Editing Distinguished Service Order (section)

== History ==
[[File:Distinguished Service Order, ribbon bar.png|left|thumb|190px|[[Medal bar|Bar]] for additional DSO award]]
[[File:DSO1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Major Paul Garneau, of the [[Royal 22e Regiment|Royal 22<sup>e</sup> Régiment]], with the DSO he received for "gallant and distinguished services in the combined [[Dieppe Raid|attack on Dieppe]]" after his investiture at [[Buckingham Palace]] in October 1942<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=35729 |supp=y |page=4328 |date=2 October 1942 }}</ref>]]
Instituted on 6 September 1886 by [[Queen Victoria]] by [[Warrant (law)|Royal Warrant]] published in ''[[The London Gazette]]'' on 9 November,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25641|pages=5385–5386| date=9 November 1886}}</ref> the first DSOs awarded were dated 25 November 1886.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25650|pages=5975–5976|date=9 November 1886}}</ref>

The [[Order (distinction)|order]] was established to recognise individual instances of meritorious or distinguished service in war. It is a military order, and was, until recently, typically awarded to [[Commanding officer|officers in command]] above the rank of [[Major (rank)|major]] (or equivalent), with awards to lower ranks usually being for a high degree of gallantry, just short of deserving the [[Victoria Cross]].<ref name=veteran/>

Whilst normally given for service under fire or under conditions equivalent to service in actual combat with the enemy, a number of awards made between 1914 and 1916 were under circumstances not under fire, often to [[staff officer]]s, causing resentment among front-line officers. After 1 January 1917, commanders in the field were instructed to recommend this award only for those serving under fire.{{sfn|Abbott|Tamplin|1981|p=119–121}}

From 1916, [[Medal bar|bars]] could be authorised for subsequent award of the DSO, worn on the ribbon of the original award.{{sfn|Abbott|Tamplin|1981|p=119–121}}

In 1942, the award was extended to officers of the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]] who had performed acts of gallantry whilst under enemy attack.<ref name=NZ>{{cite web |access-date=17 February 2010 |publisher=New Zealand defence force |title=British Commonwealth Gallantry, Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards – Companion of the Distinguished Service Order |url=http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/i/i3.html}}</ref> 

Prior to 1943, the DSO could be awarded to only commissioned officers of the [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] rank and above, for 'meritorious or distinguished service in wartime' under conditions of actual combat. If awarded to an officer ranking below Lieutenant-Colonel, it had to be a case of 'a high degree of gallantry just short of deserving the [[Victoria Cross]]'. In either case, being '[[Mentioned in Despatches]]' was a pre-condition for appointment to the Distinguished Service Order.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Distinguished Service Order (DSO) - TracesOfWar.com |url=https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/9/Distinguished-Service-Order-DSO.htm#:~:text=The%20Order%20is%20generally%20given,Gazette%20on%20November%209th%201886. |access-date=2022-08-29 |website=www.tracesofwar.com}}</ref>

The stipulation that only those [[mentioned in despatches]] could be appointed to the Order was removed in 1943.{{sfn|Abbott|Tamplin|1981|p=119–121}}