The War Office has now defined its proposal to award
distinctive badges for oversea service. Soldiers who "entered a theatre of war " in 1914 will receive a red chevron. Those who have seen service since 1914 will receive a blue chevron, with an additional chevron for each full year's campaigning. Thus a man who is sent to France thisweek will be,given ahlue chevron, and in.October next will be entitled to receive another one. A -man -who fooght at Mona and is still at the front should. now have a cud -chevron and three blue ones. He will also receive the decoration and riband which, at the King's request, are to -be awarded to all officers and men of the British Expeditionary Force who landed in France or Belgium during the earliest and most critical period of the war which ended. with the first battle of Ypres. We shall now be able to tell at a _glance the individual soldier's record of service. A correspondent of the Times happily suggests that in these badges and wound-stripes and the decorations for special gallantry we have the germ of a new heraldry—based not on birth but on personal service—and that the heraldic artists might design an appropriate shield on which each man's insignia should be blazoned.
Previous page
