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Today I began with the Australia Active Service Medal 1939-1945 awarded – along with whatever campaign stars and medals the recipient had earned – to Australians who served in World War 2. Next up, the Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975 which was awarded retrospectively for active service between those dates (it was instituted in 1995 by Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia at the behest of the Australian Government) and usually worn alongside whatever medals had already been awarded. The next 2 medals are the Korea Medal (awarded to British and most Commonwealth service personnel by Queen Elizabeth II) and the Vietnam Medal (awarded by Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia and New Zealand), along with the Vietnam Logistics and Support Medal (a later award from the Queen of Australia at the behest of the Australian Government), and lastly the Australian Active Service Medal 1975, awarded for service in various theatres since 1975 again by the Queen of Australia at the behest of the Australians… it all gets a little tangled due to Australia’s increasing development of its own system of honours and awards, yet with them all still being instituted by Queen Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of Australia!
Some more Australian service medals today: the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) Medal, the Afghanistan Medal, the Iraq Medal, and the Australian Service Medal 1945-1975 – this last being awarded for non-warlike and peacekeeping service between those dates and like the Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975 only instituted in 1995 and awarded retroactively, with clasps indicating the service for which it was awarded. Again, recipients often had other medals to mark that service which would continue to be worn.
Today we have the Australian General Service Medal for Korea (awarded to those stationed there after hostilities had ceased), the Australian Service Medal (for non-warlike and peacekeeping operations since 1975), and finally the Australian Operational Service Medal. This last was introduced in 2012 and is issued with a ribbon depending on the operation or service for which it has been awarded, the actual medal remaining the same. The one exception is when it is awarded to a civilian working with the military and subject to military discipline – there’s a standard ‘civilian’ ribbon and the operation is indicated by a clasp.
Today I’ve taken a break from Australian medals and reviewed Antti Ruokonen’s latest book Today’s Knights: Orders of Romania.
If you fancy a copy, it’s available from the Tallinn Museum here: https://tallinnmuseum.com/product/todays-knights-orders-of-romania/
Back to Australia for a few medals awarded for more unusual overseas service: the Rhodesia Medal, the Police Overseas Service Medal (with its distinctive chequered ribbon) and the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal.
Then the delight of uploading a contribution from a member – a US Navy Sharpshooter Badge covering some 34 years of service! Thank you, Jacob Sweazy.
It would be great if everyone reading this would check the database for gaps that they could fill with photos of items in their collections.
Today in the Australia section: the National Emergency Medal, the Civilian Service 1939-1945 Medal, and the Police National Service Medal.
The National Emergency Medal is awarded for service during disasters and has caused quite a lot of controversy over just who gets it – many people who think they’ve done enough do not receive it sometimes for reasons such as having been pulled out for their own safety so not fulfilling the requirements for length of service, or not being part of an organised effort… The Civilian Service 1939-1945 Medal was a bit the same, it was the conditions under which you served, rather than the service done that mattered.
The National Police Service Medal is for 15 years of ‘ethical and diligent service’ as a law enforcement officer. Surprisingly, it’s been hard to find a decent image, even the government ones are sketches rather than actual photos. Interestingly both medal and ribbon were designed by serving officers.
Back with some more Australian awards next week… unless something else distracts me!
Today I added 3 ‘commemorative’ medals awarded by Australia. First is the 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal, awarded to a grand total of 71 veterans of World War One who survived to see the anniversary. Then there’s the Australian Sports Medal, originally conceived as a one-off medal to reward Australians who participated in or helped organise the Olympic Games of 2000… but recently the dust has been blown off and it is to be awarded for excellent sporting performance or contributions to sport in general. The third is the Centenary Medal, awarded in 2001 to mark the centenary of the Australian Federation. Most awards went to distinguished Australians who’d contributed in some way to the nation, but it was also awarded to anyone born on or before 31 Decemeber 1901 who lived to see the centenary on 1 January 2001!
Next time: Australian Long Service Medals…
in 1982, Australia established 3 long service awards: the Defence Force Service Medal for the regular (full-time) forces, and for the reserves (part-timers) the Reserve Force Decoration for officers and the Reserve Force Medal for other ranks. In 1998 they rationalised this and instituted the Defence Long Service Medal, which is awarded to everyone, part- or full-time, irrespective of rank, for 15 years of service. I’ve added all 4 medals to the database.
We are nearly at the end of Australia now. Any thoughts on what country I should look at next?
And the Australian Federal Awards are now done!
The final few – the National Medal (the first long service medal which used to be awarded to members of uniformed services – military and emergency – and now marks service in a range of areas), the Australian Defence Medal (for completing the enlistment period of military service or 4 years, whichever is less), the Australian Cadet Forces Service Medal (for adult leaders in the Cadet movement), the Champion Shots Medal, and the Anniversary of National Service Medal (for those who met their obligations under mandatory elistment laws) were added today.
And next week… well, wait & see 🙂
OK. Due to the arrival of a beautiful book from Lebanon, I sat down and reviewed it… see the review else where in the forum. Normal service will be resumed next week, provided I have recovered from getting my second dose of vaccine!
Apologies – 2nd vaccination hit hard & I wasn’t up to doing anything this week. Normal service will be restored soon, now recovered but busy with marking (I’m an academic in real life!).
Thank you. I’m better now but have about a week of marking ahead… then it will be done 🙂
For no readily explained reason, I started updating the Fiji section on my own site – neglected since 2002 for the most part – so today I have added the Republic of Fiji’s sole order: the Order of Fiji, dating from 1995, to the database here. Unfortunately I’m still hunting for an image of the Collar – worn by the President of Fiji as Chancellor of the Order – and any of the military division, but due to the kind offices of the Fijian government I’ve nabbed images of the ‘general’ division. The military ones are identical apart from crossed swords but I shall continue hunting. They are out there – I’ve seen images of recipients wearing them, likewise the collar, but nothing suitable for our purposes here.
Still battling with marking… but more Republic of Fiji… the Military Division of the Order of Fiji – no images alas, but I have described the insignia for you (and if anyone has any images…) and the President’s Cross, which is the highest civilian bravery award. Oh, and I also found an image of the Collar of the Order of Fiji!
Rather thin pickings… I’m not finding much about the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of Fiji at all! Help… Been rooting around. Google just keeps returning my website. I cannot find my copy of an OMRS journal from 1998… Fired off some e-mails, but may give up and move on to something else where I do have lots of images to share with you.
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