Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) is a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service. The award is relatively common, does not confer a medal and is relatively low in the order of precedence.
A dispatch is an official report from a senior commander, usually of an army, to his superiors, detailing the conduct of military operations. In the British military, this report is published in the London Gazette. If a subordinate officer or soldier performs a noteworthy action included in the report, he is said to have been "mentioned in dispatches".
In the nations of the British Commonwealth, soldiers who are mentioned in dispatches receive a certificate and are entitled to wear a bronzeoak leaf on the ribbon of the service medal issued to soldiers who served in a conflict. If no campaign medal is awarded, the oak leaf is worn on the collar of dress uniform.
Soldiers can be mentioned multiple times but, other than receiving a certificate for each mention, they wear no visible sign. Australian general H.G. Bennett was mentioned in dispatches a total of eight times during WWI. British WWI Victoria Cross winner, John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort was mentioned in dispatches nine times.
External link
History of the MID (http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/history-mid.htm)
The earliest to mention it is St. Hippolytus (155-235), who informs us that it was in use among the Naasenes, a sect of Syrian Gnostics, and cites a sentence which does not appear in our extant text.
A Gospel of Matthias is mentioned by Origen and Eusebius among the heretical literature along with the Peter and Thomas Gospels.
Not to mention the Shepherd of Hermas, the Acts of St. Paul (at least in the Thecla portion) and the Apocalypse of St. Peter were highly revered at this and later periods.
In addition, during the First World War an emblem of bronze oak leaves - which signified that the medal recipient had received an 'MiD' - was also worn on the ribbon of the Victory Medal.
Views of MiD's varied; some regarded it as an honour whereas others saw it as nothing more than a failed Military Medal.
The certificate awarded to a man recognised in despatches noted his service details along with a reference to the specific despatch in which he was named.
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