| Victory Medal 1914-19 | |
|---|---|
Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbons of medal (Bottom Center) |
|
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Eligibility | British and Imperial forces. |
| Awarded for | Campaign service. |
| Campaign | First World War 1914-20. |
| Description | Bronze disk, 36mm diameter. |
| Clasps | None |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1 September 1919 |
| Total awarded | 6,334,522+ |
| Related | 1914 Star 1914-15 Star British War Medal Territorial Force War Medal |
The Victory Medal (also called the Inter-Allied Victory Medal) is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at Versailles as illustrated (a 'Winged Victory) but in a particular form of this historic Greek monument as determined by each nation, with the exception of the nations in the Far East who issued the medal but with a different design. The dates of the war were in every case 1914 to 1918, except that of the British Empire, which gave the dates as illustrated (1914 to 1919 with 1921 being the year in which the war ended in point of Parliamentary law but in 1919 under common law relating to the status and functions of the monarchy).
The medal was issued to all those who received the 1914 Star or the 1914-15 Star, and to most of those who were awarded the British War Medal - it was never awarded singly. These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.[1][2]
Contents |
To qualify for the Victory medal one had to be mobilised in any service and have entered a theatre of war between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. Women qualified for this and the earlier two medals, for service in nursing homes and other auxiliary forces.
It was also awarded to members of the British Naval mission to Russia 1919 - 1920 and for mine clearance in the North Sea between 11 November 1918 and 30 November 1919.
Not only did the United Kingdom issue a Victory Medal, but a significant number of allied and associated countries involved in the conflict against the Austro-German alliance. The proposition of such common award was first made by French marshal Ferdinand Foch who was supreme commander of the allied force during first world war. Each medal in bronze has the same diameter (36 mm) and ribbon (double rainbow) but with a national design representing a winged victory[3].
| Country | Designer | Manufacturer | Number issued |
| Belgium | Paul Du Bois (1859-1938) | ----- | 300 000 - 350 000 |
| Brazil | Jorge Soubre (1890-1934) | approximately 2 500 | |
| Cuba | Charles Charles |
|
6 000 - 7 000 |
| Czechoslovakia | Otakar Španiel (1881-1955) |
|
approximately 89 500 |
| France | Pierre-Alexandre Morlon (1878 - 1951) | approximately 2 000 000 | |
| France[4] | Charles Charles |
|
----- |
| France[4] |
|
----- | ----- |
| United Kingdom[5] | William McMillan (1887–1977) |
|
6 334 522 plus |
| Greece | Henry-Eugène Nocq (1868-1944) |
|
approximately 200 000 |
| Italy | Gaetano Orsolini (1884-1954) |
|
approximately 2 000 000 |
| Japan[6] | Masakishi Hata | approximately 700 000 | |
| Poland[7] | .... Vlaitov |
|
----- |
| Portugal | João Da Silva (1880-1960) | approximately 100 000 | |
| Romania | .... Kristesko | ----- | approximately 300 000 |
| Siam (Thailand) | Itthithepsan Kritakara (1890-1935) | ----- | approximately 1 500 |
| South Africa[8] | William McMillan (1887–1977) |
|
approximately 75 000 |
| United States | James Earle Fraser (1876-1953) |
|
approximately 2 500 000 |
(Main source : ‘’The interallied victory medals of world war I’’ by Alexander J. Laslo, Dorado Publishing, Albuquerque. 1986 Edition )