King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Lancaster

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MEDAL INFORMATION

The War Medal  3rd Sept. 1939 to 2nd Sept. 1945

Face
The crowned head of King George VI surround by the inscription: ‘GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR: OMN: REX ET INDIAE IMP:’

Reverse
A lion standing over a dragon, which is lying on its back.  At the top right are the dates ‘1939’ ‘1945’

Size
Approx. 36mm diameter.

Composition
Cupro-nickel (Canadian Government issue are silver)  Oak leaf emblem in bronze.  

Size
Approx. 31 mm wide.  Five stripes of equal width - red, blue, white, blue and red.  In the centre of the white stripe is a narrow red stripe approx. 2 mm wide.  The colours are those of the Union Flag.  

Ribbon
The ribbon passes through a straight, plain, non-swivelling suspender.

Naming
All issued unnamed in the UK, but some have been engraved privately. 

Bars
None to those issued by the British Government. An oak leaf emblem is worn on the ribbon by those who were Mentioned in Dispatches in the War. 

Awarded 
Awarded to all personnel of the British Commonwealth Armed Forces who served, operationally or non-operationally, for twenty eight days during the period of hostilities.  An additional qualification for Merchant Navy personnel was that 28 days must have been at sea.

Operational service qualifying for one of the Campaign Stars, but terminated by death, wounds, or disability caused by war service, capture or the cessation of hostilities qualified for this medal even though  twenty eight days total  service  was not achieved.  If a campaign star was awarded for less than twenty eight days service then The War Medal was awarded also. 

The King’s Own
The qualification for The War Medal are such that very few of the men who served in the Regiment during the Second World War failed to qualify for the award.

War Medals in the museum's collection

The 1939-45 War Medal

© 2006 Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum