Inherited old uniform regalia - need help!

[Flying10uk]

My understanding is that British WW1 service medals normally had the details of who they were being issued to engraved on the rim at the time of issue by the British Government and at the Government's expense. British WW2 service medals were issued without the details of who they were being issued to engraved on the rim but the person receiving them could, if they wish, arrange to have their personal details engraved on the rim, off their own back and at their expense, if they wish. Different arrangements may have been in force for other Commonwealth Countries. The reason that I state this is purely from examination/observation of WW1 and WW2 British service medals but if others have further information available on this matter could we see it, please.

Don't assume that a WW2 British service medal wasn't officially issued just because of a lack of personal details engraved on the rim, for the reason I've already explained.

There should be an official record of who received a Service medal during WW1 and WW2. The WW1 medal records are easy to access on-line. I don't know how easy it is to access the medal records for WW2 because I've never tried and they may still be held by the MOD, like the WW2 service records.

[Peter Laidler]

As a matter of interest, there is no actual 'record' of those issued with the golden and silver jubilee medals, not even on a soldiers record - although it could be. Note the word 'issued' as opposed to 'awarded'. This lack of record keeping was raised a couple of years ago and the answer was that his/her service can easily be verified and with that, his authorisation to it

[Gil Boyd]

It is a unit responsibility to notify the Medal Office, as there were other medals like all ther stars, ie Africa/Atlantic/Italy even the recent issues Diamond Jubilee/Silver Jubilee have no inscription on the edges.
You can through the Veterans Agency ask for a copy of your family members medals if they were never issued and likewise they can tell you what he was issued with. Royal British Legion also do a service.
The whole medal subject is a massive minefield, but just because its not enscribed doesn't in itself mean it was never issued to someone.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

By "modern" tradition, the King's crown looks like a "dome" with a little Maltese Cross at the top, or as one wag put it, a Cartier bicycle helmet. The "Queens's Crown" has the "bumps" around the circumference and a "depressed" centre topped with a cross.

It is a bit murky because, apparently, over the last five or six hundred years, or so, there have been a LOT of "mods", changes in style, personal preferences, etc. of the crowns.

I dug out the mounted set belonging to my late uncle, the "RAAF" type:

The 1939-1945 Star and the Pacific Star both have his details engraved on the reverse face.

The 1939-1945 Service Medal, the Defence Medal, (King George WITHOUT his crown), and the War Medal, 1939-1945, all have his details engraved around the circumference.

[Flying10uk]

all have his details engraved around the circumference.

He may have had this done/arranged by himself such as by his local Jewellery shop. I have a couple of WW2 "Star" service medals engraved on the back with the soldier's details which is an obvious DIY or amateur engraving job. I've never checked the name on the back to see if the person was actually entitled to the medals but I have no doubt that if i was to check I would find that they were.

I did recently purchase a couple of WW1 service medals off eBay. When I looked up the soldier's service record I discovered a most interesting yet very sad story connected to the medals from the service record. I will share the story here on the Forum shortly.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Maybe it's an Australian thing.

The lettering on the back / rim of these medals is very precisely done.

It MAY have been done by the folk who did the thoroughly professional mounting job, but I doubt it.

My own personal "gongs"; Australian Defence Medal and Defence Long Service Medal, with first clasp, came with my Service number and name neatly engraved, at delivery. "Perseverance Prizes" was one description I have heard for these.

The Defence Medal has this information engraved around the rim, probably because it has "images" struck on both sides, whilst the Long Service one is marked on the (plain) back.

Checking for this information is the first time they have ever come out of their presentation cases, neat little metal boxes that also contain the "miniature", along with spare ribbons for both sizes, bar, clasp, etc.

My brother holds our grandfathers WW1 set. I'll get him to scan them and note any extra details for my files.

---------- Post added at 07:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 PM ----------

Back to my earlier post:

"The 1939-1945 Service Medal, the Defence Medal, (King George WITHOUT his crown), and the War Medal, 1939-1945"

These three medals are "double-sided", like a coin. Thus, I guess the rim was the only place to engrave any text.

[Gil Boyd]

This type of engraving is called "Pantographing" the recipients details on the reverse of the medal where there is no rim to conduct the printing as with many medals issued.

As I say there is no fixed answer to pantographing where and when it is done, but you can detect official pantographing to that done by a cup engraver for sports for example.

A good example is the issue of thousands of medals such as the Silver/Diamond/Golden Jubilee medals. None are issued with the recipients details on the rim, due to the cost as given by the mint through MOD. This excuse applied to ALL Commonwealth countries too.
Thats how much of a minefield it is, no rhyme nor reason except cost!!

I get the Medal Yearbook each year, and everytime I am amazed at how varied each country proudly struck and issue a new medal, and the variety of pantographing or simply no name at all. The MOD Medal Office know exactly what an individual should be wearing, as unit by unit informed them of their committments on return and thereafter medals were struck and engraved accordingly.

[Flying10uk]

Does anyone have a WW2 British issue Service and Defence medals that has had the rim engraved, at issue, with the details of the soldier to whom it was issued? If anyone does could we see some pictures of the engraved rim, please, because all the WW2 British examples that I have seen have been without any engraving on the rim.

Maybe it's an Australian thing.

Probably just a continuation of what was done with the WW1 service medals.

[Peter Laidler]

Just a minor point regarding the marking of medals issued until recently. They were actually carefully stamped around the edge while clamped into an upright rotary jig which the operator could rotate mechanically one letter at a time to get the spacing exactly. It was very time consuming too! Recently, from Gulf 1 onwards it was mechanised to a sort of burned-in etch

[Flying10uk]

Gil, I am referring to specifically WW2 British issued service medals; I'm not also referring to Post WW2 British issued service medals. I've not taken that much interest in Post WW2 service medals.


A distant relative, by marriage, who served in both WW1 and WW2 as a doctor received the Military Cross. I have no idea which war he received it or what he did to get it. I looked up his WW1 service record which was not available but because he also served in WW2 I assume that it's still held by the MOD.