General Service Medal 1918 - 1962

[Guest Darrell]

General Service Medal 1918 - 1962

Instituted 19th January 1923 for Military operations otherwise than in East, Central and West Africa, India or on the Indian Frontier. This medal defines the (often inglorious) British retreat from Empire as well as various interventions deemed necessary due to the geopolitical imbalances generated in the aftermath of the two world wars. This medal was intended for the Army and Air Force - the Naval General Service Medal 1915 - 1962 ran parallel with this for the Navy and Royal Marines, with similar (but not identical) bars.

Description: 36mm in silver - ornate fixed suspender initially , changed to swivelling for the EIIR issues. The medal was not issued without a bar. Various obverses corresponding to the relevant issue period (see the first table below). Reverse: the standing, helmeted figure of Victory holding a trident in her left hand and placing a laurel wreath over the symbols of the Army and the Air Force with her right.

Bars: seventeen issued, see second table. The latest authorized bar "Canal Zone" was instituted in 2003 after a vigorous and long campaign by certain groups and MPs to gain medallic recognition for service in the "Suez canal zone" , 16th Oct '51 - 19th Oct '54.

Naming : no surprises, impressed in neat sans-serif capitals for the Army, or machine engraved for the Royal Air Force.

Ribbon: Purple, with a wide green central stripe.

Obverse & Issue Monarch Issue/ Type Obverse / Legend Obverse Period

George V 1 GV 1 Coinage Head / GEORGIVS V BRITT : OMN : REX : ET IND : IMP. 1914 - 1934

George V 2 GV 2 Crowned, in coronation robes. / GEORGIVS. V. D. G. BRITT. OMN. REX. ET. INDIAE. IMP. 1934 - 1936

George VI 3 GVI 1 Crowned head / GEORGIVS GVI D : G : BR : OMN : REX : ET INDIAE IMP : 1937 - 1948

George VI 4 GVI 2 Crowned head / GEORGIVS GVI DEI : GRA : BRITT : OMN : REX : FID : DEF+ 1949 - 1952

Elizabeth II 5 EIIR 1 Tudor crowned head / ELIZABETH II D : G : BR : OMN : REGINA F. D. 1952 - 1953

Elizabeth II 6 EIIR 2 Tudor crowned head / ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F. D. 1953 - 1962

CLASPS

S. Persia

12th November 1918 - 22nd June 1919

GV type 1

Kurdistan

23rd May - 6th December 1919 and 19th March 18th June 1923

GV type 1

Iraq

10th December 1919 - 17th November 1920

GV type 1

N.W. Persia

10th August - 31st December 1920

GV type 1

Southern Desert, Iraq

8th January - 3rd June 1928

GV type 1

Northern Kurdistan

15th March - 21st June 1932

GV type 2

Palestine

19th April 1936 - 3rd September 1939

GVI type 1

S.E. Asia 1945-46

3rd September 1945 - 30th November 1946

GVI type 1

Bomb & Mine Clearance 1945-49

9th May 1945 - 31st December 1949

GVI type 1 & 2 ?

Bomb & Mine Clearance 1945-56

3rd September 1945 - 10th November 1956

GVI type 1 & 2 ?

Palestine 1945-48

27th September 1945 - 30th June 1948

GVI type 1

Malaya

16th June 1948 - 31st July 1960

GVI type 2 and EIIR types 1 & 2

Canal Zone

16th October 1951 - 19th October 1954

EIIR type 2

Cyprus

1st April 1955 - 18th April 1959

EIIR type 2

Near East

31st October - 22nd December 1956

EIIR type 2

Arabian Peninsula

1st January 1957 - 30th June 1960

EIIR type 2

Brunei

8th - 23rd December 1962

EIIR type 2

[Guest Darrell]

This thread will be a compilation of the British General Service Medal 1918-1962 Issue.

1. This example is the QEII (Type 1) medal with MALAYA Clasp. This medal is named along the rim in Sans Serif Capitals to 2881889 PTE. C. YOUNG R.A.O.C.

He was part of the ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS.

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of MALAYA Clasp:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 1 (this type naming with the degree of patina are EXTREMELY difficult to photo. Much more so than any others I come across).

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 2:

[Guest Darrell]

Naming 3:

[censlenov]

Nice medal Darrell

I've just traded a nice GSM 18-62 today as a matter of fact here's some pics.

cheers

Chris

Edited March 19, 2010 by censlenov

[censlenov]

Bars and MID

[Guest Darrell]

Nice one GVI with the RAOC as well

I'm sure this is another slippery slope. The bad thing, they are way less expensive than those darn Victorians ... :unsure:

[leigh kitchen]

Palestine 1945-48 to "2738613 GDSM. J. KITCHEN. WG. (DUPLICATE)" issued c1970, with swivel suspender:

(A poor head & shoulders photo, but included as it was taken at Metulla, now in northern Israel on the border with Lebanon, December 1945, 1st Bn Welsh Guards having arrived in Palestine in October 1945 as part of 1st Guards Brigade).

Edited March 20, 2010 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Reverse:

[leigh kitchen]

Obverse again:

[leigh kitchen]

And reverse again (should've cleaned the scanner glass before scanning.......):

Edited March 20, 2010 by leigh kitchen

[Guest Darrell]

Thanks for showing Leigh. As I understand it, the medals issued "before" the QEII had non-swivelling discs?

This is rather the reverse of what I would have thought. Since the modern types typically do not swivel.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Darrell - a few variations on your theme. The Malaya one was to an African Constable of the BSAP.

[Gunner 1]

A GSM with 'South Persia' clasp from a group to a Captain, RGA. Only 15 of these clasps were issued to Royal Artillery officers.

[Gunner 1]

A GSM with clasp 'NW Persia' to a Captain (later Brigadier) RA. Only 11 of these single clasps were awarded to Royal Artillery officers.

Edited March 23, 2010 by Gunner 1

[Guest Darrell]

Thanks for contributing guys. Good examples.

There are 6 styles of obverse for this medal.

The 2nd is with King George V (crowned). I wonder how rare this one is ... you can't seem to see one on any dealers site or on e-bay .... :unsure:

[Guest Darrell]

2. This example is the GV (Type 1) medal with IRAQ Clasp. This medal is named along the rim in Sans Serif Capitals to 59498 PTE. A.W. BULL. R.I.F. BRIG.

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Clasps:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse: