View source for Volunteer Officers' Decoration

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox Military Award
| name             = Volunteer Officers' Decoration
| image            = Volunteer Officers' Decoration (Victoria).jpg
| image_size       = 300px
| caption          = Queen Victoria version
| presenter       = [[Queen Victoria|the Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India]]
| country          = [[File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|25px]] [[United Kingdom]]
| type             = Military long service decoration
| eligibility      = Officers of the [[Volunteer Force (Great Britain)|Volunteer Force]]
| awarded_for              = Twenty years meritorious service
| campaign         = 
| status           = Discontinued in the UK in 1908, in the [[British Overseas Territories|Dependencies]] in 1930
| description      = 
| clasps           = 
| post-nominals    = VD
| established      = 1892
| firstawarded      = 1892
| lastawarded       = 1907 in the UK, 1930 in [[Bermuda]]
| total_awarded            = 
| total_awarded_posthumously       = 
| total_recipients       = 
| precedence_label = Order of wear
| individual       = 
| higher           = [[Emergency Reserve Decoration|Army Emergency Reserve Decoration]]
| same             = 
| lower            = [[Volunteer Long Service Medal]]
| related          = [[Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies]]
| image2           = [[File:Ribbon - Volunteer Officers' Decoration.png|x29px]]
| caption2         = Ribbon bar
}}

The '''Volunteer Officers' Decoration''', post-nominal letters '''VD''', was instituted in 1892 as an award for long and meritorious service by officers of the United Kingdom's [[Volunteer Force (Great Britain)|Volunteer Force]]. Award of the decoration was discontinued in the United Kingdom when it was superseded by the [[Territorial Decoration]] in 1908, but it continued to be awarded in some [[British Overseas Territories|Crown Dependencies]] until 1930.<ref name="LGaz1892">{{London Gazette|issue=26311|page=4303|date=29 July 1892}}</ref><ref name="Medaille">{{cite web |url=http://www.medal-medaille.com/product_info.php?products_id=8442 |title=Volunteer Officer's Decoration, George V issue, miniature |publisher=www.medal-medaille.com |access-date=22 March 2013}}</ref><ref name="NorthEast">[http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/territorial_decoration/volunteer_officers_decoration.htm North East Medals – The Volunteer Officers' Decoration] (Accessed 28 June 2015)</ref>

The grant of the decoration was extended in 1894 by the institution of a separate new decoration, the [[Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies]], that could be awarded to commissioned officers of all Volunteer Forces throughout the [[British Empire]] and India.<ref name="LGaz1894">{{London Gazette|issue=26516|page=3115|date=26 May 1894}}</ref><ref name="London Gazette">{{London Gazette|issue=56878|supp=y|page=3353|date=17 March 2003}}</ref>

==Institution==
The Volunteer Officers' Decoration, [[post-nominal letters]] VD and colloquially known as the Volunteer Decoration, was instituted by [[Queen Victoria]]'s [[Royal sign-manual|Royal Warrant]] on 25 July 1892. The decoration could be awarded to efficient and thoroughly capable officers of proven capacity for long and meritorious service in the part-time Volunteer Force of the United Kingdom.<ref name="LGaz1892"/>

==Award criteria==
The qualifying period of service was twenty years. Half of any previous service in the Regular Army also counted towards qualification. The award did not confer any individual precedence, but entitled the recipient to use the post-nominal letters VD.<ref name="LGaz1892"/><ref name="NorthEast"/><ref name=LGaz1925>{{London Gazette|issue=33049|page=3446|date=22 May 1925}}</ref> 

Recipients had to have been recommended for the award by the Commanding Officer of their Corps, and duly certified by the District Military Authorities in which the Corps was located as having been efficient and thoroughly capable officers, in every way deserving of such a decoration. In order to preserve the purity of the decoration, the name of any person on whom it had been conferred who was subsequently convicted of any act derogatory to his honour as an officer and gentleman, was immediately erased from the registry of individuals upon whom the decoration had been conferred.<ref name="LGaz1892"/>

The Volunteer Officers' Decoration could also be conferred upon any of the Princes of the Royal Family of Great Britain and Ireland.<ref name="LGaz1892"/><ref name="NorthEast"/>

==Colonial version==
On 24 May 1894 the grant of the decoration was extended by Royal Warrant to commissioned officers of Volunteer Forces throughout the British Empire, defined as being [[India]], the [[Canada|Dominion of Canada]], the [[Crown colony|Crown Colonies]] and the [[British Overseas Territories|Crown Dependencies]]. A separate new decoration was instituted, the [[Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies]]. This decoration was similar in design to the Volunteer Officers' Decoration, but bore the Royal Cypher "VRI" (Victoria Regina Imperatrix) instead of "VR" (Victoria Regina).<ref name="LGaz1894"/>

Even so, some [[Crown dependencies|Crown Dependencies]] awarded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration instead of the Colonial version, until the [[Efficiency Decoration]] was instituted in September 1930.<ref name="Medaille"/>

==Order of wear==
In the order of wear prescribed by the British [[Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood]], the Volunteer Officers' Decoration takes precedence after the [[Emergency Reserve Decoration|Army Emergency Reserve Decoration]] and before the [[Volunteer Long Service Medal]].<ref name="London Gazette"/>

==Description==
The decoration is an oval skeletal design and was struck in silver, with parts of the obverse in silver-gilt. It is {{convert|43|mm|2|abbr=off}} high and {{convert|35.5|mm|1|abbr=off}} wide with a ring suspender formed of silver wire.<ref name="NorthEast"/>

;Obverse
The obverse is an oak leaf wreath in silver, tied with gold, with the Royal Cypher below the Royal Crown, both in gold, in the centre.<ref name="LGaz1892"/><ref name="NorthEast"/>

;Reverse
The reverse is plain with the hallmarks impressed at the bottom. The decoration was awarded unnamed, but was frequently unofficially engraved in various styles.<ref name="LGaz1892"/><ref name="NorthEast"/>

;Ribbon
The ribbon is dark green and {{convert|1+1/2|in|0|abbr=off}} in width and is suspended from a silver bar-brooch decorated with an oak leaf pattern.<ref name="LGaz1892"/><ref name="NorthEast"/>

==Versions==
[[File:Volunteer Officers' Decoration (Edward VII).jpg|thumb|left|King Edward VII version]]
[[File:Volunteer Officers' Decoration (George V).jpg|thumb|King George V version]]
Three versions of the decoration were struck. The original version of 1892 had the Royal Cypher "VR" of Queen Victoria below the Royal Crown in the centre.<ref name="NorthEast"/>

The King Edward VII version, with his Royal Cypher "ER VII", was introduced after his succession to the throne in 1901 and ceased to be awarded to officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force when it was superseded by the [[Territorial Decoration]] in 1908. It appears to have continued to be awarded in some Crown Dependencies until 1910.<ref name="Medaille"/>

The King George V version, with his Royal Cypher "GVR", was introduced after his succession to the throne in 1910. This version appears to have only been awarded in some Crown Dependencies, instead of the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies.<ref name="Medaille"/>

==Discontinuation==
The "Home" (ie., ''British Isles'') Volunteer Force was merged with the [[Yeomanry]] in 1908 to become the [[Territorial Force]], which, unlike its predecessors, was not a voluntary force (ie., its other ranks engaged for a term of service of four years and could not resign). At the same time, award of the Volunteer Officers' Decoration was discontinued in the United Kingdom and superseded by the new [[Territorial Decoration]].<ref name="LGaz1892"/><ref name="NorthEast"/><ref name="London Gazette"/><ref name="LondonGazette28181">[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28181/page/7013 ''The London Gazette'' no. 28181, Tuesday, September 29, 1908] (Accessed on 25 July 2015)</ref><ref name="Archives">[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14534 The National Archives - War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls, Volunteer Officers' Decoration and King George V's Coronation Medal] (Accessed 28 June 2015)</ref>

The Volunteer Officers' Decoration continued to be awarded in some [[British Overseas Territories|colonies]] and [[Crown Dependencies]] (such as to officers of the [[Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps]] in the [[Imperial fortress]] colony of [[Bermuda]], with awards for this unit continuing even after its re-organisation on Territorial Force lines in 1921) until the [[Efficiency Decoration]] was instituted in September 1930.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=1927-02-04 |title=VOLUNTEER DECORATION. |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33245/page/733 |work=The London Gazette |at=Issue 33245, Page 733 |location=London |quote=The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Volunteer Decoration upon the undermentioned Officer under the terms of the Royal Warrant dated 25th July 1892: —<br>Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps—Maj. Richard Charles Earl}}</ref> The last colony or Crown dependency in which the decoration was awarded was [[Bermuda]] in 1930.<ref name="Medaille"/><ref name="NorthEast"/><ref name="London Gazette"/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Efficiency and long service decorations and medals}}

[[Category:Long and Meritorious Service Medals of Britain and the Commonwealth]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1892]]