Queen's Medal for Champion Shots

Queen's Medal for Champion Shots
Queen's Medal for Champion Shot (Canada)

Canadian Queen's Medal for Champion Shot
Awarded by the

monarch of the Commonwealth realms
Type Military marksmanship medal
Status Current
Statistics
Established 30 April 1869 (British, Jamaican & New Zealand medal)
28 August 1991 (Canadian medal)
Order of wear
Next (higher) Dependent on state
Equivalent Dependent on state
Next (lower) Dependent on state
Related Champion Shots Medal (Australia)

(Army)

(Air Forces)

(Navy/Marines)
Ribbon bars of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots and Queen's Medal for Champion Shot

The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots (in some Commonwealth realms) and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shot (in Canada, French: Médaille de la reine pour tireur d'élite)[1] is a military decoration awarded to the champions of various shooting competitions throughout the Commonwealth realms. In Britain, it is the only shooting medal that can be worn with uniform.

History

Queen Victoria authorised the creation of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots on 30 April 1869, intended to be granted to the member of either the British Army or the Royal Navy who demonstrated the best marksmanship. It was formed in silver after attempts at maufacturing it in bronze failed. Sixteen were first struck, but only fourteen were awarded before issuance of the medal ceased in 1883 and was not resurrected until 1923, forty years later.[2]

By the orders issued by King George V, persons in the militaries of the United Kingdom (stationed in the UK), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (including Rhodesia), and India could compete for the King's Medal for Champion Shots at the annual central meeting, under battle conditions. The list of countries that awarded the medal grew to twelve by the mid-20th century. This number decreased over the ensuing 30 years, however, as countries such as South Africa, Rhodesia, Ceylon, Pakistan and India, which were by then republics, stopped awarding the medal. Further, some Commonwealth realms replaced the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots with a new and similar medal, such as Australia's Champion Shots Medal, created in 1988.[2]

Eligibility and allocation

Two Queen's Medals for Champion Shot are awarded annually in Canada, one to a member of the regular Canadian Forces regular force and one to a member of either the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the Canadian Forces Reserve Force.[2] Each must obtain the highest combined scores in stages one and two of the Queen's Medal Competition.[1]

In the United Kingdom, three medals are awarded annually, one to a member of either the Royal Marines or the Royal Navy, one to a member of the British Army and another to a member of the Royal Air Force.[3] The Operational Shooting Competition is the British Army's competition that decides the Army recipient of the medal. It is held each year as part of the Joint Service Central Skill-at-Arms Meeting.[4]

The medal is also available to a winning member of the Jamaican Defence Force, one of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and another of the New Zealand Army.[2]

Description

The Canadian medal was designed by Bruce W. Beatty, taking the form of a 36 millimetres (1.4 in) diameter disk with a raised edge. On the obverse is a crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II circumscribed by the Latin words "ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA • CANADA" (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen • Canada), symbolizing her roles as both fount of honour and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces.[5][6] The reverse features, rising from a throne, a left-facing, female figure in flame bearing, in her left hand, a horn and, in her right, a laurel wreath. Adjacent is a standing, right-facing, male warrior with left foot resting on the throne dais, supporting on his bent knee a target with three arrows through its centre and holding, in his right hand, a bow and arrow filled quiver. Prior to 2002, the medal was joined to a straight suspender by a single-toe claw. After that date, the medal is suspended from a straight slotted bar with a fleur de lis decoration.[1]

The medal is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 32 millimetres wide ribbon coloured with a central vertical band in dark crimson, bordered on both sides with 9 millimetres wide black bands, each with a 3 millimetres wide beige band in the middle for Army awards and a 3 millimetres wide sky blue band for Air Force awards. The ribbon for Navy and Marines awards is navy blue with three centre bands in white, crimson and white. The date the award was won is marked on a bar worn on the ribbon. The medal can be won multiple times, with each subsequent award indicated by an additional bar. Since 2002, the bars have been sown centred onto the ribbon, whereas, before 2002, they were riveted to the medal's suspension.[1]

Precedence in some countries

Some orders of precedence are as follows:

Country Preceding Following
Canada Canada
Order of precedence[7] 		Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship
New Zealand New Zealand
Order of precedence[8] 		Air Efficiency Award Cadet Forces Medal
South Africa South Africa
Order of precedence[9]		 Medalje vir Troue Diens Commandant General's Medal
United Kingdom United Kingdom
Order of precedence[10] 		Northern Ireland Home Service Medal Cadet Forces Medal

Recipients

Jamaica

The King's and Queen's Medal for Champion Shots was awarded to Private Garie Bryan of the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing in 2007, when he shot a record score of 585 points with a M16a2 rifle. He won the championships again in 2015, by then a Lance Corporal, with a new shooting record score of 636 points from a possible 700 points.[11]

South Africa

One King's/Queen's Medal for Champion Shots was awarded in South Africa annually from 1924 until independence in 1961, when it was replaced by the Commandant General's Medal. The competition did not take place in 1926 and was interrupted from 1940 to 1947 by World War II.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Department of National Defence. "DH&R Home > Canadian Honours Chart > Queen's Medal for Champion Shot". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Grant, K.; Department of National Defence (2010), The Queen's Medal for Champion Shot (PDF), Queen's Printer for Canada, retrieved 25 July 2012
  3. ↑ Government of the United Kingdom, Orders of Wear (PDF), Queen's Printer, retrieved 25 July 2012
  4. ↑ "Competitive Combat Shooting - Royal Navy Navy and Royal Marines Pariticpation in CENTSAAM 2007" (PDF). Royal Navy and Royal Marines Rifle Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Honours and Recognition Programs > Canadian National Honours". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  6. ↑ Department of National Defence. "DH&R Home > Canadian Honours Chart > Sacrifice Medal (SM)". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  7. ↑ The Department of National Defence. "Canadian Honours Chart". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  8. ↑ New Zealand Defence Force. "The Wearing of Medals in New Zealand Table – a guide to the correct order of wear". New Zealand Government Printing Office. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  9. ↑ Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981
  10. ↑ Directgov, Orders of Wear, Queen's Printer
  11. ↑ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Jamaica - Jamaican Winners of the Queen's Medal (Retrieved 14 March 2015)
  12. ↑ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - South Africa - South African Defence Force - The Commandant General's Medal (Retrieved 11 February 2015)

External links