General Service Medal (1918)


The General Service Medal was instituted to recognise service in minor Army and Royal Air Force operations for which no separate medal was intended. 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, in diameter, with following design:
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.
Where a minimum qualifying period was laid down for a clasp, it did not apply to those killed or wounded due to operations, or to those decorated for bravery or distinguished conduct, including a mention in dispatches and a Queen’s Commendation.
The clasps and the award criteria for each are:
There were six obverses. The Malaya clasp could be awarded with the George VI or with either Elizabeth II version.