20th Century UK WWII Defense Medal

[stratasfan]

The Defense Medal is awarded for non-operational service such as those service personnel working in headquarters, on training bases and airfields and members of the Home Guard. The medal is also awarded for non-operational service overseas (for example, service in India or South Africa).

 

To qualify for the Defense Medal, you must have either:

• 1080 days (3 years) service in the UK between 3 Sep 1939 and 8 May 1945
• 1080 days (3 years) service in the Home Guard between 14 May 1940 and 31 Dec 1944
• 360 days (1 year) non operational service overseas between 3 Sep 1939 and 2 Sep 1945
• 180 days non operational service in an overseas area deemed to be closely threatened or subject to air attack between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945

The colours of the ribbon symbolise enemy attacks on Britain’s ‘green and pleasant land’ and the black out.

 

This is a cool medal to learn to recognise the ribbon of, as if you watch any British films or TV shows set in late WWII or the post-war years, police and many soldiers have this ribbon on their uniform!

 

I'm not sure what era this particular medal is, but this is Sis' UK medal. We each got our first UK medal for Christmas on 2017. Super fun and very beautiful medal! Feel free to post pictures of yours for reference or to share!

 

[teamski]

It's a good WWII cupro-nickel example. Silver ones exist for Canadian issues.

[Bruce Linz]

Interestingly enough the one sure way to tell if you have a cupro-nickel or silver War or Defence medal is to weigh them. The silver medals about 36 grams and the ones made out of cupro-nickel weigh about 32 grams.

 

Semper Fi,

Bruce Linz

[teamski]

Interestingly enough the one sure way to tell if you have a cupro-nickel or silver War or Defence medal is to weigh them. The silver medals about 36 grams and the ones made out of cupro-nickel weigh about 32 grams.

 

Semper Fi,

Bruce Linz

 

 

Actually, the finish is a lot different between cupro nickel and silver. If you put them side by side it is obvious. These are silver of course and yeah, they have been polished at some point, but even new, they are brighter.

 

-Ski

[Allan H.]

Ski,

 

Is that bar one in your collection? I'm drooling!

 

Allan

[teamski]

Ski,

 

Is that bar one in your collection? I'm drooling!

 

Allan

 

Yeah, it is part of my DFC group that is in another thread.

 

-Ski

[Dogsbody]

Hi Elizabeth and others, I found this example last week. It seems to have been mounted at some time (and the ribbon has been shorted).

 

 

 

Rene

 

 

[Sumserbrown]

This is the Defence Medal from my grandfather's medals, he was a driver in the RAF during the war. They have rarely ever come out of their box and they were never mounted or worn, which is why the ribbons look so new and I still have the wax papers they were delivered in. The other medal is a good driving award.

Rob