01/1916

(Staff)

France1915(general)

Umfreville

Ralph Brunton

T/Lt. Col.

25/08/1917

Comdg. 8th Glosters.

?

Vaughan

Philip Edmund

T/Lt. Col.

22/07/1916

Comdg. 8th Green Howards

Contalinaison

Watson

T. H.

A/Lt. Col.

03/06/1918

Comdg. 1st Foresters

Somme 1918

Whalley

Percy Roger

A/Lt. Col.

26/09/1917

3rd

Ypres 1917

Whitty

Allen

Maj. & Qmr.

14/01/1916

3rd

France 1914-15 (general)

Winnington

John Francis Sartorius

Maj.

28/04/1915

1st

Neuve Chapelle

Wood

Henry George Westmorland

Capt.

24/09/1918

1/7th

Piavè

Surname

Forename/s

Rank

Gazette

Battalion

Engagement

Churchill

William Oliver

Capt.

15/03/1945

?

Mediterranean

Graves-Morris

Philip Herbert

Maj.

26/04/1945

?

Burma

Hall

Peter Geoffrey

Maj.

21/06/1945

1st

Ahlhorn 15/4/1945

Hope-Thomson

Maxwell Richard Julian

A/Lt. Col.

24/01/1946

1st

N.W. Europe (general)

Hughes

Thomas Frederick

Maj.

03/05/1945

1st

Operation Veritable

Knight

John Oldham

Lt. Col.

13/08/1942

1st

Middle East

Nott

Donald Harley

Maj.

30/12/1941

1st

Middle East

Osborne-Smith

Robert Edward

A/Lt. Col.

29/03/1945

1st

N.W. Europe (general)

Ricketts

Jack Dillon

Maj.

05/04/1945

1st

Tripsrath 18/11/1944

Wilsey

John Harold Owen

Brigadier

29/03/1945

?

N.W. Europe (general)