MEDAL INFORMATION
Allied Victory Medal 1914-1919
Face
The full length,
winged figure of Victory standing with her left arm extended and holding a
palm branch in her right hand.
Reverse
A wreath encircling
the inscription “THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION 1914 - 1919” The
inscription underlined by a row of nine dots.
Size
Approx. 36 mm diameter
Composition
Bronze
Ribbon
Approx. 38 mm wide and
watered. The colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo, violet, reading out from the centre in each direction.
Suspension
The ribbon passes
through a ring of approx. 14 mm diameter which passes through a 5 mm wide
loop fixed to the top of the medal. The ring moves forwards and backwards
only.
Naming
In indented block
capitals, sometimes rather faint, on the edge of the medal. Medals to
officers do not give the name of their regiment. Other ranks' medals give
number, rank, name and regiment or corps.
Bars
None. Recipients who
were mentioned in despatches were permitted to wear an oak leaf emblem on
the ribbon.
Awarded
The medal was awarded
to all who qualified for the 1914 Star or the 1914-15 Star, and, with
certain exceptions, to all who qualified for the British War Medal. The
Allied Victory Medal was never awarded alone. Qualification for the award
lay in having been mobilised in any of the fighting services and in having
served in any of the Theatres of War (e.g. France and Flanders, Gallipoli,
Salonika, Mesopotamia, Italy, etc.) or at seas, between 4th August 1914
and 11 November 1918. Qualification also extended to women who served in
any of the Theatres of War in the various supporting organisations such as
the Woman’s Army Auxiliary Corps, or the Nursing Services and charitable
bodies of various kinds who also gave support.
Most of the Allied
Governments awarded the medal in the same way to their servicemen and
supporting auxiliaries. Their medals were generally of the same basic
pattern, excepting Japan who replaced the figure of Victory with a warrior
bearing a spear. In all cases, however, the medal ribbon was a pattern of
the colours of the rainbow.
The King’s Own
All men of the
Regiment who entered one of the designated Theatres of War qualified for
the medal. Allied Victory Medals to men of The King’s Own can be
recognised by the naming on the edge: e.g. 17253 PTE. J. NICHOL. R. LANC.
R.
R. LANC.
R. being the shortened version of the Regimental title at that time.
Probably around 40,000 Allied Victory Medals were issued bearing the R.
LANC. R. title, and around 4,000 were issued to officers of the Regiment,
these of course not bearing the Regimental Title.
Allied
Victory Medals in the museum's collection
Allied Victory Medal
