A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46
THE DEFENCE MEDAL
Instructions Relating to Claims
FORM D.M.I.
Conditions of Award
1. His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve the institution of a Defence Medal to be granted to individuals who have served whole time or part time, for not less than three years in the United Kingdom during the period of active hostilities in Europe from 3rd September, 1939, to 8th May, 1945, in any of the categories named In paragraph 15 below. These are the categories the members of which in the United Kingdom, were eligible for Chevrons for war service.
2. Service in eligible categories brought to an end before the period of three years service has been completed, either by death due to enemy action when on duty or by injuries entitling the candidate to a Wound Stripe, will be a qualification for the grant of the Defence Medal.
3. The Defence Medal will also be granted, without regard to the three-year requirement, to those who may have received an Honour, Decoration or Medal or King's Commendation for brave conduct or King's’ Commendation for valuable service in the air, which has been published in the London Gazette, provided that the recipient, when the Award or King's Commendation was earned, was serving in a category eligible for the Defence Medal and that the distinction was granted in respect of service qualifying for the Defence Medal.
4. Service in the various eligible categories may be aggregated providing the periods of service were not concurrent. Two types of qualifying service rendered at different times in the same period will be reckoned as one type of qualifying service only.
Claims
5. Except as provided for in paragraphs 10 and 11 below, a claimant for the award of the Medal must complete form D.M.2 and send it to the authority shown in paragraph 15. The claim on form D.M.2 should be sent to the authority responsible for the category in which the claimant is serving, or in which he or she last served.
Certification of Earlier Civilian Service
6. If the length of qualifying service in the category in which the claimant last served was less than three years and he or she had previous qualifying service with a different authority or authorities a claimant should obtain form D.M.3 from a Post Office and fill it in and send it to the authority or authorities responsible for the earlier service as shown in para. 15. When the certified form D.M.3. is returned to the claimant he should attach it to form D.M.2. If, however, the authority is the same for all the periods of service, only form D.M.2 need be completed.
Next-of-Kin
7. The next-of-kin of an individual whose death occurred as a result of enemy action when on duty need only enter particulars in form D.M.2.
If death occurred otherwise the procedure should follow that in paragraphs 5 and 6 above.
Special Qualifications
8. If the service rendered by the claimant is not sufficient in itself to justify the grant of the Medal, but he or she wishes to claim on the ground that service was brought to an end by injuries entitling him or her to a Wound Stripe, form D.M.2. should be completed and sent to the authority responsible for the category in which the claimant last served. A copy of the official notification of the award of a Wound Stripe must be attached to form D.M.2.
9. If the Service rendered by the claimant is not sufficient in itself to justify the award of the Medal, but he or she wishes to claim in respect of the grant of a qualifying Award or King's Commendation, form D.M.2 should be completed and sent to the authority responsible for the category in which the claimant has served.
Ex-members of the Armed Forces
10. Ex-members of the Navy or of the W.R.N.S., whose most recent qualifying service was rendered with these forces, should apply by letter to the Admiralty, Whitehall, stating full particulars of their service in respect of which they claim to be qualified for the Defence Medal.
Ex-members of the Army or of the A.T.S., whose most recent qualifying service was rendered with these forces, should obtain Army Form B.2068 from a Post Office. The claimant, when he has entered particulars on the form, should send it to the Service Record Office.
Ex-members of the Royal Air Force or W.A.A.F., whose most recent qualifying service was rendered with these Forces, should apply by letter stating full particulars of their service in respect of which they claim to be qualified for the Defence Medal. Letters should be addressed by ex-officers to the Under Secretary of State (S.7(d)), Air Ministry, Kingsway, W.C.2; and by ex-airmen to the Air Officer in Charge of Records (C. I Cam.), Royal Air Force, Gloucester.
If ex-members of the Armed Forces or of the Auxiliary Military Services wish to add previous service in a different arm of the Forces (for example, R.A.F. service which was followed by Army service), they must obtain certification of the previous service in addition. Previous Naval service can be certified by application by letter to the Admiralty, Whitehall; previous Army service by completing A.F.B.2068, and previous R.A.F. service by letter of application to the Air Ministry or R.A.F. Records Office. When certification of previous service has been received by the claimant it must be attached to the final claim form or letter.
Those who rendered qualifying civilian service before being commissioned or enlisted and who wish to aggregate military service with civilian service, must obtain a certificate on form D.M.3 and attach it to the Army form, or to the letter to the Admiralty or to the Air Ministry or R.A.F. Records Office, as the case may be, when sending the claim to the Service Record Office or Service Department concerned.
Those who rendered previous Home Guard Service before being commissioned or enlisted and wish to aggregate such service with Military service should complete Army Form B.2068.
Those who rendered qualifying civilian service of less than three years after retirement or discharge from the Armed Forces and wish to aggregate military service with it, should obtain form D.M.4 from a Post Office, fill it in and send it to the appropriate Service Record Office or Service Department. When the certified D.M.4 is returned to the claimant he should attach it to form D.M.2 when making a claim to the authority shown in paragraph 15 responsible for the later service.
Home Guard Service
11. Ex-members of the Home Guard whose most recent qualifying service was rendered in the Home Guard, should obtain Army Form B.2068 from a Post Office and, on completion, should send it to the appropriate County Territorial Army Association concerned (in Northern Ireland, the Inspector General, Royal Ulster Constabulary, or the appropriate County Commandant, Ulster Special Constabulary).
Those who rendered qualifying civilian service before becoming members of the Home Guard and wish to aggregate such service with Home Guard service must obtain a certificate on form D.M.3, and attach it to Army Form B.2068 when sending the claim to the County Territorial Army Association.
Those who rendered qualifying service in the Army before becoming members of the Home Guard and wish to aggregate such previous service with Home Guard service, must obtain a certificate on Part III of Army Form B.2068. If qualifying service was in the Navy or Royal Air Force a certificate should be obtained by application by letter to the Admiralty, Whitehall, or the Air Ministry or R.A.F. Record Office and attached to A.F. B.2068 when sending the claim to the County Territorial Army Association.
Those who rendered qualifying civilian service of less than three years after leaving the Home Guard and wish to aggregate Home Guard service with it, should obtain form D.M.4 from a Post Office, fill it in and send it to the appropriate County Territorial Army Association. When the certified D.M.4 is returned to the claimant he should attach it to form D.M.2 when making a claim to the authority shown In paragraph 15 responsible for the later service.
Notification of Award
12. The result of the claim will be notified to the claimant. If the claim is approved, the ribbon of the Defence Medal will be despatched to the address given by the claimant on form D.M.2, or on the Navy or Royal Air Force letter of application or Army Form B.2068, as the case may be. Owing to other demands on manufacturing capacity, the production of the Medal cannot be undertaken for some considerable time. Arrangements for the issue of the Medal will be announced when the time arrives.
Non-operational Service in the Forces Overseas
13. Non-operational service in the Forces overseas from or outside the country of residence is a qualification for the award of the Defence Medal and the time qualification is one year, reduced to six months in some islands in the Pacific. Such time amounting to less than a year, or six months as the case may be, may be added at its actual time value to service of less than three years at home. It will not, for instance, be multiplied by three.
Disqualification and Forfeiture
14. Persons who were dismissed or discharged from civilian service on account of misconduct, who left civilian service in contravention of an Order made under Defence Regulations, or who failed persistently to perform duty which they were under obligation to perform shall be liable to be disqualified for the Defence Medal to which they might otherwise be entitled. Persons who are awarded the Defence Medal and are subsequently found guilty of grave misconduct may be required to forfeit the Medal.
Eligible Categories
15. Categories (other than serving members of the Armed Forces or the Women's Auxiliary Services) in the United Kingdom eligible for the award of the Defence Medal and addresses to which claims should be sent.
Category and address for claims
Category No
1. Ex-members of the Armed Forces or of the Women's Military Auxiliary Services
Send claims to the Admiralty, Whitehall (by letter of application), the appropriate Army Record Office (Army Form B.2068 should be used), or the Air Ministry or R.A.F. Record Office (by letter of application).
2. Home Guard.
Send claims to the appropriate County Territorial Army Association. (Army Form B.2068 should be used.) (In the case of the Ulster Home Guard, the Inspector General, Royal Ulster Constabulary, or the appropriate County Commandant, Ulster Special Constabulary.)
(Note : For the Home Guard the final date for qualifying service is 31 December, 1944.)
3. C. D. Warden Service (including Shelter Wardens).
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given or, in the case of service given in the London Deep Tube Shelters, to the Home Office. Whitehall. S.W.I. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
4. C. D. Rescue Service (including former First Aid Party Service. or in London, Stretcher Party Service).
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
5. C. D. Decontamination Service.
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
6. C. D. Report and Control Service.
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
7. C. D. Messenger Service
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
8. C. D. Ambulance Service (including Sitting Case Cars).
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
9. C. D. First Aid Service (including First Aid Posts and Points. Public Cleansing Centres, Mobile Cleansing Units and the Nursing Service for public air raid shelters).
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given or in the case of service given in the London Deep Tube Shelters, to the Home Office, Whitehall, S.W.I. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
10. C. D. Gas Identification Service.
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given. (With regard to civil defence duties performed at business or government premises, see also (17) and (36) below.)
Category and address for claims
* 11. Rest Centre Service.
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given.
* 12. Emergency Food Service (including Queen's Messenger Convoy Service).
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given.
* 13. Canteen Service.
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given.
* 14. Administrative and Information Centre Service (not Ministry of Information service—see category (43)).
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given.
* 15. Mortuary Service.
Send claims to the Clerk of the Local Authority with which the service was given.
[4] Note Members of these five services will qualify only where they have been engaged in a section of the service which had, or would have had, operational functions during or immediately after enemy attacks, and were thus engaged on service which was qualifying service for war service (red) chevrons.