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The Queen’s Gallantry Medal

The Queen’s Gallantry Medal (QGM) is a UK decoration awarded for exemplary acts of bravery by civilians, and by members of the Armed Forces.

The Queen’s Gallantry Medal (or QGM) is a United Kingdom decoration awarded for exemplary acts of bravery by civilians, and by members of the Armed Forces “not in the face of the enemy”, where the services were not so outstanding as to merit the George Cross or the George Medal.

The medal was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry and the British Empire Medal for Gallantry. The QGM ended the anomaly where the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry was awarded for lesser acts of bravery than the George Medal but took precedence over it in the Order of Wear.

The QGM has been awarded posthumously since 30 November 1977.

The Queen’s Gallantry Medal Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver, and measures 36 millimeters in diameter.

The obverse shows the crowned effigy of the Queen, with the inscription “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D.”. The reverse bears the image of a St Edward’s Crown above the words ‘The Queen’s Gallantry Medal’ in four lines, flanked by laurel sprigs.

The ribbon measures 32 mm wide and consists of three equal stripes of dark blue, pearl grey, and dark blue with a narrow rose pink stripe in the center. While awards to women generally have the ribbon fashioned into a bow, female recipients in the armed forces or civilian uniformed services have the medal presented with the ribbon in the same style as for male recipients.

The name of the recipient is impressed on the rim of the medal. If awarded to members of the Armed Forces, service number, rank, and unit are also included.

The Military Medal (MM)

The Military Medal (or MM) was a military decoration established in 1916 and awarded for bravery in battle to personnel of the British Army.

The Military Medal (or MM) was a military decoration established in 1916 and awarded for bravery in battle on land. The award is given to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank.

The award had retrospective application to 1914, and was awarded to other ranks for “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire“. It was discontinued in 1993 when it was replaced by the Military Cross, which was extended to all ranks, while other Commonwealth nations instituted their own award systems in the post-war period.

When the medal was first introduced, it was unpopular among regular soldiers wrote MM and DCM recipient Frank Richards who stated “the Military Medal, which without a shadow of a doubt had been introduced to save awarding too many DCMs. The old regular soldiers thought very little of the new decoration“.

Since 1918 recipients of the Military Medal have been entitled to the post-nominal letters “MM”.

The Military Medal Design Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver and measures 1.4 inches (36 mm) in diameter.

The obverse bears the effigy of the reigning monarch and an appropriate inscription. The reverse shows the inscription “FOR BRAVERY IN THE FIELD” in four lines, surrounded by a laurel wreath, and surmounted by the Royal Cypher and Imperial Crown.

The ribbon is dark blue, 1.25 inches wide with five equal center stripes of white, red, white, red, and white, each 0.125 inches wide. The suspender is of an ornate scroll type and the name and service details of the recipient were impressed on the rim of the medal, although honorary awards to foreign recipients were issued unnamed. Silver, laurelled bars were authorized for subsequent awards, with a silver rosette worn on the ribbon bar to indicate the award of each bar.

The Distinguished Service Cross (UK)

The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to officers for acts of gallantry during active operations at sea.

  • Time Period: Pre-WW1
  • Year of Institution: 15 June 1901 (as Conspicuous Service Cross, renamed 1914)
  • Country: Great Britain

The Distinguished Service Cross (or DSC) is a third level military decoration awarded to officers in recognition of an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy at sea. Ranks included officers of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy, and formerly also of other Commonwealth countries.

The award was created in 1901 as the Conspicuous Service Cross and awarded to warrant and subordinate officers, including midshipmen, ineligible for the Distinguished Service Order. In October 1914, the award was renamed the Distinguished Service Cross and eligibility was extended to all naval officers (commissioned and warrant) below the rank of lieutenant commander. In August 1916, bars were introduced to reward further acts of gallantry meriting the Cross.

In December 1939 eligibility was extended to Naval Officers of the rank of Commander and Lieutenant-Commander, in April 1940 to equivalent ranks in the Royal Air Force serving with the Fleet, and in November 1942 to those in the Army aboard defensively equipped merchant ships.

Recipients are entitled to the post-nominal “DSC”. Since 1979, the Distinguished Service Cross can be awarded posthumously.

The Distinguished Service Cross Design

The medal is a plain silver cross with rounded ends with a width of 43 millimeters (1.7 in).

The obverse has a circular center containing the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch at the time of award surmounted by a crown. The reverse is plain apart from the hallmark, and the ribbon is attached via a hall-marked silver ring. From 1940, the year of issue was engraved on the lower limb of the cross, and since 1984 it has been awarded named to the recipient.

The ribbon has three equal stripes of dark blue, white, and dark blue. The ribbon bar denoties a further award is plain silver, with convex ends and a central crown.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal

The Distinguished Conduct Medal, or DCM, was established in 1854 and is the oldest British award for gallantry in the field by other ranks.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal, or DCM, was established in 1854, during the Crimean War, by Queen Victoria. It’s the oldest British award for gallantry in the field by other ranks (personnel who are not commissioned officers) of the British Army. The medal was also awarded to personnel of other Commonwealth Dominions and Colonies.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal ranked below the Victoria Cross, until its discontinuation in 1993 when it was replaced by the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. Prior to its institution, there had been no official medal awarded by the British Crown in recognition of individual acts of gallantry in the Army. The Distinguished Conduct Medal was awarded with a gratuity, that varied in amount depending on rank, and given on the recipient’s discharge from the Army.

In May 1894, Queen Victoria authorized Colonial governments to adopt various military medals for awards to their local military forces. The Colony of Natal and the Cape Colony introduced this system in 1894, and the Transvaal Colony followed in 1902, while Australia, Canada and New Zealand also adopted the medal. However, only the Natal and Canada versions were finally awarded.

All awards of the Distinguished Conduct Medal were notified in the London Gazette and, during the First World War, citations were generally also included.

A bar was introduced in 1881 to be awarded in recognition of each subsequent act of distinguished conduct for which the medal would have been awarded.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal Design

The medal is struck in silver and is a disk measuring 36 millimeters (1.4 inches) in diameter and 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) thick.

The original obverse shows a Trophy of Arms, designed by Benedetto Pistrucci, which incorporates a central shield bearing the Royal Coat of Arms without any inscription. From 1902, after the accession of King Edward VII, the effigy of the reigning monarch replaced the trophy of arms, with the respective titles of the monarch inscribed around the perimeter. There were eight variants of the obverse:

  • King Edward VII – “EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR”.
  • King George V, bareheaded – “GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:”.
  • King George V, crowned – “GEORGIVS•V•D•G•BRITT•OMN•REX•ET•INDIÆ•IMP•”.
  • King George VI – Two versions: “GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR OMN REX ET INDIAE IMP:” and “GEORGIVS VI DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX FID: DEF:”.
  • Queen Elizabeth II – Two versions,: “ELIZABETH II D:G:BR:OMN: REGINA F:D:” and “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D”.

The reverse is smooth, with a raised rim and the inscription “FOR DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT IN THE FIELD” in four lines, underlined by a laurel wreath between two spear blades.

The suspender is an ornamented scroll. The ribbon is 32 millimeters wide and dark crimson, with a 10 millimeters wide navy blue band in the center. All medals awarded bear the recipient’s number, rank, name and unit on the rim.

The Distinguished Flying Cross and Medal (UK)

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was established in June 1918 for officers and warrant officers of the RAF for acts of valor and courage.

The Distinguished Flying Cross (or DFC) was established in June 1918, shortly after the formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF), for officers and warrant officers of the RAF for “an act or acts of valor, courage, or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy“.

The DFC now serves as the third-level award for all ranks of the British Armed Forces for exemplary gallantry in active operations against the enemy in the air, not to the standard required to receive the Victoria Cross or the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. All awards of the DFC are announced in the London Gazette.

In March 1941 eligibility for the DFC was extended to Naval Officers of the Fleet Air Arm, and in November 1942 to Army officers, including Royal Artillery officers serving on attachment to the RAF as pilots-cum-artillery observers. Posthumous awards were permitted from 1979. The DFC had also been awarded by Commonwealth countries but by the 1990s most had established their own honors systems and no longer recommended British honors.

Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “DFC”.

The Distinguished Flying Cross and Medal Design

The Cross

The decoration is a cross flory, 2.125 inches (54.0 mm) wide and was designed by Edward Carter Preston. The horizontal and bottom bars are terminated with bumps, the upper bar with a rose.

Its obverse features airplane propellers, superimposed on the vertical arms of the cross, and wings on the horizontal arms. In the center is a laurel wreath around the RAF monogram, surmounted by a heraldic Imperial Crown. The reverse is plain, except for a central roundel bearing the reigning monarch’s cipher and the date ‘1918’. 

The ribbon is 1.25-inch (32 mm) wide. Originally white with deep purple broad horizontal stripes, it was changed in 1919 to the current white with purple broad diagonal stripes. The ribbon bar is silver, with the Royal Air Force eagle in its center. The suspender is straight and decorated with laurel wreaths.

Originally unnamed, the WW2 crosses usually have the year of issue engraved on the reverse of the lower limb.

The Medal

The Distinguished Flying Medal is an oval struck in silver and measures 42 mm tall and 34 mm wide.

The obverse features the sovereign’s effigy, while the reverse shows Athena Nike seated on an aeroplane, with a hawk rising from her hand. The medal was originally undated, but the date 1918 was added to the reverse with the advent of George VI obverse.

The medal is suspended by a pair of wings from a straight bar. The ribbon was originally purple and white with horizontal stripes, but since July 1919 it changed to thirteen diagonal stripes alternating white and purple.

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Australian Active Service Medal

The Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) is an Australian military decoration that recognizes prescribed service in warlike operations.

The Australian Active Service Medal (or AASM) is an Australian military decoration created to recognize prescribed service in warlike operations, backdated to February 1975 and authorized on 13 September 1988.

The medal is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of additional clasps. In 2012, it was announced that the medal would no longer be issued for future operations, and was replaced by the Australian Operational Service Medal.

The following clasps were authorised for issue with the AASM: Balkans, Cambodia, East Timor, ICAT, Iraq, Kuwait, Middle East, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Vietnam.

Australian Active Service Medal Design

The AASM is a circular nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of St Edward. The obverse has a Federation Star within a wreath of mimosa and bears a laurel wreath surrounding the inscription ‘FOR ACTIVE SERVICE’.

The medal ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and has a central red stripe to symbolize the danger of warlike operations. It is flanked by stripes of silver-green which in turn are flanked by stripes of light green, gold, dark green and brown. The ribbon bar consists of a strip of full-sized ribbon with no emblem.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Canada)

The Gulf and Kuwait Medal as a Canadian medal created in 1990 to recognize the Canadian Forces who had directly participated in the Gulf War.

The Gulf and Kuwait Medal (or Médaille du Golfe et du Koweït in French) was a Canadian campaign medal created in 1990 by the monarch-in-Council to recognize members of the Canadian Forces who had directly participated in the Gulf War, either in the hostilities themselves or during the troop build-up prior to the invasion of Iraq.

The medal is, within the Canadian system of honors, the third highest of the war and operational service medals. Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of her Cabinet under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, created the medal to recognize members of the Canadian Forces. To qualify for the medal, individuals had to have served for 30 consecutive days between 2 August 1990 and 27 June 1991 in the region of the Persian Gulf, and those who for a minimum of one day engaged in direct combat with the enemy during the offensive that lasted from 16 January to 3 March 1991 were entitled to receive the additional medal bar.

In total, 4,436 medals were issued, along with 3,184 bars.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Canada) Design

The medal was designed by Bruce W. Beatty. It measures 36 millimeters (1.4 in) diameter and is a rhodium plated tombac disc.

The obverse bears the Latin words ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen) and CANADA surrounding an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, symbolizing her roles as both fount of honor and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces. On the reverse is a laurel wreath with a maple leaf at its base encircling the words: GULF AND KUWAIT • 1990-1991 • LE GOLFE ET KUWAIT.

This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8mm wide ribbon colored with vertical stripes in light blue, scarlet and dark blue, symmetrically flanking a sand colored central stripe. Originally, the Gulf and Kuwait medal was to have coincidentally had the same ribbon as the British Gulf Medal.

Should an individual already possessing a Gulf and Kuwait Medal be awarded the medal cupro-nickel and bearing a maple leaf bar for combat service, for wear on the ribbon from which the original medal is suspended.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain)

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain) was an award given to members of Bahrain’s military for service during the First Gulf War.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain version) was an award given to members of Bahrain’s military for service during the First Gulf War, 1990–91.

Bahrain played a limited but active role in the gulf war. Its ground forces were among the 3,000 Peninsula Shield force of the GCC (exclusive of Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti troops) that were assigned to a support role during Operation Desert Storm as part of Joint Forces Command East. Bahrain was the primary coalition naval base and was the point of origin for coalition air operations against Iraqi targets.

Bahraini pilots joined other members of the coalition in flying strikes into Iraq. Three Scud missiles were aimed at Bahrain during the war. Only one landed in the country, and it did not hit a target area. There were no Bahraini combat deaths in the war.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain) Design

The medal is struck in bronze and mounted for wear on broach.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (UAE)

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait was an award given to members of the UAE’s military for service during the First Gulf War, 1990–91.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (UAE version) was an award given to members of the UAE’s military for service during the First Gulf War, 1990–91. This medal was issued in very limited numbers.

The UAE’s armed forces have engaged in numerous wars since inception. During the Persian Gulf War, UAE troops, reportedly numbering several hundred, participated in the conflict as part of the GCC Peninsula Shield force that advanced into the city of Kuwait. United States aircraft bombed Iraqi positions from the UAE, and United States ships operated out of UAE ports. The UAE Air Force also carried out strikes against Iraqi forces. A total of six UAE combat deaths were reported as a result of the fighting.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (UAE) Design

The medal is gold-coloured gilt on metal with enamels. It measures 38.3 mm. The ribbon comes with a pinback.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Kuwait)

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait was an award issued by the government of Kuwait for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (or Wisam Al-Tahrir وسام التحرير‎ in arabic) was an award issued by the government of Kuwait for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign, 1990–91.

The medal was approved by the Kuwait Council of Ministers for award in five classes, generally according to the rank of the recipient. The medal was offered by the Chief of Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces on July 16, 1994.

The Australian Government, as well as the governments of Canada and United Kingdom had decreed that personnel may accept their medals as a keepsake but permission to wear them in uniform has so far been refused. The only country that allowed them to be worn was France, who accepted all grades version for their personnel according to their rank at the time of Operation Desert Storm.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Kuwait) Design

A nation of seafarers and ship builders, Kuwait chose as their coat of arms, the traditional dhow. Falconry is the sport of Kings in the Persian Gulf, and the falcon in the arms is seen as a symbol of Kuwaiti prowess. The official symbolism of the colors is that black symbolizes battlefields, white is for deeds, green is for the meadows, and red is for the blood of Kuwait’s enemies.

The medal is awarded in five classes.

5th Class (for non-commissioned personnel): A bronze medal with enamel, 1 9/16 inches (40 mm) in diameter suspended from a bar by a wreath. The obverse bears the Coat of Arms of the State of Kuwait (the shield of the flag design in color superimposed on a falcon with wings displayed). The falcon supports a disk containing a sailing ship with the full name of the State written at the top of the disk. At the top of the medal is the inscription “1991 LIBERATION MEDAL” in Arabic letters. The reverse side is the map of Kuwait on a rayed background. The ribbon consists of three equal stripes 29/64 inch (11.5 mm) each of Old Glory Red 67156; White 67101; and Irish Green 67189. A black trapezium is at the top of the ribbon drape and service ribbon.

4th Class (for warrant and junior commissioned officers): A dull grey metal medal, suspended from a bar engraved with laurel leaves. The obverse bears a fully sized, five pointed star over a pattern of engraved rays with the centre containing the same falcon and dhow emblem as the fifth class medal and the reverse the same map and rayed background.

3th Class (for field-grade and equivalent officers): A bright gilt medal of similar design to the fourth class medal. The points of the star are considerably rounded and, instead of the rayed background, the medal is pierced between the star and the outer circle.

2nd Class (for one and two star officers): A golden star overlaying a laurel wreath. The center emblem is significantly smaller than for the lower classes of medal. There is Arabic writing above and below the center emblem. The star is suspended directly from the ribbon, by a ring attached to the wreath.

1st Class (for three and four star officers): A neck decoration of large pattern. Similar to the second class medal but the star is enameled in with red points and a white circle surrounding the center emblem. The white circle contains a geometric outer pattern in gold and Arabic writing above the center. Pierced rays, of differing lengths, lie behind the wreath. The star is suspended from its high point.