About the Victory Medal
Instituted in September 1919, the Victory Medal was issued for service in an active theatre of military operations between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. It was one of a number of First World War campaign medals awarded.
The Victory Medal was issued to all those who received the 1914 Star or the 1914-15 Star, and to most of those who were awarded the British War Medal. It was never awarded on its own.
149 sitting MPs and 192 Peers were among the 5,725,000 or so recipients.
The basic design and ribbon was also adopted by most of the allied countries who fought together in the First World War in accordance with the decision of the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at Versailles in 1919.
Recipient
The medal in the Parliamentary collection was awarded to Sir Arnold Wilson (1884−1940), who served in the Persian Gulf as a political officer, soldier and senior administrator between 1909 and 1920.
In 1933 Wilson became Conservative MP for Hitchen. He held the seat until he died while serving in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Wilson is the only parliamentarian whose awards have been incorporated into Parliament's collection of medals and coins.