War Medal 1939–1945

War Medal 1939–45
Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, narrow red stripe in centre, with a narrow white stripe on either side, broad red stripes at either edge and two intervening stripes of blue.
Awarded by UK and Commonwealth
Type	Campaign medal
Eligibility	British and Commonwealth forces.
Awarded for	Campaign service.
Campaign	Second World War 1939–45.
Description	Cupro-nickel or silver disk, 36mm diameter.
Clasps	Single oak leaf emblem for MID
Statistics
Established	16 August 1945
Related	Defence Medal

The War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. In the Merchant Navy, the 28 days must have been served at sea. It is sometimes described as the "Victory Medal" for World War II, although that is not its correct name.^[1]

Description

A circular silver (.800 fine) medal, 36mm in diameter. The British issue medals were made of cupro-nickel.
The obverse shows the crowned coinage effigy of King George VI, facing left, and the legend GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX ET INDIAE:IMP.
The reverse shows a lion standing on the body of a double-headed dragon. The dragons heads are those of an eagle and a dragon to signify the principal occidental and oriental enemies. At the top, just right of centre are the dates 1939/1945 in two lines.
The ribbon is 1.25 inches wide and consists of 7 coloured stripes: red, dark blue, white, narrow red (centre), white, dark blue, and red, representing the colours of the Union Flag
The medals were issued unnamed; except those awarded to personnel of the Canadian Merchant Marine, RCMP, South African and Australian forces, which were named on the rim.
The medal was designed by Edward Carter Preston.^[2]

Clasps

A single bronze oak leaf emblem is worn to signify a Mention in Despatches and a silver oak leaf is worn to signify an award of a King's Commendation for Brave Conduct. There is no bar other than these emblems.

References

^ Ministry of Defence: Medal FAQs
^ Crompton, Ann, Edward Carter Preston 1885 - 1965, (Liverpool): University of Liverpool Art Gallery, 1999, ISBN 0 85323 792 1

External links

British campaign medals

19th Century	Army Gold Cross (1810) • Army Gold Medal (1810) • Waterloo Medal (1815) • Ghuznee Medal (1839) • Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul Medal (1842) • Jellalabad Medals (1842) • Medal for the Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie (1842) • First China War Medal (1842) • Scinde Medal (1843) • Gwalior Star (1843) • Sutlej Medal (1846) • Naval General Service Medal (1847) • Military General Service Medal (1847) • Punjab Medal (1849) • Army of India Medal (1851) • India General Service Medal (1854) • South Africa Medal (1854) • Crimean War Medal (1854) • Baltic Medal (1856) • Indian Mutiny Medal (1858) • Second China War Medal (1861) • New Zealand Medal (1869) • Abyssinian War Medal (1869) • Canada General Service Medal (1866-70) • Ashantee Medal (1873-74) • South Africa Medal (1877-79) • Afghanistan Medal (1878-80) • Kabul to Kandahar Star (1880) • Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal (1880-97) • Egypt Medal (1882-89) • North West Canada Medal (1885) • British South Africa Company Medal (1890-97) East and West Africa Medal (1892) • India Medal (1896) • Ashanti Star (1896) • Queen's Sudan Medal (1899) • East and Central Africa Medal (1899) • Queen's South Africa Medal (1899) • Queen's Mediterranean Medal (1899)

Pre World War 1	China War Medal (1900) • Ashanti Medal (1901) • King's South Africa Medal (1902) • Africa General Service Medal (1902) • Transport Medal (1902) (for South Africa or China) • Tibet Medal (1905) • India General Service Medal (1909)

World War 1	1914 Star • 1914-15 Star • British War Medal • Victory Medal • Territorial Force War Medal • Mercantile Marine War Medal

Inter World War	General Service Medal (1918) • Naval General Service Medal (1915) • India General Service Medal (1936)

World War 2	1939-1945 Star • Atlantic Star • Air Crew Europe Star • Africa Star • Pacific Star • Burma Star • Italy Star • France and Germany Star • Defence Medal • War Medal 1939–1945

Post World War	Korea Medal (1951) • General Service Medal (1962) • Rhodesia Medal (1980) • South Atlantic Medal (1982) • Gulf Medal (1992) Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (1994)

21st Century	OSM for Sierra Leone (2000) • OSM for Afghanistan (2002) • OSM for Democratic Republic of Congo (2003) • Iraq Medal (2004) Iraq Reconstruction Service Medal (2004) • Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (2011)

War Medal 1939–1945

Description

Clasps

See also

References

External links