Military Medal

Military Medal
Name	Military Medal
Caption	Military Medal (obverse and reverse)
Type	campaign decoration
Awarded by	United Kingdom and British Empire
Eligibility	Personnel of British Army, Dominion and Colonial forces
Awarded for	Bravery in the field
Status	Discontinued (1979)
Established	25 March 1916
First awarded	1916
Last awarded	1979
Total awarded	~>115,000

Military Medal was a decoration instituted by British Royal Family in 1916 to recognize acts of bravery by other ranks during First World War. It complemented awards given to officers and filled a gap between gallantry decorations such as the Victoria Cross and campaign medals like the British War Medal. The decoration continued through Second World War and postwar conflicts until the late 20th century, when honours reform consolidated gallantry awards under new criteria.

History

Established during the First World War by King George V on 25 March 1916, the decoration responded to the mass mobilization of British Army and Commonwealth forces at battles including the Battle of the Somme and Battle of Ypres. Early citations appeared from units such as the Royal Fusiliers, Lancashire Fusiliers, and Royal Engineers serving on the Western Front. The award persisted through the Irish War of Independence, Gallipoli Campaign aftermath, and extensive use during the Second World War, notably in campaigns like the North African Campaign, Italian Campaign, and Burma Campaign. Post-1945, recipients included personnel in the Korean War and various British Commonwealth operations until the decoration was phased out following the 1979 review initiated under Queen Elizabeth II and the reforms recommended by the Committee of the House of Commons on Honours.

Eligibility and Criteria

Eligibility covered enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers of the British Army, as well as members of Dominion and Colonial forces, including contingents from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. Criteria emphasized acts of bravery "in the field" distinct from leadership or long service; awards were recommended by commanding officers from formations such as divisions, brigades, and battalions including the Guards Division and Indian Army regiments. Bars could be issued for subsequent acts, and entitlement rules intersected with honours like the Distinguished Conduct Medal and campaign-specific decorations such as the Africa Star and 1939–1945 Star. During the First World War and Second World War, citational standards evolved under directives from the War Office and later the Ministry of Defence.

Design and Insignia

The medal is a circular silver disc bearing the effigy of the reigning monarch—initially King George V, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II—on the obverse, with variations corresponding to coronation portraits used on other decorations like the Distinguished Service Order. The reverse typically features a wreath and the inscription denoting service; the suspender style and ribbon coloration (plain dark ribbon with central stripe variations for campaign issues) matched conventions used by awards such as the Military Cross and Air Force Cross. Recipient details—name, rank, regiment—were impressed on the rim, paralleling practices used for the Victoria Cross and Order of the British Empire. Miniature and dress versions adhered to regulations issued by the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood.

Notable Recipients

Recipients ranged from junior ranks in famous units—soldiers of the Somme-fighting Royal Newfoundland Regiment and veterans of the Dunkirk evacuation—to decorated non-commissioned officers who later received higher honours such as the Victoria Cross or appointment to the Order of the British Empire. Noteworthy awardees include members of the Royal Navy serving with army units, stretcher-bearers from the Royal Army Medical Corps, and colonial soldiers from the West African Frontier Force and King's African Rifles. Several recipients are recorded in histories of the Tank Corps, Royal Artillery, and Parachute Regiment for actions during the Hundred Days Offensive and Operation Overlord.

Manufacture and Variations

Manufacture was undertaken by firms such as W. H. Haseler, Thomas Fattorini Ltd, and the Royal Mint for specific issues. Variations include differences in obverse portraiture reflecting monarchs, suspension fitting changes, assay marks, and special campaign versions with unique ribbons akin to those used for the Campaign Medal series. Colonial and Dominion issues sometimes show manufacture stamps or naming conventions distinct from United Kingdom strikes, comparable to differences observed among General Service Medal issues.

Posthumous Awards and Counts

Initially not awarded posthumously, policy shifted during the First World War to permit posthumous recognition in line with practices for the Distinguished Service Medal and Military Cross. Cumulative counts exceed 100,000 originals and include hundreds of bars for subsequent awards; precise tallies are maintained in institutional records at the National Archives (United Kingdom) and regimental museums such as the Imperial War Museum collections. Post-1979, surviving records and medal rolls continue to be a focus for researchers at archives, genealogy societies, and collectors cataloguing holdings across auctions and private collections.

Category:British campaign medals