War Medal 1939-1945

[Corkaghhistory]

Hi all, I'm hoping that you might be able to clarify a matter for me. Would an individual in the role of a ARP Warden during the second world war (London) be entitled to a War Medal 1939-1945 as well as a Defence Medal? If so, why would such a person be entitled to do so? Trying to document an individual who had these two medals in their possession. Thanks, Corkaghhistory

[paul wood]

Unless he served in the forces in the UK during WWII and was late discharged or wounded or was enlisted and  working in the War Office  and was also an ARP warden, he would only be entitled to the Defence  medal. It is a possibility that it could be a correct entitlement,

Paul

[Michael Johnson]

The Regulations for the War Medal can be found here: http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/warrants/h18-reg.html

The qualification was basically 28 days' service in a military or " Full-time paid members of the specially approved colonial and other military forces, militarised police or militarised civilian bodies"

It would be possible that he enlisted say in the Army, but was released on medical grounds and joined the ARP.

[peter monahan]

Am I right in assuming, then, that ARP would qualify as a 'militarized civilian body'?

[paul wood]

Not really militarized their main job was making sure that the black out was observed and aiding emergency services post raids in helping digging out people etc.. While some received gallantry medals such as George Medals, the majority only received the defence medal.

Paul

[peter monahan]

I wouldn't have thought their job - I knew what it was - militarized, but wasn't sure what that term covered.  Your response makes perfect sense.  Thanks!  Oddly, over the last decade, what I've learned about WWI, about which I'm writing, seems to have displaced much of what I knew of WWII, which is where my interests began, some 4-5 decades ago.   

[Michael Johnson]

"Militarized" would seem to mean police units organized on a military basis, such as frontier constabulary.  I'm not sure  whether members of the RCMP other than those serving with the Canadian Provost Corps qualified.  I have a feeling they may have.

Michael

[paul wood]

I suspect some of the RCMP would have got the war medal as they were engaged in the pursuit and capture of Nazi infiltrators in Canada. I would have thought only those involved in active war service such as this would have qualified.

Paul