Mercantile Marine War Medal
| Mercantile Marine War Medal | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India | |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Eligibility | Merchant Navy mariners |
| Awarded for | Campaign service |
| Campaign(s) | First World War |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1919 |
| Total awarded | 133,135 |
| Order of wear | |
| Next (higher) | Territorial War Medal |
| Next (lower) | Naval General Service Medal (1915) |
 Ribbon bar |
|
The Mercantile Marine War Medal was established in 1919 and awarded by the Board of Trade of the United Kingdom to mariners of the Merchant Navy for one or more voyages through a war or danger zone during the course of the First World War.
During the period from 5 August 1914, the day following the British declaration of war against the German Empire, and the armistice of 11 November 1918, altogether 2,479 British merchant vessels and 675 British fishing vessels were lost as a result of enemy action, with respectively 14,287 and 434 lives lost. The Mercantile Marine War Medal was instituted by the Board of Trade and approved by the King to reward the war service of the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine who, while only trained as peacetime mariners, continued to serve while running the risk of being attacked at sea during the war.
Along with the medal, the next-of-kin of those men and women who lost their lives as a result of enemy action, were presented with a memorial plaque and memorial scroll, both inscribed with the deceased's full name, and a condolence slip signed by King George V. More than a million plaques were produced to commemorate the sacrifice of military and mercantile marine men and women who fell between 4 August 1914 and 30 April 1920.
One or more voyages through a danger zone during the war qualified a mariner for the award of the medal. Men who served in coastal trades, such as pilots, fishermen, lightship crews and the like, also qualified for the award of the medal. It was also awarded to those who had served at sea for not less than six months between 4 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. Altogether 133,135 Mercantile Marine War Medals were awarded, of which 624 were awarded to Canadians. Recipients also qualified for the award of the British War Medal.
Men who transferred in or out of the Mercantile Marine from or to the fighting services also qualified for the award of the Victory Medal and, if appropriate, the 1914 Star or 1914–15 Star, while still being eligible for the Mercantile Marine War Medal. Service solely in the Mercantile Marine, however, did not count for the award of the Victory Medal or either of the two Stars.
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