Crimea Medal

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Crimea Medal


Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, pale blue with yellow edges.
Awarded by United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Type Campaign medal
Eligibility British forces.
Awarded for Campaign service.
Campaign Crimean War.
Description Silver disk, 36mm diameter.
Clasps
  • Alma
  • Inkerman
  • Azoff
  • Balaklava
  • Sebastopol
Statistics
Established 15 December 1854


The Crimea Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1854, for issue to officers and men of British units (land and naval) which fought in the Crimean War of 1854-56 against Russia.

The medal is notable for its extremely ornate clasps, being in the form of an oak leaf with an acorn at each extremity, a style never again used on a British medal. The suspension is an ornate floriated swivelling suspender, again unique to the Crimea Medal.

Five bars were authorised, the maximum awarded to one man was four.[1] The medal was issued without a clasp to those who were present in the Crimea, but not present at any of the qualifying actions. A five bar specimen is held in the Royal Collection.[2]

This medal was also presented to certain members of allied French forces. These medals, in addition to the five British clasps, were often issued with unauthorised French bars; Traktir, Tchernaia, Mer d'Azoff, and Malakof.[3]

The medal was awarded with the British version of the Turkish Crimean War medal, but when a consignment of these were lost at sea some troops were issued with the Sardinian version instead.

[edit] Clasps

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ British Battles and Medals, p128
  2. ^ Royal Collection
  3. ^ British Battles and Medals, p128

[edit] Bibliography

  • Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - Medals Yearbook - 2006, (2005), Token Publishing.
  • Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds), British Battles and Medals, (1988), Spink

[edit] External links

[edit] See also