Wartime saboteurs receiving medal for battle (5)
I believe the answer is:
somme
'battle' is the definition.
(Somme is an example)
'wartime saboteurs receiving medal' is the wordplay.
'wartime saboteurs' becomes 'soe' (Special Operations Executive).
'receiving' is an insertion indicator.
'medal' becomes 'mm' (Military Medal).
'soe' going around 'mm' is 'SOMME'.
'for' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for somme that I've seen before include "runner" , "WWI battle site" , "Move in clumsy bounds" , "French river known from First World War" , "European river" .)