British war medal. 

British war medal. 

Officers, men, and women in British and Imperial forces received the British War Medal, a campaign award from the United Kingdom, for their service during World War I. The medal was made in two versions. There were roughly 110,000 pieces of bronze and 6.5 million pieces of silver struck, with the latter going to the Chinese, Maltese, and Indian Labour Corps, among others. 

Institution 

On July 26, 1919, the British War Medal was established to honour individuals who served between August 5, 1914, the day after the British declared war on the German Empire, and November 11, 1918, inclusive. The idea of awarding clasps in remembrance of specific battles and operational theatres was considered; approximately 68 clasps were suggested for Naval recipients and 79 for the Army. Although the Admiralty Weekly Order 2051 of August 1920 authorized and printed the Naval clasps, none were given out, and the concept was shelved in 1923 due to the prohibitive expense. 

Award criteria 

The British War Medal was awarded to all officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had served for a prescribed period during any stage of the war, or who had died on active service before the completion of this period. Later, eligibility was expanded to include service in mine-clearing at sea in 1919 and 1920, as well as involvement in operations during the allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in North and South Russia, the eastern Baltic region, Siberia, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea. 

Navy 

The criteria for the Dominion and Colonial naval forces, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Marines were 28 days of mobilized service without the need for overseas service. The next of kin of every casualty, including those who died before the allotted 28 days had passed, received the medal. The medal was also awarded, with the same criteria, to members of the Women's Royal Naval Service, to members of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service and Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserve, and to several non-Naval personnel who served on Royal Navy ships, such as canteen and medical staff. This was communicated via Admiralty Monthly Order 3973 of 1919. 

Army 

To receive the medal, British Army officers and men, including those from Dominion and Colonial forces, had to have either left the United Kingdom for overseas service or entered an active theatre of war between August 5, 1914, and November 11, 1918, and they had to have completed 28 days of mobilized service. The medal was also given out if an active service member died before the allotted time had passed. The same criteria for eligibility were applied to members of the Women's Auxiliary Forces staff of officially recognized military hospitals and members of recognized organizations such as the British Red Cross and the Order of Saint John who tended the sick and wounded. This was communicated via Army Order 266 of 1919. 

Air Force 

Eligibility for the Air Forces was essentially the same as for the British Army, including the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, which were combined to form the new Royal Air Force on April 1, 1918. Members of the Air Forces who had seen combat while stationed in the United Kingdom, who had transported aircraft to France, or who had served aboard ships transporting aircraft were eligible to receive the medal, even though it required overseas service. On August 7, 1919, Air Ministry Weekly Order 888 was issued to convey this information. 

Mercantile Marine 

Merchant seamen who served at sea for at least six months between August 5, 1914, and November 11, 1918, or who had made one or more trips through a danger zone, were eligible to receive both the British War Medal and the Mercantile Marine War Medal. For those taken prisoner or killed or disabled by enemy action, there was no minimum qualifying period. Men who worked in coastal trades, including lightship and post office cable ship crews, pilots, and fishermen, were also eligible. 

Description 

The Royal Mint struck the medal, which is a 36-millimeter (1.4-inch)-diameter silver or bronze disc with a straight clasp suspender that does not swivel. 

Obverse 

The legend "GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:" (George V, King of all the British Isles and Emperor of India) is displayed on the obverse, which features Sir Bertram Mackennal's bareheaded effigy of King George V facing left. 

Reverse 

William McMillan created the reverse, which depicts Saint George riding bare-naked and brandishing a short sword as a metaphor for the mental and physical fortitude that allowed him to defeat Prussianism. The Prussian eagle shield and the skull and crossbones, which are symbols of death, are trampled underfoot by the horse. Ocean waves can be seen in the background, and the risen sun of Victory is located slightly off-center close to the upper right rim. "1914" and "1918" are displayed on the left and right fields, respectively, on the perimeter. 

Naming 

The medal's lower edge bears the recipient's name, rank, service number, and unit. Except for the Royal Artillery, the regiment or corps name was not included on medals given to Army officers. Except for medals awarded to New Zealand personnel, naval personnel are not given ship names. 

Ribbon 

A 16-millimetre-wide orange band separates the three bands—a 3-millimetre-wide royal blue, a 2-millimetre-wide black, and a 3-millimetre-wide white—that are repeated in reverse order on the 32-millimetre (1.25-inch) wide watered silk ribbon. It is believed that the colours have no special symbolic meaning. 

Recipients 

The British War Medal could be given to British soldiers who served overseas but not in a theatre of war, including garrison duty in India, or to members of the Royal Navy who were mobilized for 28 days but did not enter a combat zone, even though all recipients of the 1914 Star, 1914–15 Star, and Victory Medal were eligible to receive the British War Medal. 

A total of 6,610,000 medals were given out, with 110,000 being bronze and 6,500,000 being silver. The Macedonian Mule Corps, the Chinese, Maltese, Egyptian, Indian, and other Labour Corps, as well as other indigenous personnel who were drafted into the military and paid at military rates, were given the bronze medals. 

Canadians who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force received a total of 427,993 medals. 

Nicknames 

The trio of First World War medals, either one of the 1914 Star or the 1914–15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, were collectively irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, after three comic strip characters, a dog, a penguin and a rabbit, which were popular in the immediate post-war era. Pip represented either of the two Stars, Squeak represented the British War Medal and Wilfred represented the Victory Medal.

Similarly, when only the British War Medal and Victory Medal are worn together, they are referred to as the Mutt and Jeff pair.

Order of wear 

The order of wear of the First World War campaign stars and medals is as follows:

The 1914 Star.

The 1914–15 Star.

The British War Medal.

The Mercantile Marine War Medal.

The Victory Medal (United Kingdom).

The Territorial War Medal.

South Africa 

The Union of South Africa established its own line of military medals and decorations on April 6, 1952. Except for the Victoria Cross, which still came first, these new honours were worn before all previous British medals and decorations given to South Africans. 

SKU Number: MMCM-GB-BWM-1914-01*