The George Medal (GM), instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI,[3] is a decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, awarded for gallantry, typically by civilians, or in circumstances where military honours are not appropriate.
George Medal
Obverse and reverse of the original medal, reflecting the then reigning monarch King George VI
In 1940, at the height of the Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward many acts of civilian courage. Existing awards open to civilians were not considered suitable to meet the new situation, so the George Cross and the George Medal were instituted to recognise civilian gallantry in the face of enemy bombing, and brave deeds more generally.[1]
Announcing the new awards, the King said
In order that they should be worthily and promptly recognised, I have decided to create, at once, a new mark of honour for men and women in all walks of civilian life. I propose to give my name to this new distinction, which will consist of the George Cross, which will rank next to the Victoria Cross, and the George Medal for wider distribution.[4]
The warrant for the GM (along with that of the GC), dated 24 January 1941, was published in The London Gazette on 31 January 1941.[5]
Criteria
The medal is granted in recognition of "acts of great bravery".[6] The original warrant for the George Medal did not explicitly permit it to be awarded posthumously. The position was clarified in December 1977 expressly to allow posthumous awards, several of which have subsequently been made.[7]
The medal is primarily a civilian award, but it may be awarded to military personnel for gallant conduct that is not in the face of the enemy.[8] As the warrant states:
The Medal is intended primarily for civilians and award in Our military services is to be confined to actions for which purely military Honours are not normally granted.[9]
Recipients are entitled to the post-nominal letters GM.[10]
Bars to the GM may be awarded in recognition of further acts of bravery meriting the award. In undress uniform or on occasions when the medal ribbon alone is worn, a silver rosette is worn on the ribbon to indicate each bar.[11]
Details of all awards to British and Commonwealth recipients are published in The London Gazette. Approximately 2,122 medals have been awarded since inception in 1940, with 27 second-award bars.[1]
Description
The GM is a circular silver medal 36 mm (1.4 in) in diameter, with the ribbon suspended from a ring. It has the following design.[12]
The obverse depicts the crowned effigy of the reigning monarch. To date, there have been four types:
George VI, 1940 to 1948. Inscribed GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX ET INDIAE IMP:
George VI, 1948 to 1952. Inscribed GEORGIVS VI DEI: GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX FID: DEF:
Elizabeth II, 1952 to late 1950s. Inscribed ELIZABETH II D: G: BR: OMN: REGINA F.D.
Elizabeth II, late 1950s to date. Inscribed ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D.
The reverse shows Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon on the coast of England, with the legend THE GEORGE MEDAL around the top edge of the medal.
The ribbon is 31.7 mm (1.25 in) wide, crimson with five narrow blue stripes. The blue colour is taken from the George Cross ribbon.[13] The medal is worn on the left chest by men; women not in uniform wear the medal on the left shoulder, with the ribbon fashioned into a bow.[11][14]
The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim of the medal, although some Army awards have impressed naming.[12]
The first recipients, listed in The London Gazette of 30 September 1940, were Chief Officer Ernest Herbert Harmer and Second Officer Cyril William Arthur Brown of the Dover Fire Brigade, and Section Officer Alexander Edmund Campbell of the Dover Auxiliary Fire Service, who on 29 July had volunteered to return to a ship loaded with explosives in Dover Harbour to fight fires aboard while an air raid was in progress.[15][16] Seven other people were also awarded the medal, including the first women; Ambulance Driver Dorothy Clarke and Ambulance Attendant Bessie Jane Hepburn of Aldeburgh, Suffolk, for rescuing a man badly injured in an explosion.[15]
The first recipient chronologically was Coxswain Robert Cross, commander of the RNLI lifeboat City of Bradford, based at Spurn Point, whose award was gazetted on 7 February 1941. It was awarded for an incident on 2 February 1940 when Cross took the lifeboat out in gale force winds, snow squalls, and very rough seas to rescue the crew of a steam trawler.[17][13]
The youngest recipient was Charity Anne Bick, who lied about her age to join the ARP service at 14 years old, and who delivered several messages by bicycle during a heavy air raid in West Bromwich in late 1940.[18]
The first person to receive a second award was George Samuel Sewell, an engineer working for Shell-Mex and BP Ltd., based at the oil terminal at Salt End, near Hull, for his actions during an air raid. Having been one of the first recipients (in September 1940)[15] his bar to the George Medal was gazetted on 4 July 1941.[13][19]
The year 2015 included the 75th anniversary of the creation of the award, and was marked by a ceremony in London.[20]
^"No. 35060". The London Gazette. 31 January 1941. pp. 623–624.
^The London Gazette, 31 January 1941 – Warrant, Fifth clause
^"No. 47397". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 December 1977. p. 15235.
^Which could not therefore be recognised by a military decoration; such awards typically require gallantry in the face of the enemy.
^The London Gazette, 31 January 1941 – Warrant, Second clause
^The London Gazette, 31 January 1941 – Warrant, Ninth clause
^ abThe London Gazette, 31 January 1941 – Warrant, Seventh clause
^ abBritish Gallantry Medals (Abbott and Tamplin), p.146
^ abc. Stephen's Study Room. Archived from the original on 31 May 2007.
^"George Medal awarded to Lance-Corporal Margaret Emma Richards, Auxiliary Territorial Service, 1948". National Army Museum. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
^ abc"No. 34956". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 September 1940. p. 5768.
^Sencicle, Lorraine (27 July 2013). "Dover Fire Service – Part II from 1939". The Dover Historian. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
^"No. 35066". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 February 1941. p. 742.
^"No. 35074". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 February 1941. p. 870.
^"No. 35210". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1941. pp. 3893–3894.
^"75th anniversary of the George Cross and George Medal". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
Bibliography
Abbott, P.E.; Tamplin, J.M.A. (1981). British Gallantry Awards. London: Nimrod Dix and Co. ISBN9780902633742.
Dorling, H. Taprell, (1956), Ribbons and Medals, A. H. Baldwin & Son
Duckers, Peter (2001). British Gallantry Awards 1855–2000. Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, UK: Shire Publications. ISBN9780747805168.
Henderson, P. (1984). Dragons Can be Defeated: A Complete Record of the George Medal's Progress, 1940-83. London: Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN978-0907605140.
Mussell, John W., ed. (2015). The Medal Yearbook 2015. Devon, UK: Token Publishing. ISBN9781908828248.
McDermott, P. (2016). Acts of Courage, Register of The George Medal 1940-2015. Bromsgrove, UK: Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd. ISBN9780995553101.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Medal.
New Zealand Defence Force – Medal information page
Search recommendations for the George Medal on The UK National Archives website
March 05, 2023
george, medal, instituted, september, 1940, king, george, decoration, united, kingdom, commonwealth, awarded, gallantry, typically, civilians, circumstances, where, military, honours, appropriate, obverse, reverse, original, medal, reflecting, then, reigning, . The George Medal GM instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI 3 is a decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth awarded for gallantry typically by civilians or in circumstances where military honours are not appropriate George MedalObverse and reverse of the original medal reflecting the then reigning monarch King George VITypeCivil decorationAwarded for acts of great bravery DescriptionSilver disc 36 mm diameterPresented byUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and CommonwealthEligibilityThose performing acts of bravery in or meriting recognition by the United KingdomPost nominalsGMStatusCurrently awardedEstablished24 September 1940 1940 09 24 TotalApprox 2 122About half awarded to civilians 1 27 bars for second awardRibbon bar of the George MedalRibbon of the GM and barOrder of WearNext higher Conspicuous Gallantry Medal Flying 2 Next lower King s Police Medal for GallantryRelatedGeorge Cross Contents 1 History 2 Criteria 3 Description 4 Recipients 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Bibliography 8 External linksHistory EditIn 1940 at the height of the Blitz there was a strong desire to reward many acts of civilian courage Existing awards open to civilians were not considered suitable to meet the new situation so the George Cross and the George Medal were instituted to recognise civilian gallantry in the face of enemy bombing and brave deeds more generally 1 Announcing the new awards the King said In order that they should be worthily and promptly recognised I have decided to create at once a new mark of honour for men and women in all walks of civilian life I propose to give my name to this new distinction which will consist of the George Cross which will rank next to the Victoria Cross and the George Medal for wider distribution 4 The warrant for the GM along with that of the GC dated 24 January 1941 was published in The London Gazette on 31 January 1941 5 Criteria EditThe medal is granted in recognition of acts of great bravery 6 The original warrant for the George Medal did not explicitly permit it to be awarded posthumously The position was clarified in December 1977 expressly to allow posthumous awards several of which have subsequently been made 7 The medal is primarily a civilian award but it may be awarded to military personnel for gallant conduct that is not in the face of the enemy 8 As the warrant states The Medal is intended primarily for civilians and award in Our military services is to be confined to actions for which purely military Honours are not normally granted 9 Recipients are entitled to the post nominal letters GM 10 Bars to the GM may be awarded in recognition of further acts of bravery meriting the award In undress uniform or on occasions when the medal ribbon alone is worn a silver rosette is worn on the ribbon to indicate each bar 11 Details of all awards to British and Commonwealth recipients are published in The London Gazette Approximately 2 122 medals have been awarded since inception in 1940 with 27 second award bars 1 Description EditThe GM is a circular silver medal 36 mm 1 4 in in diameter with the ribbon suspended from a ring It has the following design 12 The obverse depicts the crowned effigy of the reigning monarch To date there have been four types George VI 1940 to 1948 Inscribed GEORGIVS VI D G BR OMN REX ET INDIAE IMP George VI 1948 to 1952 Inscribed GEORGIVS VI DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF Elizabeth II 1952 to late 1950s Inscribed ELIZABETH II D G BR OMN REGINA F D Elizabeth II late 1950s to date Inscribed ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D The reverse shows Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon on the coast of England with the legend THE GEORGE MEDAL around the top edge of the medal The ribbon is 31 7 mm 1 25 in wide crimson with five narrow blue stripes The blue colour is taken from the George Cross ribbon 13 The medal is worn on the left chest by men women not in uniform wear the medal on the left shoulder with the ribbon fashioned into a bow 11 14 The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim of the medal although some Army awards have impressed naming 12 Recipients Edit Posthumous armorial achievement of Ignacio Echeverria embellished with his Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit Spain Silver Medal of the Order of Police Merit Spain and George Medal Further information List of recipients of the George Medal The first recipients listed in The London Gazette of 30 September 1940 were Chief Officer Ernest Herbert Harmer and Second Officer Cyril William Arthur Brown of the Dover Fire Brigade and Section Officer Alexander Edmund Campbell of the Dover Auxiliary Fire Service who on 29 July had volunteered to return to a ship loaded with explosives in Dover Harbour to fight fires aboard while an air raid was in progress 15 16 Seven other people were also awarded the medal including the first women Ambulance Driver Dorothy Clarke and Ambulance Attendant Bessie Jane Hepburn of Aldeburgh Suffolk for rescuing a man badly injured in an explosion 15 The first recipient chronologically was Coxswain Robert Cross commander of the RNLI lifeboat City of Bradford based at Spurn Point whose award was gazetted on 7 February 1941 It was awarded for an incident on 2 February 1940 when Cross took the lifeboat out in gale force winds snow squalls and very rough seas to rescue the crew of a steam trawler 17 13 The youngest recipient was Charity Anne Bick who lied about her age to join the ARP service at 14 years old and who delivered several messages by bicycle during a heavy air raid in West Bromwich in late 1940 18 The first person to receive a second award was George Samuel Sewell an engineer working for Shell Mex and BP Ltd based at the oil terminal at Salt End near Hull for his actions during an air raid Having been one of the first recipients in September 1940 15 his bar to the George Medal was gazetted on 4 July 1941 13 19 The year 2015 included the 75th anniversary of the creation of the award and was marked by a ceremony in London 20 See also EditOrders and decorations of the Commonwealth realmsNotes Edit a b c Medal Yearbook 2015 page 93 No 56878 The London Gazette Supplement 17 March 2003 p 3352 British Gallantry Medals Abbott and Tamplin p 138 George Cross Database Archived from the original on 14 May 2011 No 35060 The London Gazette 31 January 1941 pp 623 624 The London Gazette 31 January 1941 Warrant Fifth clause No 47397 The London Gazette Supplement 5 December 1977 p 15235 Which could not therefore be recognised by a military decoration such awards typically require gallantry in the face of the enemy The London Gazette 31 January 1941 Warrant Second clause The London Gazette 31 January 1941 Warrant Ninth clause a b The London Gazette 31 January 1941 Warrant Seventh clause a b British Gallantry Medals Abbott and Tamplin p 146 a b c British Military amp Criminal History 1900 99 Stephen s Study Room Archived from the original on 31 May 2007 George Medal awarded to Lance Corporal Margaret Emma Richards Auxiliary Territorial Service 1948 National Army Museum Retrieved 18 May 2020 a b c No 34956 The London Gazette Supplement 27 September 1940 p 5768 Sencicle Lorraine 27 July 2013 Dover Fire Service Part II from 1939 The Dover Historian Retrieved 4 November 2015 No 35066 The London Gazette Supplement 4 February 1941 p 742 No 35074 The London Gazette Supplement 14 February 1941 p 870 No 35210 The London Gazette Supplement 4 July 1941 pp 3893 3894 75th anniversary of the George Cross and George Medal bbc co uk BBC News 24 September 2015 Retrieved 14 September 2021 Bibliography EditAbbott P E Tamplin J M A 1981 British Gallantry Awards London Nimrod Dix and Co ISBN 9780902633742 Dorling H Taprell 1956 Ribbons and Medals A H Baldwin amp Son Duckers Peter 2001 British Gallantry Awards 1855 2000 Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire UK Shire Publications ISBN 9780747805168 Henderson P 1984 Dragons Can be Defeated A Complete Record of the George Medal s Progress 1940 83 London Spink amp Son Ltd ISBN 978 0907605140 Mussell John W ed 2015 The Medal Yearbook 2015 Devon UK Token Publishing ISBN 9781908828248 McDermott P 2016 Acts of Courage Register of The George Medal 1940 2015 Bromsgrove UK Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd ISBN 9780995553101 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Medal New Zealand Defence Force Medal information page Search recommendations for the George Medal on The UK National Archives website British Military amp Criminal History in the period 1900 to 1999 George Medal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George Medal amp oldid 1122309615, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
