Description Efficiency Medal, bar Militia, GV, 2309169 Sergeant Daniel Hinds, D.C.M., Royal Signals. A very rare Militia GVR 1st issue medal and named to a DCM Winner. Officially impressed: “2309169 Sjt D. Hinds. D.C.M. R. Signals.” The Efficiency Medal with Militia scroll bar, was instituted in 1930, and only awarded for a short time. As such this medal is only one of 94 examples named to the Royal Signals known to have been issued. In total only 176 were awarded to the Royal Engineers, 94 to the Royal Signal and 42 to the Royal Army Medical Corps making only about 312 medal issued. Due to his long service, his papers still exist and are held by the MOD on retention pending application. Before the Royal Signals was created, Daniel was serving in World War 1 as a Signaller of the Royal Engineers, when he won the DCM: 418364 Sapper D. Hinds R.E. (Portaferry) London Gazette 1st May 1918: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as Signaller throughout the operations. On 1 occasion he worked for 4 1/2 hours under intense shell fire repairing broken cables. By his courage and determination he was instrumental in maintaining communication between divisional and brigade headquarters.” For his WW1 service he earned the DCM and WW1 Pair (British War and Victory Medal), as service numbers (T)3887 and then 418364. Born on 2nd January 1892. We believe he is Daniel Hinds, born in Downpatrick, County Cork, Ireland, birth registered in the first quarter of 1892. As of the 1911 Census he is living in Portaferry, County Down, Ireland. This town, Portaferry, is noted as his residence on the DCM, announcement which strongly supports this being him. After the war he moved to Glasgow, married a Scottish Woman, Mary McFarlane/McCormick and remained in Scotland for the rest of his life. He died in Portobello, Edinburgh, during 1960 and was buried at Stanraer, Wigtownshire on 25th April 1960.
