Good Conduct Badges
First issued 22nd July 1910 after 5 years service.
Second issued 21st July 1915 after 10 years service.
1914-15 Star 5th August 1914 - 31st December 1915
The Star was authorised in 1918 and awarded to those who saw
service between 5th August 1914 and 31st December 1915.
Naval personnel qualifying for the Star consisted of officers and
men of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal
Naval Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Air Service, Indian and Dominion
forces who were mobilized and served at sea or served on land within
a theatre of war within the above dates. Also to members of the Royal
Naval Air Service employed in flying from Naval air stations on
overseas patrols. Also to Mercantile Marine personnel serving under
Special Naval Engagements and canteen staff employed on naval
warships at sea within the approved dates.
Approximately 2,336,500 Stars were issued, of which some 283,500
went to the Royal Navy.
The British War Medal 1914-20
The medal was instituted by George V in 1919 to mark the end of
the Great War and record the service given.
In the Royal Navy the medal was granted to the undermentioned who
performed 28 days' mobilized service, or lost their lives in active
operations before completing that period, between 5th August 1914 and
11th November 1918:
a) Officers and men of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Naval
Air Service, Royal Indian Marine, Royal Naval Service (including
Trawler and Fishery Sections), Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and
Dominion and Colonial Forces.
b) Mercantile Marine officers and men serving in HM commissioned
ships and auxiliaries under Special Naval Engagements.
c) Officers and enrolled members of the Women's Royal Naval
Service who proceeded and served overseas.
d) Members of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
and Royal Naval Nursing Reserve and other recognized official nursing
organisations, who served in a hospital ship at sea or proceeded
overseas and served in a hospital abroad.
e) Canteen staff serving in a ship of war at sea.
f) Non-nursing members of medical units, e.g. dispensers,
store-keepers, clerks, ward-maids, etc., who served in a hospital
ship at sea or proceeded overseas and served in a naval hospital
abroad.
Approximately 6,500,000 silver and 110,000 bronze medals were
issued. (W S Prince received a bronze medal.)
Naval bars were authorised in August 1920, including for action at
Dogger Bank, 24th January 1915, and Jutland, 31st May 1916, and
general service in the North Sea, 1914-1918, but no further action
was taken.
Allied Victory Medal 1914-20
The medal was authorised in 1919 to commemorate the victory of
the Allies over the Central Powers. It was resolved that each of the
Allies should issue a 'Victory Medal' to their own nationals to
prevent a mass exchange of commemorative awards between the nations.
It was further resolved that all the issues would have as a common
feature the figure of Victory upon the obverse. The issue of the
Victory Medal was optional and in the event the following countries
issued medals: Great Britain, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia,
France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Roumania, Thailand, Union of
South Africa and United States of America.
The medal was granted to the undermentioned Royal Naval personnel
who were mobilized and gave srevice at sea between midnight 4th-5th
August 1914 and midnight 11th-12th November 1918 or who were on the
establishment of a unit within the theatre of operations:
a) Officers and men of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Naval
Air Service, Royal Indian Marine, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Naval
Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve and all Dominion
and Colonial Naval Forces. Members of the Royal Naval Air Service
employed in actual flying from Naval air stations at home on overseas
missions were also eligible.
b) Mercantile Marine officers and men serving in HM commissioned
ships and auxiliaries under Special Naval Engagements.
c) Officers and enrolled members of the Women's Royal Naval
Service.
d) Members of the Queen Alexandra' Royal Naval Nursing Service and
the Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserves.
e) Canteen staffs who served in a ship of war at sea.
Approximately 5,725,000 medals were issued.
All recipients of the British Victory Medal received the War
Medal; all recipients of the 1914 and 1914-15 Stars received the War
and Victory Medals.
Recipients of the War Medal were not automatically entitled to the
Victory Medal.
Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Men of the Royal Fleet Reserve who were not in possession of the
RN Long Service and Good Conduct Medal were eligible for the award of
this medal, provided they had completed at least fifteen years'
service in the Fleet and Royal Fleet Reserve combined, had
satisfactorily carried out the prescribed training; and had been of
good character during the fifteen years preceding the award.
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