Medals Awarded During the Great War

The medals awarded during the Great War were:

1914 Star (Mons Star) was awarded for service in France or Flanders (Belgium) between 5th August and 22nd November 1914 (clasp).

1914-15 Star was awarded for service in France or Flanders (Belgium) between 23rd November 1914 and 31st December 1915, or for service in any theatre between 5th August 1914 and 31st December 1915.

Note: A person awarded any of the variants of the Stars automatically qualified for the award of the Allied Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

Allied Victory Medal (Victory Medal) was awarded for service in any operational theatre between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918. It was issued to individuals who received the 1914 and 1914-15 Stars and to most individuals who were issued the British War Medal. The medal was also awarded for service in Russia (1919-1920) and post-war mine clearance in the North Sea (1918-1919).

British War Medal was awarded to both servicemen and civilians that either served in a theatre of war, or rendered service overseas between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918. It was also awarded for service in Russia, and post-war mine clearance in the Baltic, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea between 1919 and 1920.

Note: The Victory Medal could not be awarded on its own, therefore a Victory Medal must always be issued with at least a British War Medal (but the reverse is not true - some Naval personnel received the British War Medal but not the Victory Medal).

Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) was awarded to non-commissioned officers for bravery.

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) was generally awarded to officers ranked Major and higher for distinguished war service.

Military Cross Medal (MC) was awarded to commissioned officers of Captain and below, as well Warrant Officers, for valour during active operations.

Numbers Awarded WW1, WW2 & Korea
	MC	1st Bar	2nd Bar	3rd Bar
1st World War	37,104	2,984	168	4
2nd World War	10,386	482	24	-
Korea	182	1	-	-

Military Medal was awarded to non-commissioned officers for bravery in a land battle.

Silver War Badge (SWB) was awarded to servicemen who became ill or were wounded while serving in a theatre of war or at home.

Territorial Force War Medal was awarded to servicemen who were members of the Territorial Force either on or before 30th September 1914 and who served in an operational theatre abroad between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918.

Note: A person who received any of the variants of the Stars could not be awarded the Territorial Force War Medal. 

“Mentioned in Despatches” was an award for commendable service or bravery. Despatches were official reports that detailed military operations. These reports were published in the London Gazette. Servicemen who had performed noteworthy actions were often mentioned in these reports, therefore having been “Mentioned in Despatches.”