Royal Observer Corps Medal

Royal Observer Corps Medal
Obverse (left), Reverse (right) and ribbon bar (bottom) of the Royal Observer Corps Medal
Awarded by United Kingdom
Type	Civil Defence
Eligibility	Royal Observer Corps personnel
Awarded for	12 Years Service
Statistics
Established	1950
United Kingdom Order of Wear
Next (higher)	Canadian Forces Decoration
Next (lower)	Civil Defence Medal Long Service Medal

The Royal Observer Corps Medal is a long service medal awarded in the United Kingdom to members of the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) relating to service between 1941 and December 1995, when the ROC was stood down. The medal was initiated in 1950 by HM King George Vl.

Prior to World War II, Observer Corps personnel were classed as Special Constables, retained by local constabularies, and qualified for the award of the Special Constable Long Service Medal following a period of twelve years continuous service. However, this qualification and award ceased in 1941 when RAF Fighter Command assumed sole responsibility for the ROC.

In 1950 HM the King, as Air Commodore in Chief of the ROC, granted permission for the award of the Royal Observer Corps Medal in recognition of long service. For part-time personnel, the medal was awarded to those having completed twelve years of continuous service. Each subsequent service period of twelve years was recognised by the award of a clasp depicting a winged crown . (On ribbon bars, a silver rosette was worn to represent the clasp). Full-time service on the part of ROC Officers counted for half the qualification period for part-time personnel; therefore requiring twenty four years service to qualify for a medal or clasp, but with any previous part-time service counting in full.

The medal ribbon was a mix of pale blue, dark blue and silver vertical stripes; representing the pale blue of the daytime sky, with a searchlight beam in a night sky at its centre. The colours of the ribbon were to be repeated in the ROC stable belt, with the addition of two outer stripes of dark blue. (The medal ribbon's colour sequence is reversed in the ROC regimental tie).

The medal was die struck in cupronickel metal featuring the laureated head of Elizabeth II. Post-1953 medals featured the legend +ELIZABETH II DEI GRA:BRITT:OMN:REGINA F:D:, (later editions bore +ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA·F:D:), on the obverse. The reverse featured the coast-watcher figure from the ROC badge, (depicted against a backdrop of coastal warning beacons), with the motto FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED on a scroll beneath the figure, together with the words ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS MEDAL around the circumference. The recipient's rank, initials and surname were stamped into the medal's edge, for example LEADING OBSERVER E.M. BLASCRAIG. Although the medal was authorised in 1950 non were struck with the effigy of King george VI.