Gulf Medal
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| Gulf Medal | |
|---|---|
   Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, sand-coloured broad central stripe flanked by narrow pairs of light blue, red, and dark blue. |
|
| Awarded by United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | |
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Eligibility | British forces. |
| Awarded for | Campaign service. |
| Campaign | Kuwait and Saudi Arabia 1990-91. |
| Description | Cupro-nickel disk, 36mm diameter. |
| Clasps |
|
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1992 |
| Total awarded | 59,687 (to UK forces) |
The Gulf War Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1992, for issue to officers and men of British forces who served in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Operation Granby (the Liberation of Kuwait) in 1990-91.
The medal alone was awarded to personnel for thirty days continuous service in the Middle East (in a defined area of operations, including Cyprus) between 2 August 1990 and 7th March 1991. Two clasps were authorised for those who served in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion, and for those who took part in operations to liberate Kuwait.[1] In undress uniform, a rosette is worn on the medal ribbon to denote the award of either clasp.
The breakdown of awards to the armed forces was as follows:[2]
| Service | Medal only | Clasp 2 Aug 1990 | Clasp 16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | 2,409 | Nil | 3,942 | 6,351 |
| Royal Marines | 130 | Nil | 407 | 537 |
| Army | 4,093 | 46 | 34,692 | 38,831 |
| RAF | 5,673 | 20 | 8,275 | 13,968 |
| Total | 12,305 | 66 | 47,316 | 59,687 |
About 1,500 civilians including members of British Aerospace working at Dahran also received the medal with the clasp 16th Jan to 28th Feb.
[edit] Clasps
- 2 Aug 1990
- Awarded to the members of the Kuwait Liaison Team who were in Kuwait on this date.
- 16 Jan-28 Feb 1991
- Awarded for seven days continuous service between these dates in the designated Theatre of Operations. This clasp signifies service during the actual war.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Full details are laid out in DCI Gen 185/91
- ^ Hansard, 20 Jan 2004, 1122W - Written answer by Ivor Caplin, Defence Minister, to Mr Adrian Flook MP. (Online copy)
[edit] Bibliography
- Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - Medals Yearbook - 2006, (2005), Token Publishing.
[edit] See also
- Gulf War Military Awards
- The British Gulf Medal 1990 - 91 - Detailed Images
- [1] - MoD information page
