Lieut. Lewis Newton VIZARD MC, Researching Awards of Valour (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Friday, November 02, 2012, 21:49 (4399 days ago) @ m p griffiths

When researching British military awards for valour in the Great War the free-to-access London Gazette website is recommended. Awards of Valour were listed in Supplement Editions. Sometimes searching can be lengthy even without the occasional Gazette's typo errors. For Ordinary (non-Officer) Ranks only initials are used for forenames, for the more common surnames it helps to also search using the individual's Number and/or home town, plus within the approximate dates if known. It may be easier to first obtain this date and Number from the individual's Service Medal Card, although note the Medal Cards for more numerously awarded Military Medals are only available from the freetosearch National Archives site (NOT Ancestry records), they are in War Office file collection WO 372/23.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_q=%28WO372%2F23%29&_tsj=C1...
For more info re Medal Cards, and the various Medals, see
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/medal-index-cards-ww1.htm
It can be easier to search this site than Ancestry for the same cards. Altho TNA doesn't give Card images without payment, unlike Ancestry via the free public library service, the results can still give very usefull perhaps unknown info for a given name eg army Number, rank, unit.

Each Gazette Supplement Edition is arranged with the highest awards listed first, with that award's set of individuals listed by rank then alphabetically by surname; then the next highest award set, and so on...

From The London Gazette Issue 30950 published on the 11 October 1918:

"T./lrt. Lewis Newton Vizard, M.G.C.
For conspicuous gallantry and ability in action during an enemy attack. At a critical period he brought forward his two machine guns under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire and saved a threatened flank. Later, he put two enemy machine guns out of action with his fire, the guns being subsequently captured. The initiative, courage, and cheerfulness of this officer were of the greatest value."
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30950/supplements/12093

Once the individual is found read-back thro' previous page(s) to determine exactly which Award has been awarded, in this case the Military Cross
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30950/supplements/12063

And from a later Edition, Issue 31039 published on the 26 November 1918:
"Order of the Crown of Italy, Silver Medal for Military Valour, awarded to Temporary Lieutenant Vizard"
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31039/supplements/14098

This particular Edition had this cover page.
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31039/supplements/14093

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The main London Gazette newspaper also contained legal notices etc, such as this one from 1958 which I suspect relates to the same Lewis Newton Vizard.
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/41352/pages/2181