Military General Service Medal

The Military General Service Medal (MGSM) was a campaign medal approved in 1847 and issued to officers and men of the British Army in 1848.Template:Refn

The MGSM was approved on 1 June 1847 as a retrospective award for various military actions from 1793–1814; a period encompassing the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Anglo-American War of 1812. Each battle or campaign covered by the medal was represented by a clasp on the ribbon; twenty-nine were sanctionedTemplate:Sfnp and the maximum awarded to one man was fifteen.Template:Refn

File:1860 Anonyme Un vétéran et sa femme Ambrotype.jpg

Ambrotype of an unknown English Peninsular War 1807-1814 veteran and his wife taken possibly 1860. His Military General Service Medal has six campaign clasps.

File:Medal, campaign (AM 799943-1).jpg

Five bar medal awarded to Richard Butler, 13th Light Dragoons

The Duke of Richmond, who had fought at Waterloo, was chiefly responsible for the belated institution of the Military General Service Medal for all survivors of the campaigns between 1793 and 1814. He campaigned in Parliament and also enlisted the interest of Queen Victoria, who persuaded a reluctant Duke of Wellington that junior and non-commissioned officers and private soldiers deserved this recognition.Template:Sfnp Hitherto, only the Waterloo Medal had been awarded to all ranks, while senior officers could receive the Army Gold Medal for service in the Napoleonic Wars.Template:Sfnp

The MGSM was only awarded to surviving claimants. A combination of factors, including general illiteracy and limited publicity for the new medal, meant that many did not apply for it, with only about 10 per cent of those who served receiving the medal.Template:Sfnp While next of kin could not apply for a medal on behalf of a deceased relative, they did receive the medal in cases where the claimant had died between their application and actual award.Template:Sfnp

A total of 26,089 medals were awarded.

This medal and its naval counterpart, the Naval General Service Medal, were among the first real British campaign medals, issued to all ranks present at a battle or campaign. The earlier Army Gold Medal had been awarded to field and general officers for their successful commands; they were not eligible to claim clasps for the same battle on the MGSM.Template:Sfnp To distinguish between the two medals, the MGSM was referred to as the "silver medal".

Appearance

The medal, designed by William Wyon, is of silver and Template:Convert in diameter.Template:Sfnp

• Obverse: a left facing effigy of Queen Victoria with the inscription "VICTORIA REGINA" and the date "1848".
• Reverse: Queen Victoria standing on a dais, crowning a kneeling Duke of Wellington with a laurel wreath. Above is the inscription "TO THE BRITISH ARMY", with the dates "1793-1814" below.
• Naming: The name and regiment of the recipient is impressed on the rim in block Roman capitals.Template:Sfnp
• The Template:Convert wide ribbon is crimson, with dark blue edges,Template:Sfnp the 'military ribbon' previously used for the Army Gold Medal and Cross and the Waterloo Medal.Template:Sfnp

Clasps

The following clasps were awarded. Although the medal bears the dates 1793 to 1814, no clasp was authorised for service before 1801, or between 1802 and 1805.Template:Sfnp A total of 21 clasps relate to the Peninsular War and three to the War of 1812.Template:Sfnp The medal was never issued without a clasp. The most awarded to a single recipient was 15. Template:Div col

• Egypt (Clasp authorised in 1850)Template:Sfnp
• Maida
• Roleia
• Vimiera
• Sahagun
• Benevente
• Sahagun and Benevente (If present at both actions)
• Corunna
• Martinique
• Talavera
• Guadaloupe
• Busaco
• Barrosa
• Fuentes D'Onor
• Albuhera
• Java
• Ciudad Rodrigo
• Badajoz
• Salamanca
• Fort Detroit
• Vittoria
• Pyrenees
• St Sebastien
• Chateauguay
• Nivelle
• Chrysler's Farm
• Nive
• Orthes
• Toulouse

External links

• Military General Service Medal Roll (1793-1814), compiled by Colin Message.