Military awards and decorations of the United Kingdom


The British Armed Forces recognises service and personal accomplishments of individuals while a member of the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force with the awarding of various awards and decorations.
Together with rank and qualification badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a serviceperson's career.

Order of wear

All services use a common order of wear, the following general rules apply:
  1. The Victoria Cross and the George Cross
  2. United Kingdom Orders
  3. United Kingdom Decorations
  4. Order of St John
  5. United Kingdom Medals for Gallantry and for Distinguished Service
  6. United Kingdom Campaign and Operational Service Medals. Worn in order of date of award
  7. United Kingdom Polar Medals
  8. United Kingdom Police Medals for Valuable Service
  9. United Kingdom Jubilee, Coronation and Durbar Medals
  10. Long Service and Efficiency Awards
  11. Commonwealth Orders, Decorations and Medals instituted by the Sovereign. Worn in order of date of award.
  12. Commonwealth Orders, Decorations and Medals instituted since 1949 otherwise than by the Sovereign. Worn in order of date of award.
  13. Foreign Orders. If approved for wear, worn in order of date of award.
  14. Foreign Decorations. If approved for wear, worn in order of date of award.
  15. Foreign Medals. If approved for wear, worn in order of date of award.
Note: Jubilee, Coronation and Durbar medals were worn before campaign medals until November 1918, after which the order of wear was changed, with them now worn after campaign medals and before long service awards.

British military medals and ribbons

Military orders and decorations

Note Eligibility period start dates reflect respective establishment dates, except where available evidence indicates otherwise.

Military campaign medals

Notes:

Coronation, Jubilee and Durbar medals

Efficiency and long service decorations and medals

National independence medals

Foreign and international

International campaign medals

Worn with other United Kingdom campaign medals in order of date of issue.
EmblemDescriptionEligibility PeriodRemarks
United Nations Service Medal for Korea27 June 1950 – 27 July 1955Established 12 December 1950
United Nations Service Medal for ONUC10 July 1960 – 30 June 1964
United Nations Service Medal for UNFICYP27 March 1964 – present
United Nations Service Medal for UNTAG1 April 1989 – 31 March 1990
United Nations Special Service Medal1989–1990
3 Jul 1992 – 12 January 1996
Apr 1991 – present		For: Peshawar UNOCHA
Sarajevo Airlift
Iraq UNSCOM
United Nations Service Medal for UNIKOM1 April 1991 – 6 October 2003
United Nations Service Medal for MINURSO1 April 1991 – present
European Community Monitor Mission Medal25 July 1991 – 30 June 1992For service in the Former Yugoslavia.
United Nations Service Medal for UNAMIC1 October 1991 – 31 March 1992
United Nations Service Medal for UNPROFOR1 March 1992 – 31 December 1995
United Nations Service Medal for UNTAC1 April 1992 – 30 September 1993
NATO Former Republic of Yugoslavia Medal1 July 1992 – 31 December 2002Issued with clasp Former Yugoslavia.
Western European Union Mission Service Medal1 July 1992 – 31 December 1996For Service in the Former Yugoslavia.
United Nations Service Medal for UNOMIG23 August 1993 – present
United Nations Service Medal for UNAMIR1 October 1993 – 31 March 1996
United Nations Service Medal for UNAVEM III1 February 1995 – 1 June 1997
United Nations Service Medal for UNTAESJan 1996 – Jan 1998
United Nations Service Medal for UNOMSIL1 June 1998 – 30 September 1999
NATO Kosovo Medal13 October 1998 – 31 December 2002Issued with clasp Kosovo.
United Nations Service Medal for UNAMET7 June 1999 – 24 October 1999
United Nations Service Medal for UNMIK10 June 1999 – present
United Nations Service Medal for UNAMSIL1 October 1999 – present
United Nations Service Medal for UNTAET25 October 1999 – present
United Nations Service Medal for MONUC30 November 1999 – present
United Nations Service Medal for UNMEE15 September 2000 – present
NATO Macedonia Medal1 June 2001 – 31 December 2002
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for the Balkans1 January 2003 – 20 December 2004
1 Jan 2003 – 29 Mar 2010
1 Jan 2003 – 31 March 2003		Issued with clasp Non Article 5 for: Balkans
Kosovo
Macedonia
NATO Non-Article 5 medal for the Balkans29 Mar 2010 – present
European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal – Op Althea2 Dec 2004 – presentIssued with clasp Althea.
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for Operation Unified Protector23 Mar 2011 – 31 Oct 2011Issued with clasp OUP-LIBYA/LIBYE.
Common Security and Defence Policy Service Medal – EUFOR RCA30 June 2014 – 30 May 2015Issued with clasp EUFOR RCA.
Multinational Force and Observers MedalMarch 2016 - June 2016Issued in 2017 to troops of 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers.
United Nations Service medal for UNMISS2011–present-
NATO Meritorious Service Medal2003 – presentIssued with clasp Meritorious.

Commonwealth orders

Worn after all United Kingdom awards. Honorary awards are worn before substantive awards.

Commonwealth decorations

Worn after all Commonwealth orders.

Commonwealth campaign and commemorative medals

Worn after all Commonwealth decorations.
EmblemDescriptionEstablishedEligibility PeriodRemarks
Brunei General Service Medal12 August 1966 – presentSultanate of Brunei. Seconded forces only.
Malaya Active Service Medal31 August 1957 – 15 September 1963Malaysia. Seconded forces only.
Pingat Jasa MalaysiaMalaysia 200431 August 1957 – 31 December 1966Permission to wear as at 6 Nov 11.
Kenya Campaign Medal12 December 1963 – 30 November 1967Kenya. Seconded forces only.
Campaign Medal195923 May 1965 – 30 September 1976Oman. Seconded forces only. Referred to in JSP761 as Muscat/Oman Dhofar Campaign Medal.
Malaysia General Service Medal11 August 1966 – 31 December 1989Malaysia. Seconded forces only.
Unitas Medal1 June 1994 – 26 April 2003Republic of South Africa. BMATT personnel only.
International Force East Timor Medal25 March 200016 September 1999 – 10 April 2000Australia
Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Medal199210 June 1940 – 8 September 1943Malta. Not able to be worn whilst in Crown Service

Foreign orders

Worn after all Commonwealth awards.
EmblemDescriptionEstablishedEligibility PeriodRemarks
Imperial Order of the Crescent17991799–1801Ottoman Empire. Knight First Class and Knight Second Class. Awarded to senior British officers during the Napoleonic wars.
Chevalier Légion d'Honneur19 May 18021914–1918
1944		France. Awarded to surviving United Kingdom citizens who participated on French soil in the Great War, or in the French liberation campaigns.
Order of the Star of Ethiopia18841884–PresentEthiopia. All grades of Order approved.

Foreign decorations

Worn after all foreign orders.

Foreign campaign and commemorative medals

Worn after all foreign decorations.
EmblemDescriptionEstablishedEligibility PeriodRemarks
Turkish Crimea Medal21 February 18561854–1856Ottoman Empire
Khedive's Star1882–1891Khedivate of Egypt. Bronze star. Issued to all who were awarded the Egypt Medal.
Khedive's Sudan Medal 1896–1899Khedivate of Egypt.
Khedive's Sudan Medal 1910Khedivate of Egypt.
General Service Medal196323 May 1965 – 30 June 1976Sultanate of Oman. Issued with clasp Dhofar where applicable. Seconded forces only.
The Accession Medal197023 July 1970Sultanate of Oman. Seconded forces only.
The Peace Medal19791 July 1976 – 17 November 1985Sultanate of Oman. Seconded forces only.
Endurance Medal 197623 May 1965 – 2 December 1975Seconded forces only. Referred to in JSP761 as the 'Muscat Victory Medal '.
Medal for the 40th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War19851941–1945USSR. For Arctic convoy service. Also known as the Russian Convoy Medal 1941–1945 40th Anniversary Medal.
30th Renaissance Medal200018 November 2000Sultanate of Oman. Seconded forces only.
35th Renaissance Medal200518 November 2005Sultanate of Oman. Seconded forces only.

Decorations and medals authorised for acceptance but not for official wear

Official permission has been granted for this medal to be accepted, but it is not authorised for wear.

Campaign medals authorised for acceptance but not for official wear

Official permission has been granted for these medals to be accepted, but they are not authorised for wear.
EmblemDescriptionEligibility PeriodRemarks
Kuwait Liberation Medal17 January 1991 – 28 February 1991Saudi Arabia Established 1991
Kuwait Liberation Medal2 August 1990 – 31 August 1993Kuwait Established 1994
NATO Article 5 Medal for Service on Op ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR26 October 2001 – presentIssued with clasp Article 5.
NATO Article 5 Medal for Service on Op EAGLE ASSIST16 May 2002 – presentIssued with clasp Article 5.
European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal – Op Artemis14 June 2003 – 10 December 2003Issued with clasp Artemis for service in the Congo.
Common Security and Defence Policy Service Medal – Op Atalanta8 December 2008 – presentIssued with clasp EUNAVFOR ATALANTA for service in counter-piracy operations.

Campaign medals not authorised for acceptance or official wear

Official permission has been refused for these medals to be accepted and they are not authorised for wear.
EmblemDescriptionEligibility PeriodRemarks
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for Pakistan Earthquake Service8 October 2005 – 1 February 2006Issued with clasp Pakistan.
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for Service with ISAF1 June 2003 – presentIssued with clasp ISAF.
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for NATO Training Mission 18 August 2004 – presentIssued with clasp NTM-Iraq.
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for AMIS13 July 2005 – presentIssued with clasp AMIS.

Devices

Footnotes