WAR MEDALS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 287, 30 August 1919, Page 8

WAR MEDALS

' ' IN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE NO ISSUE FDR SOME TIME In addition to the 1911 and 1914-15 Star which will be issued to soldiers who served in accordance with tho qualifying conditions already published, every soldier who entered a theatre of' war - will ' be entitled to, receive two medals:—(l) The British "General Service" Medal; (2) the Allied "Victory" Medal. It will be a considerable time bql'oro these med--1 als are ready for issue, as they are now ■ bein,<s manufactured in Englauu, aim will . require to he engraved in the Dominiou \ before being made available for. presentation. Supplies of the '"general..Soft vice" Riband have been ordered from Home, and will shortly arrive, v when a sufficient quantity will be,sent to each ■ 'district.to enable anyone entitled to the same'to-obtain. his allowance from the nearest-Defence Office on presenting his dischargedocument. or paybook, or giving other satisfactory, evidence of his having qualified for the medal. The "Victory" Medal Riband has a red centre, with rainbow colours on each side. This riband will not be'available for issue . for some time,'as'adequate supplies are '• difficult to obtain. All soldißrs of the Allied "armies who have - served in a theatre of war will received this medal and riband,' ." The presentation of war medals will lie# big question, as there are at least 200,000 medals to i6sue in ,the whole Dominion. It is - usual for the presentation of war medals to be made by the general officer 1 commanding, or the officer commanding'• the district at special parades.' Victoria Crosses, and all- honours conferred by His Majesty the King '... are .presented personally by His Excellency the Governor-General. - Presentations 'of, medals for gallant conduct or meritorious service, are made by the Hon. the Minister of .Defence, a general officer, or may be presented by municipal . or other local auth6rities at the discretion of the' general officer commanding. They ,should usually be presented, at military parades. Returned soldiers-en-titled to medals for gallantry or meri-\ torious service, find who have not yet received them, may, if. they so desire, . have them forwarded by registered post; on application to the officer in charge ot Base Records.' The same procedure may be adopted in the case of, the. "Genera. Service" and "Victory" Medals,.'whec . ...they are ready for issue.. It is advisable, however, for .soldiers to have them formally presented if they can possibly attend: Presentation to next-of-kin" of/deceased soldiers should usually be made by the Hon. the Minister of Defence, a gene- . ral officer, or officer commanding tho distriot, at paVades of troops. No relative or parent of a soldier who has lost his life is entitled to wear decorations, medals, or the ribands awarded to the man for service in the field. They may only be worn by the individual on whom they have been conferred, and that>isht' in -no case passes 'to any relative after the death of tho recipient. It 'is the i samo with awards made posthumously; the decoration or medal, though handed to a, relative, must not be worn. Posthumous awards are., practically limited to the Victoria Cross: The Defence authorities point outithat it should be the custom'for ex-soldiers to wear their medals when attending public functions in plain clothes, or if the latter have not been_ issued, to Trear the ribands. Although it is-not customary ' to wear regularly the ribands when i" • plain clothps, there is no reason against . ,doing so.. .In evening dress .clothes a Teturned soldier may : wear miniature med- : nls, .'.whatever, his rank,-and.' when attending military enWainments, or other military or semi-military functions, he should-invarably wear either miniature "' medals or'minWtnTe ribands. If neither ; of these is available, the full-sized Tib- . ■ aids. should be worn. War medals i"»l ribands are the insignia of honourable service rendered to the State, and should . _be worn, on all suitable occasions. '«>