Date
Instituted: 1919.
Campaign: First World War 1914-18.
Description: The obverse bears the
uncrowned head of George V and the legend ‘GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN:
REX ET IND: IMP:’. The reverse has St. George on horseback
facing right below a rising sun with the horse trampling on a shield
representing the Central Powers and a skull and crossbones representing
death with the year ‘1914’ on the left and ‘1918’ on the right.
The suspender is a straight economy non-swivelling type riveted
to the medal.
Metal: Silver or bronze.
Size: 36mm.
Clasps: None authorised for this medal.
Ribbon: Broad central orange stripe
and working outwards are narrower white, black and blue stripes
on each edge. It is said that the orange represents the mud
of the Western Front, the white for peace, the black for death and
the blue for the rain.
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Comments: Six and a half million
were issued to British and empire troops with about 110,000 bronze
to Chinese and Maltese Native Labour Corps personnel. Although
the war ended in 1918 the medal was issued up to 1920 to those involved
in mine clearance at sea and service in North and South Russia,
the Baltic, Siberia and in the Caspian and Black Seas.
A
large number of these medals were struck at the Calcutta Mint in
India. These are very slightly larger (0.011 to 0.014 of an
inch) and have wider impressed letters for the naming.
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