The Defence Medal is a campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945, to be awarded to citizens of the British Commonwealth for both non-operational military and certain types of civilian war service during the Second World War.
Institution
The duration of the Second World War in Europe was from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945, while in the Pacific Theatre it continued until 2 September 1945. The Defence Medal was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945, to be awarded to British military and civilian personnel for a range of services in the United Kingdom, and to Commonwealth and British Colonial personnel who served from or outside their home countries in a non-operational area or in an area subject to threat, such as attacks from the air.
Award criteria
The Defence Medal was awarded for non-operational service in the Armed Forces, the Home Guard, the Civil Defence Service and other approved civilian services during the period from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945 (2 September 1945 for those serving in certain specified territories in the Far East and the Pacific), with an earlier end date for members of organisations that stood-down before May 1945.
Military personnel
In the United Kingdom, those eligible included military personnel working in headquarters, on training bases and airfields for the duration of the War in Europe from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945, and service by members of the Home Guard during its existence from 14 May 1940 to 31 December 1944. The medal was also awarded for non-operational service overseas in the Dominions of the Commonwealth and in British Colonies.
Those who qualified for one or more Campaign Star could also be awarded the Defence Medal.
Civilian services
Eligible civilian service in the United Kingdom included, but was not confined to, civilian services whose members were eligible for Chevrons for war service. Civil Defence services established by a Government Department or Local Authority. Wardens Service, including Shelter Wardens. Rescue Service, including former First-Aid Party Service. Decontamination Service. Report and Control Service. Messenger Service. Ambulance Service. including Sitting Case Cars. First-Aid Service, including First-Aid Posts and Points, Public Cleansing Centres, Mobile Cleansing Units and the Nursing Service for public air-raid shelters. Local Authority Civil Defence Services. Rest Centre Service. Emergency Food Service, including the Queen's Messenger Convoy Service. Canteen Service. Emergency Information Service. Mortuary Service. National Fire Service, including service in a local authority Fire Brigade or the Auxiliary Fire Service prior to nationalisation. The Police including Special Constabulary (with 3 years service), Royal Marine Police Special Reserve, Admiralty Civil Police, War Department Constabulary, Air Ministry Constabulary, Railway Police and Dock Police. American Ambulance, Great Britain. Civil Air Transport. Civil Defence Reserve, Kent County Civil Defence Mobile Reserve and West Sussex County Civil Defence Mobile Reserve. Civil Nursing Reserve. Civilian Technical Corps. HM Coastguard. Fire Guards who performed duties under the local authorities, or at Government or business premises. Lighthouse keepers who served under the three Lighthouse Authorities and keepers of Light-Vessels under those authorities, who did not qualify for the 1939–1945 Star. Nurses in hospitals for which Government Departments or Local Authorities were responsible, or in the recognised voluntary hospitals. Port of London Authority River Emergency Service. Clyde River Patrol. Royal Observer Corps. Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence, whose members could qualify provided they: were enrolled in an eligible local authority Civil Defence Service; performed duties analogous to those of one of the eligible local authority Civil Defence Services, and the section of the Women's Voluntary Services to which they belonged was one which functioned operationally during or immediately after enemy attacks.