Victory Medal (United Kingdom)

Infobox Military Award
name= Victory Medal 1914-19


awarded by=United Kingdom
caption= Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbon of medal (Bottom Center)
type= Campaign medal
eligibility= British and Imperial forces.
for= Campaign service.
campaign= First World War 1914-20.
status=
description= Bronze disk, 36mm diameter.
clasps= None
established= 1 September1919
first_award=
last_award=
total= Approximately 5,725,000
posthumous=
recipients=
individual=
higher=
same=
lower=
related=1914 Star
1914-15 Star
British War Medal


caption2= Japanese Victory MedalThe Victory Medal (also called the Allied Victory Medal) is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA.

The medal was issued to all those who received the 1914 Star or the 1914-15 Star, and to most of those who were awarded the British War Medal - it was never awarded singly. These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. [cite web
url=http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/pipsqueakwilfred.htm
title=Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
accessdate=2008-06-26
work=First World War.com
date= ] [cite web
url=http://www.1914-1918.net/pipsqueak.htm
title=Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
accessdate=2008-06-26
work=The Long, Long Trail
date= ]

Eligibility

To qualify for the Victory medal one had to be mobilised in any service and have entered a theatre of war between 5 August1914 and 11 November1918. Women qualified for this and the earlier two medals, for service in nursing homes and other auxiliary forces.

It was also awarded to members of the British Naval mission to Russia 1919 - 1920 and for mine clearance in the North Sea between 11 November1918 and 30 November1919.

Description

* The Victory Medal is a 36mm diameter circular copper medal, lacquered in bronze. The obverse shows the winged, full-length, full-front, figure of Victory, with her left arm extended and holding a palm branch in her right hand.
* The reverse has the words ‘THE GREAT / WAR FOR / CIVILISATION / 1914-1919' in four lines, all surrounded by a laurel wreath.
* The 39mm wide ribbon has a ‘two rainbow' design, with the violet from each rainbow on the outside edges moving through to a central red stripe where both rainbows meet.
* Those personnel "Mentioned in Despatches" between 4 August1914 and 10 August1920 wear an oak leaf on the medal's ribbon.

An International Award

Not only did the United Kingdom issue a Victory Medal, but a significant number of allied and associated countries involved in the conflict against the Austro-German alliance. The proposition of such common award was first made by French marshal Ferdinand Foch who was supreme commander of the allied force during first world war. Each medal in bronze has the same diameter (36 mm) and ribbon (double rainbow) but with a national design representing a winged victory [ Except Japan and Siam where the concept of a winged victory was not culturally relevant.] .

"(Main source : ‘’The interallied victory medals of world war I’’ by Alexander J. Laslo, Dorado Publishing, Albuquerque. 1986 Edition )"

Notes

ee also

*World War One - Medal Abbreviations
*Silver War Badge (SWB)
*British campaign medals
*Australian campaign medals

External links

*http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/victorymedal.htm
*http://www.royaldublinfusiliers.com/medals/victory.html
*cite web
url=http://www.kingsownmuseum.plus.com/medalsk.htm
title=The King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, (Lancaster), Victory Medal
work=www.kingsownmuseum.plus.com