THE “B” LISTS OF MENTIONS Rewards for Valuable Services during the First World War 1914-19 War Office – Air Ministry – Home Office

The Great War was fought worldwide on a scale hitherto undreamed of, creating a demand for honours and awards which the British honours system was ill-equipped to meet. In an effort to recognise services on the battlefield and in non-operational appointments, new awards were introduced.

This document details one of the special measures taken to recognise service at home in operational and non-operational appointments. It covers awards made by the War Office, the Air Ministry and the Home Office. Service ‘at home’ included both service in the UK, and service by local forces and others in their bases established throughout the Dominions and Colonies. These bases were not within recognised theatres of war.

The ‘B’ list mentions, although not carrying the status of ‘A’ list awards, are extremely valuable to both military and civil Great War genealogy. Not printed in the London Gazette, they were instead provided to the press for publication. In this official work you will find: Home Service Military Personnel; Nursing Services; Anti-Aircraft Services; Military Record Services; Civilian Doctors; Services Whilst Prisoner of War; etc. In total, a staggering c.45,000 recipients are mentioned in this, a complete set of the original War Office ‘B’ mentions.

No emblem was authorised for class ‘B’ mentions. They were recorded, however, in the service records of military personnel, and frequently preceded appointments of military personnel to the Order of the British Empire or award of the Meritorious Service Medal.

The decision to not try and clean the four pages that display some light, or heavy ink transfer, was taken to keep the integrity of the original document. The small amount of minor pen marks and notes that occur at irregular intervals throughout have also been left in place, as the original compilation of this part work was the official working reference copy, and is a unique document.