Defence Medal (United Kingdom)
| The Defence Medal | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India | |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Eligibility | Military and certain civilian service |
| Awarded for | 1,080, 360, 180 or 90 days, depending on area and nature of service |
| Campaign(s) | Second World War |
| Statistics | |
| Established | May 1945 |
| Order of wear | |
| Next (higher) | France and Germany Star |
| Next (lower) | War Medal |
 Ribbon bar |
|
The Defence Medal is a campaign medal which was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945, to be awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for both non-operational military and certain types of civilian service during the Second World War.
The duration of the Second World War in Europe was from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945, while in the Pacific Theatre it continued until 2 September 1945. The Defence Medal was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945, to be awarded to British military and civilian personnel for a range of services in the United Kingdom, and to British, British Commonwealth and British Colonial personnel who served from or outside their home countries in a non-operational area or in an area subject to threat, such as attacks from the air.
The Defence Medal was awarded for non-operational service in the Armed Forces, the Home Guard, the Civil Defence Service and other approved civilian services during the period from 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1945 inclusive.
In the United Kingdom, this included military personnel working in headquarters, on training bases and airfields for the duration of the War in Europe from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945, and service by members of the Home Guard during its existence from 14 May 1940 to 31 December 1944. The medal was also awarded for non-operational service overseas in the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, India and the Colonies.
Those who qualified for the award of any one of the Campaign Stars, could be awarded the Defence Medal in addition, and the subsequent award of one of the Campaign Stars did not supersede a previous award of the Defence Medal.
Eligible civilian service in the United Kingdom included, but was not confined to, civilian services whose members were eligible for Chevrons for war service.
The length of qualifying service required for the award of the Defence Medal varied, depending on where and in what role an individual served.
Service by Indian Army personnel in India did not count as qualifying service for the Defence Medal, since such service qualified for the India Service Medal, awarded to members of the Indian Armed Forces instead of the Defence Medal for three years of non-operational service in India.
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Wikipedia