History

The Victory Medal was instituted by Army Order in 1919 to commemorate the Allied victory over the Central Powers. The Bronze Medal was awarded to Officers and men of British and Imperial forces, as well as to medical personnel, who served in a theatre of war during the First World War. The Victory Medal was awarded to all recipients of the 1914 and 1914-1915 Stars and some recipients of the British War Medal. The Bronze Medal was never issued alone and it is estimated that approximately 5 750 000 Medals were issued.

The design and ribbon of the Victory Medal were adopted by 13 other Allied Nations and the Medal is often referred to as the “Allied War Medal”. The Victory Medal features a ribbon that depicts the colours of the Allies flags.

Recipients of the Bronze Medal who received a mention in despatches were awarded with an Oakleaf clasp, which was worn on the ribbon on a 45 degree angle.

There are multiple versions of the Medal. The first version was struck between June and December of 1920 in darkened bronze and features a shallow relief of details. The second version was struck at a later date in yellow bronze and features a deep relief of details and a bright finish. South Africa also issued versions of the Medal which features a reverse inscription in both English and Dutch. Some Medals produced in South Africa feature the stamping, “W. McM” while other South African versions do not. There may be additional versions of the Medal which differ by composition and manufacturer.

A variety of different naming styles were used and some South African Medals are known to be unnamed.