UK General Service Medal 1918

The General Service Medal (1918 GSM) was instituted to recognise service in minor Army and Royal Air Force operations. Local forces, including police, qualified for many of the clasps, as could units of the Indian Army prior to 1947. 

The GSM was equivalent to the 1915 Naval General Service Medal.  Both these medals were replaced by the General Service Medal in 1962.

 

Description

The 1918 GSM is a circular silver medal, 36 mm in diameter, with following design:

The obverse shows the crowned effigy of the reigning monarch with an appropriate inscription.

The reverse bears the standing winged figure of Victory in a Corinthian helmet and carrying a trident, bestowing a wreath on the emblems of the Army (the sword) and the RAF (the wings). It was designed by E Carter Preston. 

The 32 mm wide ribbon has three equal stripes of purple, dark green and purple. 

The service number, rank, name and regiment or corps of the recipient are impressed on the rim of the medal in small block capitals. 

A bronze oak leaf emblem is worn on the ribbon of the medal to signify a mention in dispatches or King's/Queen’s Commendation for a campaign for which the GSM was awarded.

 

 

Clasps

A total of eighteen clasps were awarded, the medal never being awarded without a clasp. The clasps consist of silver bars bearing the name of the relevant campaign or theatre of operations. They were attached to the medal's suspension bar. 

Clasps and the award criteria for operations in Malaya and Borneo :

 

Malaya

For service in Malaya and Singapore against communist guerrilla forces.

The qualifying dates for service were between 16 June 1948 and 31 July 1960. For the Colony of Singapore, the date period was between 16 June 1948 to 31 January 1959.

Recipients who served after 31 August 1957, the day Malaya became an independent member of the Commonwealth, were subsequently awarded and given permission to accept the Malaysian Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal from 2007 and wear them from 2011.

 

Brunei

For a minimum 1 days' service in at least one of the operational areas located in the State of Brunei, North Borneo or Sarawak between 8 and 23 December 1962.