Medal Campaigns - Commons Library Standard Note

Published 27 July 2012 | Standard notes SN02880

Authors: Claire Taylor, Louisa Brooke-Holland

Topic: Armed forces, Defence policy, Veterans

The Government announced a fresh review of the rules and principles governing the award of military campaign medals in October 2011. The review, led by Sir John Holmes, drew on the work already undertaken as part of an initial Ministry of Defence medal review completed in early 2011. An interim report was published on 17 July 2012. The Government has asked Sir John Holmes to lead a second stage of work to make further recommendations using the principles proposed in the Review.

The honouring of veterans for service in a variety of campaigns dating back to the Second World War has been an issue for many years. It gained further prominence in June 2003 after the Government announced that a new medal clasp for service in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 would be awarded to veterans.

This note examines the process by which campaign medals are instituted, the rules governing the acceptance and wearing of foreign medals, and some of the medal campaigns that are currently underway, including recognition for the personnel of Bomber Command and the campaign for the institution of a National Defence Medal to recognise service in the Armed Forces.

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