The Inter Allied Victory Medal (South Africa)

Time Period: WW1
Institution: 1919
Country: South Africa

The Allied Victory Medal was recommended by an inter-allied committee in March 1919. Fourteen victorious countries finally awarded the medal after World War I, and each allied nation would design a ‘Victory Medal’ for award to their own nationals. Certain features were to be shared: a winged figure of Victory on the obverse and the same ribbon.

The South-African Victory medal was awarded to all those South Africans who were awarded the 1914–15 Star or the British War Medal. The Union of South Africa awarded its own version of the Victory Medal, identical to the British version on the obverse, but with the inscription on the reverse in English and Dutch, the two official languages of South Africa at the time. Recipients had to have entered a theatre of the war between 5 August 1914.

The Inter-Allied Victory Medal Design

The Victory Medal measures 36 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter and was designed by William McMillan. The design and ribbon was also adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA. Each allied nation would design a ‘Victory Medal’ for award to their own nationals, all issues having certain common features, including a winged figure of victory on the obverse and the same ribbon.

The obverse of the medal bears the winged, full-length and full-front figure of Victoria, with her left arm extended and holding a palm branch in her right hand. The reverse reads “THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION” in three lines above and “DE GROTE OORLOG VOOR DE BESCHAVING” in three lines below, with the two inscriptions separated by “•••••” and with the years “1914-1919”, all surrounded by a laurel wreath.

The 39 millimeters (1.5 in) wide watered ribbon has an iridescent color scheme, with the violet moving through to a central red stripe where both schemes meet. It attaches to the medal through a ring suspender. The recipient’s name, rank, service number and unit were impressed on the edge of the medal. The name of the regiment or corps was omitted on medals awarded to Army officers.