British War Medal

The British War Medal was instituted on 26 July 1919 for award to those who had rendered service between 5 August 1914, the day following the British declaration of war against the German Empire, and the armistice of 11 November 1918, both dates inclusive.[3] Consideration was given to the award of clasps to commemorate certain battles and theatres of operations and some 68 clasps were proposed for Naval recipients[4] and 79 for the Army.[5][6] While the Naval clasps were authorised, and printed in Admiralty Weekly Order 2051 of August 1920, none were awarded[7] and the idea was abandoned in 1923 on the grounds of excessive cost.[2][8][9][10]

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. Eligibility was subsequently extended to cover service in 1919 and 1920 in mine-clearing at sea as well as participation in operations in North and South Russia, the eastern Baltic region, Siberia, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, during the allied intervention in the Russian Civil War.[8][9][11]

The medal, struck by the Royal Mint, is a silver or bronze disk, 36 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter, with a straight clasp suspender without swivel.[2]

Obverse

The obverse shows Sir Bertram Mackennal's bareheaded effigy of King George V facing left, with the legend "GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:" (George V, King of all the British Isles and Emperor of India).[2]

Reverse

The reverse, designed by William McMillan, shows Saint George naked on horseback and armed with a short sword, an allegory of the physical and mental strength which achieved victory over Prussianism. The horse tramples on the Prussian eagle shield and the emblems of death, a skull and cross-bones. In the background are ocean waves and just off-centre near the right upper rim is the risen sun of Victory. The years "1914" and "1918" appear on the perimeter in the left and right fields respectively.[2][9][12]

Naming

The recipient's name, rank, service number and unit are impressed on the bottom edge of the medal.[2] On medals awarded to Army officers, with the exception of the Royal Artillery, the name of the regiment or corps was omitted.[13] No ship name is given for naval personnel, with the exception of medals to New Zealand personnel.[2]

Ribbon

The watered silk ribbon is 32 millimetres (1.25 in) wide, with a 3 millimetres wide royal blue band, a 2 millimetres wide black band and a 3 millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 16 millimetres wide orange band. The colours are not thought to have any particular symbolic significance.[9][12]

While all recipients of the 1914 Star, 1914–15 Star and Victory Medal qualified for the British War Medal, the British War Medal could be awarded alone, for example to members of the Royal Navy who were mobilised for 28 days but who did not proceed into a war zone,[14] and to British soldiers who rendered service overseas but not in a theatre of war,[2] including garrison duty in India.

Some 6,610,000 medals were awarded, 6,500,000 struck in silver and 110,000 in bronze.[1] The bronze medals were awarded to the Chinese, Maltese, Egyptian, Indian and other Labour Corps, the Macedonian Mule Corps and to other native personnel mobilised for war service and who received military rates of pay.[2][9][15]

Altogether 427,993 medals were awarded to Canadians who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.[10]

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.[12][16][17]

Similarly, when only the British War Medal and Victory Medal are worn together, they are referred to as the Mutt and Jeff pair.[17]

The order of wear of the First World War campaign stars and medals is as follows:[18]

• 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.

• The British War Medal on the UK Parliament website
• Transcription of Admiralty and Military orders for the BWM hosted on the Australian DoD website

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British War Medal.

• Dorling, H. Taprell; Guille, Lionel F. (1963). Ribbons and Medals. London: George Philip. OCLC 993415265.
• Hayward; Birch; Bishop (2006). British Battles and Medals (7th ed.). London: Spink. ISBN 1-902040-77-5.
• Joslin; Litherland; Simpkin (1988). British Battles and Medals (6th ed.). London: Spink. ISBN 0-907605-25-7.
• Mussell, John, ed. (20 September 2014). Medal Yearbook 2015. Honiton, Devon: Token Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-908828-17-0.
• Williamson, Howard J. (2011). The Great War Medal Collectors Companion Volume I. privately published by Anne Williamson. ISBN 978-0-9527544-4-2. The book includes: – Campaign Medals. Full history of each medal, including Army Orders, Army Council Instructions & award criteria.
• Williamson, Howard J. (2014). The Great War Medal Collectors Companion Volume II. privately published by Anne Williamson. ISBN 978-0-9527544-5-9.