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List of military awards and decorations of World War II. The Arctic Star medal recognises service between 1941 and 1945 delivering vital aid to the Soviet Union, running the gauntlet of enemy submarine, air and surface ship attacks.
From the early days of the conflict to the eventual Allied victory, the UK’s involvement was crucial in shaping the outcome of the war. Explore the most renowned medals, orders, and decorations bestowed by the United Kingdom during World War II, and learn more about the events surrounding them.
The War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to all full time personnel of the Armed Forces wherever they had served during the war. Operational and non-operational service counted, provided personnel had completed 28 days service between 3rd September 1939 and the 2nd September 1945.
- Medal of Honor
- Distinguished Service Cross
- Navy Cross
- Silver Star
- Victoria Cross
- Distinguished Service Order
- Knight’s Cross
The highest military decoration in the U.S. armed forces, and among the most famous of WW2 medals, is the Medal of Honor, sometimes called the Congressional Medal of Honor, because it is presented in the name of Congress. Established during the Civil War, it has been awarded more than three thousand times, including some 450 for World War II action...
In the U.S. Army the Distinguished Service Cross ranks second only to the Medal of Honor in prestige. It was authorized in July 1918, during the First World War, because prior to that time the Medal of Honor had been the only American decoration for military heroism. The criteria established by President Woodrow Wilson and Congress held that the DS...
The naval equivalent of the DSC was the Navy Cross, awarded to members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and occasionally to Army personnel for operations under naval control. It was established in February 1919 and remained third highest of the navy decorations until August 1942, when it was elevated beyond the Distinguished Service...
The third-ranking combat decoration was established in 1932 to replace the Citation Star, which often went to Distinguished Service Cross nominees who did not receive the DSC. Approximately eighty thousand Silver Stars were awarded during World War II. A lesser decoration was the Bronze Star, a ground combat or support award roughly equivalent to t...
The highest military decoration of the British Empire and best known of its WW2 medals is the Victoria Cross; the first, presented by Queen Victoria in 1856, were cast from Russian cannon captured in the Crimean War. At of the end of the twentieth century, only 1,354 VCs had been awarded in the previous 144 years. Almost half had been presented for...
The Distinguished Service Order was established in 1886 and became the British Empire’s second-ranking military decoration, after the Victoria Cross. Awarded to officers, the DSO is an extraordinarily attractive medal— a white cross with gold crown and green laurel wreath in the center, suspended from a red ribbon with blue borders. It was chartere...
The Knight’s Cross (Ritterkreuz) was Germany’s top military decoration with nearly seven thousand recipients from 1939 to 1945, including some 1,600 noncoms and other enlisted men. It is the most known of its WW2 medals. Worn on a ribbon about the neck, it was called a ‘‘tin collar,’’ while those aspiring to the award were said to suffer from ‘‘sor...
World War II Campaign Medals and Ribbons. Millions of medals were presented to the brave young men who fought for their countries during World War II. The medals were given to soldiers as a symbol of gratitude for defending their country on the field of battle. Each medal had a different ribbon signifying where that medal was earned.
This page looks at medal records which are available for soldiers who served in the British Army during the Second World War. The medal records discussed are for the Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, campaign stars etc. rather than decorations or gallantry medals like the Order of the British Empire, Military Medal or Military Cross.
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The War Medal 1939-45 was the most common medal awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers who served in the Second World War. This article is divided into the following parts: A history of the War Medal 1939-45; How a soldier qualified for the War Medal 1939-45; Description of the War Medal 1939-45; Are there any medal records for the War ...
