MEDALS AWARDED IN WWI

British Commonwealth War and Campaign Medals
The 1914 - 15 Star

About this medal
This medal was awarded to servicemen and servicewomen who served between August 1914 and December 1915, provided they had not qualified for the 1914 Star. This included service at Gallipoli.

Initially this medal was not going to be awarded for service at Gallipoli. Instead, it had been proposed by Lieutenant General Birdwood in October 1917 that a Gallipoli Star (originally to be called the ANZAC Star) should be awarded to members of the Australian Imperial Force and 1NZEF who served at Gallipoli. King George V approved the idea the following month. However, by August 1918 when the design of the star and the conditions for award had been finalised, and stocks of ribbon forwarded to New Zealand and Australia, the proposal was reviewed by the British government following criticism from both members of Parliament and the media in the United Kingdom, who were uneasy about British and other forces of the Empire being ineligible for the proposed star. After consultation with the Australian and New Zealand governments, the British War Cabinet agreed that the 1914-15 Star would be awarded to all personnel who had served at Gallipoli. (Source: Ian McGibbon (ed), The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History (Oxford University Press, Auckland, 2000), p.226).

In 1967 the Australian and New Zealand governments jointly agreed to issue an ANZAC Commemorative Medallion (which was not designed to be worn) to all veterans and the next of kin of veterans who has served at Gallipoli.

Clasps and Bars
No clasps or bars were issued for this medal.