medal, campaign

Victory Medal, WW1

Medal awarded to Major Clyde McGilp, NZ Field Artillery, NZEF.

Mounted on bar with 1914-15 Star and British War Medal.

Clyde McGilp, of Birkenhead, Auckland, served with the Field Artillery in Egypt, Gallipoli, and Western Europe. He received a recommendation for his Gallipoli service during Sept. - Dec.1915 .in particular for his very able handling of his battery which “almost enfiladed the whole of the Chunuk Bair position”. The Battery was also thanked by Brigadier-General Hobbs CDA, First Australian Division for their assistance in the attack on Lone Pine Ridge. Citation for DSO awarded in 1917 acknowledged his command of the Battery in the heavy fighting if Gallipoli. On 14 November 1918, four months after his discharge from active service, Clyde McGilp died of influenza while working at the Featherston Training Camp.

Spink: 146 VICTORY MEDAL 1914-1919

Documentation: Spink’s British Battles & Medals, p230

Name/title: medal, campaign

Other name: Victory Medal 1914-19 / medal name

period: 1914-1919

General: circular

Obverse: The winged, full-length figure of Victory, with her arm extended and holding a palm branch in her right hand.

Reverse: The inscription ‘THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILIZATION, 1914-1919’ surrounded by a wreath.

Size: 36mm diameter

Metal: bronze

Ribbon: 37mm wide. Watered, reading from the centre outwards, the colours are red, yellow, green, blue and violet merged into a rainbow pattern.

Suspension: The ribbon is threaded through a 14mm diameter ring, which passes through a loop fixed to the top of the piece.

Designer: W. McMillan

Naming: In faint impressed block capitals. Details of naming as for the British War Medal.

Bars issued: Nil

Issue: The medal was authorized in 1919 to commemorate the victory of the Allies over the Central Powers. It was resolved that each of the Allies should issue a ‘Victory Medal’ to their own nationals so as to prevent a mass exchange of commemorative awards between the nations. It was further resolved that all the issues would have as a common feature the figure of Victory upon the obverse. The issue of the Victory Medal was optional and in the event the following countries issued medals: Great Britain, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Roumania, Thailand, Union of South Africa and United States of America.

Approximately 5,725,000 British Victory Medals were issued.

Mid: Those who were mentioned in despatches between 4th August 1914, and 10th August 1920, were allowed to wear an oak leaf on the ribbon. The leaf worn on the ribbon with the medal is slightly larger than that worn on the riband band when the medal is not worn. Only one emblem could be worn no matter how many times a person was mentioned in despatches.