King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Campaign Service Medal  (1962-)

Face
The crowned bust of Elizabeth II surrounded by the legend “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F: D:”

Reverse
The inscription “FOR CAMPAIGN SERVICE” on three lines with a crown above, all surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves.

Size & Composition
Medal approximately 36mm in diameter. Medal and bars are of silver.

Ribbon
Approximately 32 mm wide.  Purple with green edges each approximately 4 mm wide.

Suspension
An ornamental swivelling suspender.

Naming
Impressed on the edge with the recipients number, rank, initials, surname, and regiment or service in small thin block capitals.

Bars
Nine:- “BORNEO”  24th December 1962-11 August 1966;  “RADFAN” 25 April to 31 July 1964;  “SOUTH ARABIA” 1 August 1964 to 30 November 1967;  “MALAY PENINSULA” 17 August 1964 to 11 August 1966;  “SOUTH VIETNAM” 24 December 1962 to 29 May 1964; “NORTHERN IRELAND” 14 August 1969- 31 July 2007; “DHOFAR” 1 October 1969 - 30 September 1976;  “LEBANON” 7 February 1983 - 9 March 1984; "MINE CLEARANCE" (Gulf of Suez) 15 August - 15 October 1984; "GULF" 17 November 1986 - 31 October 1988 and mine countermeasures in the Gulf up to 28 February 1989; “NORTHERN IRAQ AND SOUTHERN TURKEY” 6 April - 17 July 1991; 'KUWAIT' 8 March - 30 September 1991; "AIR OPERATIONS IRAQ" 16 July 1991-

Awarded
This medal was instituted by Ministry of Defence Order No. 61 of October 1964 to supersede the Naval General Service Medal, 1915-1962 and the General Service Medal 1918-1962 (Army and RAF) awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.  Qualifications for the award vary considerably as between the different bars and as between those serving on land, at sea and in the air.  Generally, for those serving on land the qualifying period was thirty days service or more in the prescribed area between the relevant dates.  If the qualifying service is ended before completion of the thirty days by death or evacuation because of wounds or other disability caused by service, then the reduced period of service will normally qualify.  Qualification is also allowed to personnel gaining an award during a qualifying period of less than thirty days, provided that the award is a British Decoration or medal of at least equivalent status to the British Empire Medal, or is a Queens Commendation or a Mention in Dispatches.  Personnel engaged in special hazardous operations in the qualifying zone, between the relevant dates, may also be awarded the medal and bar even though the thirty-day period in the area has not been served.  Certain civilians wearing the uniform of their respective organisations in the area between the relevant dates also qualify for certain of the bars.  These included the various nursing and welfare services, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the Armed Forces Fire Services and Ministry of Defence Police.  The award of the medal and bars is open to men and women whose service fulfils the necessary qualifications.  The “South Vietnam” bar was only awarded to Australian servicemen who served in or near Vietnam up to 29 May 1964. The Australian Vietnam medal was awarded to the Australian and New Zealand forces who served after that date.

The King’s Own
As the Campaign Service Medal was instituted five years after the amalgamation of The King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) and the Border Regiment there can have been no awards of the medal to men of “The King’s Own” in its original form.  However, The King’s Own Royal Border Regiment, which arose out of the amalgamation now carries on the spirit and traditions dating back to the raising of The King’s Own as the Second Tangier Regiment in 1680, and many men of the Regiment have qualified for the medal with bars “South Arabia” and “Northern Ireland”.  At least one other was awarded the medal with the bar “Borneo”, presumably for service on detachment to another unit as “King’s Own Border” did not serve in the Borneo emergency.