Durham County Record Office: the official archive service for County Durham and Darlington
- Home >
- Learning Zone >
- The Story of Jimmy Durham >
- The Finding >
- Medals
- Accessibility statement
- Contact us
- About Us
- Our Records
- Visit Us
-
Family History
- Birth, marriage and death records
- Census records
- Parish registers
- Place names index
- Nonconformist Church Registers
- Wills
-
More Family History Sources
- Adoption
- Army Records
- Bankruptcy
- Bishops' Transcripts
- Cemeteries and crematoria
- Coal Mining
- Directories
- Divorce
- Durham Obituaries
- Education
- Electoral Registers for County Durham
- Emigration/Immigration
- Family History Organisations
- Guild Records
- Hearth Tax Returns
- Jewish Community
- Land Tax Assessments
- Law and Order
- Libraries
- Marriage Licences, Bonds and Allegations
- Medical Records
- Military Records
- Missing Persons
- Newspapers
- Photograph collections
- Poor Law
- Salvation Army Church
- War Memorials
- Gypsy Roma Travellers
- Learning Zone
- Shop
- Collections Search
- Website Help
- Legal Information
-
Exhibitions
- 'Adventurers and Pirates' - Hetton Coal Company, 1820
- Looking back at Consett Steel Works
- Celebrating Gala Day 2020
-
County Durham remembers VE Day 1945
- 'We have come through' - Remembering VE Day 1945
- 9th Battalion DLI: From D-Day to Berlin
- 9th Battalion DLI: VE Day
- 9th Battalion DLI: In Berlin, June - September 1945
- Berlin Victory Parade, 7 September 1945
- Victory Parade at Belsen, 8 May 1945
- The Northern Echo, Victory edition, 9 May 1945
- VE Day and Durham Schools
- 2nd Battalion DLI: Burma 1945
- 2nd Battalion DLI: Rangoon Victory Parade, 15 June 1945
- VE Day and the Durham Miners' Association
- County Durham celebrates VE Day
- Haswell Victory Celebrations, 1945
- Soldier: Victory Souvenir edition, 8 May 1945
- Parade: European Victory edition, 26 May 1945
- VE Day not forgotten by one Spennymoor family
- County Durham celebrates VJ Day
- Victory Day, 8 June 1946
Medals
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) was introduced by Queen Victoria in September 1886, for officers who distinguished themselves in war.

The first DSO badges were awarded to officers who had fought in the war in Egypt, and these original crosses were made of enamelled gold. Later, they were changed to enamelled silver.
This gold DSO was awarded to Lieutenant de Lisle 'for action at Ginnis', and was one of the very first awarded.
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) was introduced by Queen Victoria as an award for bravery in battle for 'Other Ranks' (not officers, but sergeants, corporals, privates etc.).

The medal is made of silver, the obverse (front) has the Royal Arms in the centre of a trophy of arms (weapons, drums, flags) and the reverse (back) has the inscription 'For Distinguished Conduct in the Field'.
Sergeant A.M. Stuart received a DCM for his bravery at Ambigole Wells in December 1885. The recommendation submitted to Queen Victoria on 18 November 1886, held at The National Archives [WO146/1, page 75] reads as follows:
Most humbly submitted to Your Majesty by His Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief with the approval of The Secretary of State for War.
That a Silver Medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field be granted, without Annuity or Gratuity, to each of the under mentioned soldiers in recognition of their gallant conduct during the Soudan Campaign of 1885 - 6.