General Service Medal (1918)

Infobox Military Award
name= General Service Medal (1918)


caption= Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbon: 32 mm, purple with a central green stripe.
awarded_by= United Kingdom
type= Campaign medal
eligibility= British army and Royal Air Force.
for= Campaign service.
campaign= Minor campaigns 1918-62.
status=
description= Silver disk, 36 mm diameter.
clasps= 17
established= 19 January1923
first_award=
last_award=
total=
posthumous=
recipients=
individual=
higher=
same=
lower=
related=Naval General Service Medal 1915-62,
General Service Medal (1962)


caption2=__NOTOC__The General Service Medal was instituted to recognise service in minor Army and Air Force operations for which no separate medal was intended. It was equivalent to the NGSM.

Description

* The GSM is a circular silver medal. [ cite book | editor = Edward C. Joslin, Andrew R. Litherland, Lawrence L. Gordon, Brian T. Simpkin | title = British Battles and Medals | edition = 5th | year = 1988 | publisher = Spink Son Ltd | location = London | isbn = 0907605257 | oclc = 24502605 | pages = p 238 ] The obverse shows the crowned effigy of the reigning monarch.
* The reverse bears the standing winged figure of Victory in a Greek helmet and carrying a trident, bestowing a wreath on the emblems of the Army (the sword) and the RAF (the wings).

Clasps

There have been 17 clasps awarded on the GSM (1918-1962), the clasps are small metal bars with the area of operations moulded into it which is then sewen on to the ribbon. The medal cannot be awarded without a clasp.

* South Persia:* Service at or near Bushire with Major-General J.A. Douglas and Brigadier-General A.M.S. Elsmine from 12 November1918 - 22 June1919:* Service at or near Bandar Abbas with Major-General Sir. P. Sykes or Lieutenant Colonel E.F. Orton from 12 November1918 - 03 June1919

* Kurdistan:This clasp was awarded for the following::* At Kirburk or north of a line east and west through Kirburk between 23 May and 31 July1919.:* At Dohok or north of a line east and west through Dohok between 14 July and 7 October1919.:* North of the advanced bases near Akra and Amadia between 7 November and 6 December1919.:The 1924 Army Order No. 387 and Army Instruction (India) No. 132 of 1925 extended this clasps eligibility requirements to cover operations in Kurdistan. These additional qualify periods are:* Operations under Air Marshal Sir J.M. Salmond or Colonel Commandant B. Vincent between 19 March to 18 June1923.:* Operations under Commandant H.T. Dobbin between 27 March and 28 April1923.

* Iraq:This clasp was presented to those who satisfied one of the following conditions::* Served at Ramadi or north of a line east and west through Ramadi between 10 December1919 and 13 June1920.:* Part of an establishment within Iraq between 1 July and 17 November1920.

* N.W. Persia:Awarded to members of Noperforce (North Persia Force) and those on various lines of communications serving under Brigadier-General H.F. Bateman-Champain in 1920.

* Southern Desert Iraq:Awarded to the RAF for its services against the Akhwan in the Southern Desert, under the command Air Commodore T.C.R. Higgins between 8 and 22 January1928, or under the command of Wing Commander E.R.C. Nanson between 22 January and 3 June1928.

* North Kurdistan:For operations against Sheik Admed of Barzan in the area Diana - Erbil - Aqra - Suri due north to the Turkish frontier, between the dates of 15 March and 21 June1932.

* Palestine:For service in Palestine, under the League of Nations mandate, between the dates 19 April1936 and 3 September1939.

* S.E. Asia 1945-46:Awarded to British personnel involved in South-East Asia after the Japanese surrender of 15 August1945, for various activities such as guarding Japanese POWs and maintaining law and order. By November 1946, British troops had handed over their responsibilities to the territories former colonial powers.

* Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945-49:Awarded for a total of 180 days active service in the removal of mines and bombs in the UK between May 1945 and September 1949. Queen Elizabeth II approved the eligibility to run to 1956.:Those who qualified for the original period, 1945-1949, were awarded this clasp

* Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945-56:Those who qualified in the period 1949-1956 were awarded this clasp

* Palestine 1945-48:Part of the resolution of the 1936-9 revolt was the imposition of an immigration quota for Jews wishing to enter Palestine. This led to the Jews that a guerrilla war against the British forces began in 1940. While service in this conflict prior to 1945 is counted as World War Two service, service between 27 September1945 and 30 June1948 is acknowledged by this clasp to the GSM.

* Malaya:For service in Malaya and Singapore against communist guerrilla forces.:The qualifying dates for service were between 16 June1948 and 31 July1960. For the Colony of Singapore, the date period was between 16 June1948 to 31 January1959.

* Canal Zone:Awarded for 30 days continuous service during the period October1951 - October1954 within certain specified geographical boundaries in Egypt. This GSM was awarded some 50 years later following representation to Prime Minister Tony Blair

* Cyprus:In 1956 the Cypriot movement for union with Greece (called "Enosis") started under the leadership of Archbishop Makarios and General George Grivas. The General led the guerrilla organisation EOKA against the British troops stationed on the island. The conflict was often a bloody affair, involving 40,000 British troops over 4 years.

* Near East:This clasp was awarded for service in the Middle east in the period 31 October to 22 December1956. This is the conflict often referred to as the Suez Crisis, or by its codename of Operation Musketeer.

* Arabian Peninsula:Due to a disagreement about land and associated oil rights, the Iman of Oman rebelled against the Sultan of Muscat. After initial setbacks, in 1955 the Sultan called for assistance from UK forces. It was not until British special forces were deployed that the rebels were dislodged from their territory in the Jebel Akhbar mountains.:The qualifying period for this clasp is 30 days' service between 1 January1957 and 30 June1960, in the Aden Colony or protectorate and the Sultanates of Muscat and Oman, or any of the adjacent Gulf states.

* Brunei:For a minimum 1 days' service in at least one of the operational areas located in the State of Brunei, North Borneo or Sarawak between 8 December1962 and 23 December1962.

Notes

Bibliography

* Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - "Medals Yearbook - 2006", (2005), Token Publishing.
* Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds), "British Battles and Medals", (1988), Spink

References

* [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/h/h21.html NZDF Medals]
* [http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/gsm_1918_62.htm Stephen Stratford Medal site]
* [http://www.defence.gov.au/medals/Content/+040%20Campaign%20Medals/+050%201945-1975/+040%20GSM%201918-62/default.htm ADF Honours and Awards]