Why No Defence Medal?

[Spitace41]

Hi all. I have just been looking at a relatives medals that were given to me for safe keeping. I have only just noticed, however that there is no Defence medal. My relative was awarded the 39- 45 star, Italy Star, War medal, Naval GSM with Near East Clasp and Long Service and good conduct award. He was an active member of a veterans association and had the medals court mounted and wore them often, so I can't imagine he would have just shrugged his shoulders at not having the defence medal in there.

Were there any circumstances in which the defence medal would not have been awarded?

Cheers.

[DrPMC]

The Defence Medal was issued for so-called 'non-operational' service (see https://www.gov.uk/medals-campaigns-...l-1939-to-1945) and your relative clearly had a very 'operational' war. The wikipedia page on this subject is also extremely detailed (Defence Medal (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Presumably in cases were the Defence Medal appears with campaign stars and the war medal, the serviceman's career was divided between operational and non-operational.

Philip

[Jerry B]

As the link posted above mentions, you had to serve either at home for 3 years or in an area subject to or threatened by enemy attack for 6 months, so it might be possible that if you served abroad for less than 6 months, as in the case of the Italy star where you only needed to be there for 30 days, you might not qualify for the Defence medal, even though you served in a war zone. It depends on when your relative served, as his long service medal might have been mostly for the post war period, whilst the War medal only required you to have served for 28 days.

[Spitace41]

Cheers guys, that explains it. I still need to find his naval service records but chances are, as Jerry said, most of his service was post war. Thanks again.