Award criteria Defence Medal (United Kingdom)

1 award criteria

1.1 military personnel
1.2 civilian services
1.3 qualifying service

1.3.1 country of residence
1.3.2 threatened territories


1.4 special criteria

award criteria

the defence medal awarded non-operational service in armed forces, home guard, civil defence service , other approved civilian services during period 3 september 1939 2 september 1945 inclusive.

military personnel

in united kingdom, included military personnel working in headquarters, on training bases , airfields duration of war in europe 3 september 1939 8 may 1945, , service members of home guard during existence 14 may 1940 31 december 1944. medal awarded non-operational service overseas in dominions of british commonwealth, india , colonies.

those qualified award of 1 of campaign stars, awarded defence medal in addition, , subsequent award of 1 of campaign stars did not supersede previous award of defence medal.

civilian services

eligible civilian service in united kingdom included, not confined to, civilian services members eligible chevrons war service.

civil defence services established government department or local authority.

wardens service, including shelter wardens.
rescue service, including former first-aid party service.
decontamination service.
report , control service.
messenger service.
ambulance service. including sitting case cars.
first-aid service, including first-aid posts , points, public cleansing centres, mobile cleansing units , nursing service public air-raid shelters.


local authority civil defence services.

rest centre service.
emergency food service, including queen s messenger convoy service.
canteen service.
emergency information service.
mortuary service.


national fire service, including service in local authority fire brigade or auxiliary fire service prior nationalisation.
the police, royal marine police special reserve, admiralty civil police, war department constabulary, air ministry constabulary, railway police , dock police.
american ambulance, great britain.
civil air transport.
civil defence reserve, kent county civil defence mobile reserve , west sussex county civil defence mobile reserve.
civil nursing reserve.
civilian technical corps.
coast guard.
fire guards performed duties under local authorities, or @ government or business premises.
lighthouse keepers served under 3 lighthouse authorities , keepers of light-vessels under authorities, did not qualify 1939-1945 star.
nurses in hospitals government departments or local authorities responsible, or in recognised voluntary hospitals.
port of london authority river emergency service.
clyde river patrol.
royal observer corps.
women s voluntary services civil defence, members qualify provided:

they enrolled in eligible local authority civil defence service.
they performed duties analogous of 1 of eligible local authority civil defence services, , section of women s voluntary services belonged 1 functioned operationally during or after enemy attacks.



qualifying service

the length of qualifying service required award of defence medal varied, depending on , in role individual served.

for persons resident in united kingdom, requirement 1,080 days (three years) of service in united kingdom or 90 days (three months) of service in mine , bomb disposal unit. qualifying period in united kingdom ended upon end of war in europe on 8 may 1945.
in non-operational area not subjected air attack , not closely threatened, requirement 360 days (one year) of service overseas or outside individual s country of residence. military service overseas united kingdom qualify 2 september 1945, when war in pacific ended. service reckonable date of embarkation , counted @ full rate voyage non-operational area.
in non-operational area subjected air attack or closely threatened, requirement 180 days (six months) of service overseas or outside person s country of residence. same applied british commonwealth citizens overseas served in home guard in united kingdom. service reckonable date of embarkation and, voyage area of service, counted @ half actual duration of voyage.

the medal awarded canadians 6 months service in britain between 03 september 1939 , 08 may 1945

service indian army personnel in india did not count qualifying service defence medal, since such service qualified india service medal, awarded members of indian armed forces instead of defence medal 3 years of non-operational service in india.

country of residence

regarding service outside country of residence, 5 territories classified single contiguous areas. movements personnel 1 territory within defined groups not regarded outside country of residence in terms of qualification award of defence medal.

great britain, northern ireland, eire, isle of man , channel islands, including islands adjacent great britain.
cyprus, syria, lebanon, palestine, egypt , transjordan.
kenya, tanganyika, uganda, nyasaland, northern rhodesia , zanzibar.
nigeria, gambia, sierra leone , gold coast.
the union of south africa, south-west africa, basutoland, swaziland , bechuanaland protectorate.

threatened territories

the following territories classified non-operational areas subjected enemy air attacks or closely threatened during periods shown:

europe


united kingdom 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.


mediterranean area


anglo-egyptian sudan 28 november 1941 8 may 1945.
corsica 5 october 1943 8 may 1945.
cyprus 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
egypt 13 may 1943 8 may 1945.
gibraltar 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
malta 13 may 1943 8 may 1945.
north africa 13 may 1943 8 may 1945.
palestine 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
pantellaria 12 june 1943 8 may 1945.
sardinia 20 september 1943 8 may 1945.
sicily 18 august 1943 8 may 1945.
sinai 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
syria , lebanon 12 july 1941 8 may 1945.


indian ocean


aden 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
andaman islands 3 september 1939 22 march 1942.
bengal , assam, west of brahmaputra, 1 january 1944 2 september 1945.
ceylon 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
cocos/keeling islands 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
iraq 1 june 1941 8 may 1945.
maldive islands 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
mauritius 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.
nicobar islands 3 september 1939 22 march 1942.
persia 29 august 1941 8 may 1945.
rodriquez island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
seychelles 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.


pacific area


british north borneo 3 september 1939 30 december 1941.
brunei 3 september 1939 7 december 1941.
christmas island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
cook islands 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
fanning island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
fiji islands 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
hong-kong 3 september 1939 7 december 1941.
malaya 3 september 1939 7 december 1941.
new caledonia 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
new hebrides 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
norfolk island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
northern territory of australia, north of latitude 14°30 south, 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
phoenix islands 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
rarotonga island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
sarawak 3 september 1939 7 december 1941.
tonga island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
torres strait islands 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
union island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
washington island 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.
western samoa 3 september 1939 2 september 1945.


west atlantic


falkland islands 3 september 1939 8 may 1945.

special criteria

service in eligible categories brought premature end prior completion of required period of service death due enemy action while on duty or injuries entitled individual wound stripe, qualification award of defence medal.

the defence medal awarded without regard required period of service british subjects received award brave conduct or commendation valuable service in air, provided individual serving in category eligible defence medal @ time , award earned in respect of service qualifying defence medal.

recipients of george cross or george medal not rendering service qualify them defence medal @ time award earned, became eligible special award of defence medal.