Australian World War 1 National Roll :  Sgt. Daniel Pritchard D.C.M.   386 4th MG Battalion 01/05/1916 to 23/03/1919.

Distinguished Conduct Medal Citations  9th April 1920: Corporal Daniel Pritchard of the Australian Machine Gun Corps “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While this man was in charge of a gun team in a tank, a direct hit set it on fire. Although it was burning fiercely, he got out a wounded comrade, the gun, and several ammunition boxes. He then mounted the gun under heavy shell fire and stopped the enemy in a rush on his party. He showed consummate coolness at a critical moment.”   London Gazette 05.12.18”

Australian Military Archives :  Daniel Pritchard attested 01/05/1916 at Emerald, Queensland. Lived at Ruby Vale, Via Anakie, Central Queensland. Next of Kin: wife Mary Ann Pritchard.  Daniel born in Darvel, Scotland, 27½ years old. Was a miner but had trained with A Gilchrist as a watch maker for 3 years. (This area of Queensland was famous for its emerald, ruby & sapphire mines.)

He was 5' 11'', had a fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and was a Presbyterian.
04/05/1916  Private 3861 with 5th Rifles 12th HMC Coy. (possibly Howitzer Motor Carriage)Australian Imperial Force.
26/07/1916  promoted to Acting Corporal
19/09/1916 Embarked on SS Commonwealth from Sydney to Plymouth. Promoted to sergeant for the voyage.
23/11/1916 reverted to ranks as Private after voyage.
01/03/1917 Sent to France
11/04/1917 Wounded GSW L Leg (gunshot wound left leg) severe. 3/05/1917 Sent to England to 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham
23/10/1917 rejoined unit in France. He had rapid promotion on return to his unit.
28/06/1918 promoted to Corporal. Transferred to 4th Machine Gun Battery
20/09/1918 promoted to Lance Sergeant
28/09/1918 detailed to 2nd American Corps
30/09/1918 promoted to Sergeant
05/10/1918 awarded DCM (see below)
19/10/1918 leave to UK. Became sick while on leave and was evacuated to hospital (in France?).        07/12/1918 released from hospital and given balance of his leave.
11/12/1918 at No 4 Command Depot Hardcott, (Wiltshire) England
14/03/1919 Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: DCM awarded to No386 Cpl. D. Pritchard.
23/03/1919 sailed home to Australia from England on the SS Cluny Castle to Adelaide.
Daniel's wife Mary Ann sent several letters to the Australian Army. She wrote to ask about his injuries and where he was convalescing.  She also wrote on 01/04/1919 asking when he would be allowed to return home after the war was over. She explained that she had a little daughter of 4 who had been very ill and was still poorly and that it had been 3 years since she and her husband had last seen each other. Twice his expected return had been cancelled when she understood that married men had the priority for returning home.
Daniel and his wife also had correspondence with the Australian Army about awards he felt he was due. Daniel had been told unofficially that he had been awarded the Military Medal (MM) for his bravery in battle. He had seen it marked in his pay book and had once been reprimanded by a senior officer for not wearing it’s ribbon.  However MM is scored out on his Record Sheet and on 31/08/1920 he was told  'No award of the MM to this soldier...he was awarded DCM...not the MM'. In 1941 after seeing a newspaper article about unclaimed World War 1 medals he wrote again about his MM but was again refused.