Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies

Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies
Queen Victoria version
Awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India
Country	United Kingdom
Type	Military long service medal
Eligibility	Other ranks and Officers who have served in the ranks of the Volunteer Forces throughout the British Empire
Awarded for	Twenty years service Eighteen years service in India
Status	Discontinued in 1930
Statistics
Established	1896
Last awarded	1930
Order of Wear
Next (higher)	Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies
Next (lower)	Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration
Related	Volunteer Long Service Medal
Ribbon bar

The Volunteer Long Service Medal was instituted in 1894 as an award for long service by other ranks and some officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force. In 1896, the grant of the medal was extended to other ranks and officers who had served in the ranks of the Volunteer Forces throughout the British Empire. A separate new medal was instituted, the Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies. Awarding of this medal was discontinued in stages when it was superseded in most territories by the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal in 1899 and in the remainder by the Efficiency Medal in 1930.

The Volunteer Long Service Medal was instituted in 1894 as an award for long service by other ranks in the part-time Volunteer Force of the United Kingdom, as well as to officers who had served in the ranks but who had not qualified for the award of the Volunteer Officers' Decoration. The qualifying period of service was twenty years.

On 13 June 1896, the grant of the Volunteer Long Service Medal was extended by Queen Victoria to members of Volunteer Forces throughout the British Empire, defined as being India, the Dominion of Canada, the Crown Colonies and the British Protectorates. A separate new medal was instituted, the Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies. Institution of this medal was not, as usual, by Royal Warrant, but in terms of a special Army Order. This medal was similar in design to the Volunteer Long Service Medal, but bore different inscriptions on the obverse of each monarch's version.

The qualifying period of service was also twenty years, except in India, where it was eighteen years. The medal could be awarded upon the recommendation by an individual's present or, if retired, former commanding officer. Service had to have been consecutive, with allowance being made for special circumstances. Officer recipients had to surrender the medal if they were subsequently awarded either the Volunteer Officers' Decoration or the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies.