Digger
History: an
unofficial history of the Australian & New Zealand Armed Services.
Medals of interest
to Australians
The process of awarding
orders, decorations, medals for heroism, medals for exemplary service,
medals for serving in a campaign and medals for long service is a well
established and growing practice.
Pick the time period or country that
interests you from the list below and have fun . . .
Victoria Cross
Sub category index
<<<
Instituted
in 1890, the Liyakat Medal became the basic military decoration of the Ottoman
Empire (Turkey) until the end of the First
World War. It was issued in gold or silver.
Awards made during this war
only bore a ribbon clasp of crossed sabers with the year 1333 (1915) in
the same metal as the medal.
Medal for the China War (Boxer
Rebellion)
There is a difference
between "bars" and "clasps" although sometimes the two
get mixed up. Supporting "bars" are another thing altogether.
A bar represents the
award of another medal of the same type. As wearing 2 or more identical
medals would look silly a bar is worn on the riband of the medal to
indicate the second award.
Bars are
appropriate only on gallantry or distinguished service medals.
A clasp is a metal bar
across the riband that carries a date or campaign or battle name. It was
in the past common to issue only 1 medal for a war but to issue clasps
for each significant action.
Clasps are appropriate on
campaign medals.
Clasps are sometimes used
on long service medals to indicate a further period of service, after
the original qualifying period.
None of the above refers
to the supporting "bar" that is used to hang the medal and
that sometimes carries a date, campaign or battle name.
The Bisley Medallion.
Awarded to winners of the
premier shooting competition in the British Empire or Commonwealth
Medals were usually
impressed on the edge with the service number, rank, initials and name of
the recipient along with the unit in which he served.
More recently it has
become the practice to engrave just the name and regimental number on the reverse.
1939/45 Star
ANZAC Medallion
Distinguished Unit
Citation
(Presidential Unit Citation)
The
Distinguished Unit Citation was re-designated the Presidential Unit Citation
(Army) 3 November 1966.
German Iron Cross 2nd Class
Italian WW2 War medal
Japanese campaign medal for the Great
East Asian War (WW2)
