Great War Medals & Awards
Author: Chris Shaw
Campaign medals are those medals awarded to individuals who served in the Great War and who met the qualifications laid down for each campaign medal. In general, all those who saw service overseas were awarded a campaign medal. The qualifications for each campaign medal were laid down in Army Orders.
1914 Star
Instituted in 1917 for service ashore in France and Flanders between 5 August and 22 November 1914. In 1919 a clasp bearing the above dates was authorised and given to those individuals who had actually been under fire between the prescribed dates.
1914/15 Star
Authorised in 1918, the 1914/15 Star was awarded to those individuals who saw service in France and Flanders from 23 November 1914 to 31 December 1915, and to those individuals who saw service in any other operational theatre from 5 August 1914 to 31 December 1915.
British War Medal
The British War Medal 1914-1920, authorised in 1919, was awarded to eligible service personnel and civilians alike. Qualification for the award varied slightly according to service. The basic requirement for army personnel and civilians was that they either entered a theatre of war, or rendered approved service overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. Service in Russia in 1919 and 1920 also qualified for the award.
Victory Medal
The Victory Medal 1914-1919 was also authorised in 1919 and was awarded to all eligible personnel who served on the establishment of a unit in an operational theatre.
Territorial Force Medal
The Territorial Force War Medal 1914-1919 was awarded to members of the Territorial Force only. To qualify, the recipient had to have been a member of the Territorial Force on or prior to 30 September 1914, and to have served in an operational theatre outside of the United Kingdom between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918.
The Silver War Badge
The Silver War Badge (SWB), sometimes erroneously called the Silver Wound Badge, was authorised in September 1916 and takes the form of a circular badge with the legend “For King and Empire-Services Rendered” surrounding the George V cypher. The badge was awarded to all of those military personnel who were discharged as a result of sickness or wounds contracted or received during the war, either at home or overseas
Military Medal
The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award was awarded to other ranks for “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire”. The medal was established on 25 March 1916. The MM was awarded to other ranks including non-commissioned officers and warrant officers. It ranked below the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), which was also awarded to other ranks including non-commissioned officers and warrant officers.
Mention in Despatches
A ‘Mention in Despatches’ was the most junior form of recognition of bravery and was usually announced in the London Gazette. The soldier received a scroll and an oak leaf to be worn with the Victory Medal ribbon.
Overseas Service Chevrons
The stripe was first authorised under Army Order 4 of 1918, which was published on 20 December 1917.
The Army Order stated “Chevrons of two colours – red and blue – have been approved. The first chevron, if earned on or before 31st December 1914, will be red; if earned on or after 1st January 1915, it will be blue; and all additional chevrons after the first will be blue”.
These were worn on the right sleeve, pointing upwards.
The Army Order listed eligible categories of servicemen and women, who would wear the chevrons subject to conditions.
- The date for the award of the first chevron will be the date the individual left the United Kingdom in the case of those who proceeded from home; and the 5th August 1914 in the case of those serving abroad on that date. In the case of oversea troops the date of leaving their own country, or where employed in local operations, the date of crossing the frontier or that on which they commenced to take part in active operations.
2. Additional chevrons will be awarded for each successive aggregate period of 12 months’ service outside the United Kingdom; the case of overseas troops, away from their own country or within a sphere of active operations.
3. The qualifying service for additional chevrons need not be continuous. It will include periods of leave up to one month where the individual returns overseas at the conclusion of such leave.
4. Periods of absence without leave, in prison or detention, in hospital due to sickness due to avoidable causes, or in captivity as a prisoner of war, will be excluded when calculating the twelve months required to qualify for an additional chevron.
5. Draft conducting officers and others sent overseas on duty of a temporary nature are not eligible for the award.
Wound Stripe
The stripe was first authorised under Army Order 204 of 6 July 1916:
“The following distinctions in dress will be worn on the service dress jacket by all officers and soldiers who have been wounded in any of the campaigns since 4th August, 1914:-
Strips of gold Russia braid, No.1, two inches in length, sewn perpendicularly on the left sleeve of the jacket to mark each occasion on which wounded.”
The qualification for a Wound Stripe was as follows – the term ‘wounded’ refers only to those officers and soldiers whose names have appeared, or may hereafter appear, in the Casualty Lists as ‘wounded’.
This was further qualified by the Army Council – “1. The term ‘wounded’ refers only to those officers and soldiers whose names have appeared or may hereafter appear in casualty lists rendered by the Adjutant General’s office at a base overseas, or by the G.O.C. any force engaged in active operations. Reports in hospital lists are not to be regarded as authoritative for this purpose.
2. Officers and men reported ‘wounded – gas,’ or ‘Wounded – shock, shell,’ are entitled to the distinction. Accidental or self-inflicted wounds or injuries do not qualify.”
The Memorial Plaque was issued after the Great War to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war together with a scroll from the King.
The plaques were about 4.75 inches (120 mm) in diameter, cast in bronze, and came to be known as the “Dead Man’s Penny” or “Death Penny”.
We acknowledge the assistance given by The Long, Long Trail website in preparing this information.