WW2 medal entitlement

[Alan O]

Can anyone confirm that an officer in the Devons who served in the UK from commissioning on 28 June 1941 until medical discharge in 12 April 1945 and served in UK who have been entitled to the Defence medal and the 1939-45 War Medal? As med discharge I assume King's badge was also correct.

Thanks

Alan

[leigh kitchen]

Yes, as I recall 3 years service in UK would earn the Defence Medal.

I have the award criteria in original pamphlets somewhere, North East Medals have a link to WWII campaign stars and medals information from this page:
https://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/br...de/defence.htm

[Sonofacqms]

[QUOTE=leigh kitchen;508432]Yes, as I recall 3 years service in UK would earn the Defence Medal.

My Father was awarded a Defence medal, but he never served three years in the UK.

This debate was always contentious as all the FEPOW's taken prisoner at Singapore were never awarded a Defence medal, the pre war Territorials had the TA medal, but those who were called up after September 1939 had nothing.

Rob

[leigh kitchen]

He needn't have spent three years in the UK to get the medal, but three years service in the UK was one of the ways to qualify for it, as per the officer mentioned in post no. 1.

[Alan O]

Thanks. So the correct medals for mounting with a photo would be that pair plus the King's badge.

[leigh kitchen]

I'm not sure if The King's Badge would be awarded for medical discharge through illness rather than wound or injury, but yes to the two medals.

[Alex Rice]

[QUOTE=Sonofacqms;508438]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Yes, as I recall 3 years service in UK would earn the Defence Medal.

My Father was awarded a Defence medal, but he never served three years in the UK.

This debate was always contentious as all the FEPOW's taken prisoner at Singapore were never awarded a Defence medal, the pre war Territorials had the TA medal, but those who were called up after September 1939 had nothing.

Rob

Hi Sonofa
Not necessarily true, there seems to be a lot of discrepancy with that. I have a FEPOW group to a Singapore prisoner which has a Defence Medal. Some seem to have been given it and others not.
Cheers,
Alex

[Alan O]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

I'm not sure if The King's Badge would be awarded for medical discharge through illness rather than wound or injury, but yes to the two medals.

Well he had appendicitis which meant he was in hospital for DDay and missed the landings and he had one in his effects.

[leigh kitchen]

[QUOTE=Alex Rice;508495]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

Hi Sonofa
Not necessarily true, there seems to be a lot of discrepancy with that. I have a FEPOW group to a Singapore prisoner which has a Defence Medal. Some seem to have been given it and others not.
Cheers,
Alex

Recipients may have qualified for the Defence Medal prior to capture.

[Sonofacqms]

My Father in Law was a pre WWII Territorial and served on coastal defence among other things prior to sailing with the 18th Division in October 1941, so after over two years service in England with the Cambridgeshire Regt they were not awarded a Defence medal.

I would be interested to know Alex what unit the FEPOW served with.

Rob

[leigh kitchen]

I got a Defence Medal for an old fellow about 20 years ago (coincidentally his brother was a Cambridgeshire's Singapore PW, died in captivity).
He joined the army late in the war because of his youth and arrived in Italy just too late to qualify for the Italy Star.
To my reckoning his service in the NFS qualified him for the Defence Medal, I sent off his application for it but it was initially refused, I persisted and it turned out the medals office were basing their decision on the original and not the ammended criteria, which I referred them to and he got his medal.

I wonder how many applications for stars and medals were refused because decisions were based on the unamended booklet.

[Alex Rice]

My recipient was in the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment but also a signaller. He was stationed in Singapore from before the war so maybe that's the difference. There are some amazing items with the group which somehow survived.
Cheers,
Alex

[Sonofacqms]

Alex,

That's interesting, I thought that the Defence medal was for the defence of Great Britain, but as Leigh has said the goalposts may have changed.

Rob

[leigh kitchen]

The Defence Medal was awarded for overseas service as well, subject to certain criteria, the qualification period being reduced to 12 months.
I forget the ins and outs of these award criteria within a short time of rereading them.

There's an online reference to the award criteria for the stars and medals here:

https://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/br...rs_defence.htm