MM and Reprimand awarded.

At noon on 26 May 1940, in the main square of the Belgian town of Tourcoing, the GOC 3rd Infantry Division, Major General B L Montgomery, decorated the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles (2 RUR), Lieutenant Colonel Knox*, with the DSO; Lieutenant Garstin with the MC; and Serjeants Henderson, Baudains, Kiely and Corporal Martin with the MM. These awards were for their individual gallantry during the fighting in and around Louvain for which the Royal Ulster Rifles was awarded the Battle Honour DYLE.

Some 30 minutes later, one of the recipients of the MM was marched in front of the CO for an alleged offence and was awarded a Severe Reprimand. On his exit from the Orderly Room, Major Benson said to him: It must be unique to get the MM and a severe rep. on the same day' to which the NCO promptly replied, 'As a matter of fact, Sir, I didn't deserve either, so I'm about quits on the deal.'

DSO = Distinguished Service Order
MC = Military Cross
MM = Military Medal

*
Lt Col Knox would earn a bar to his DSO for his command of 69 Infantry Brigade during Operation OVERLORD when his Brigade landed on GOLD Beach on 6 June 1944 and assaulted objectives at La Rivière. He advanced his bridgehead inland some 7,000 yards and the only VC awarded on D Day was to CSM Stanley Hollis of 6 GREEN HOWARDS, a battalion in Brigadier Knox's Brigade.