American Army Good Conduct Medal

[MrsN08]

My grandfather was in the British Army and served in Burma with the Chindits.

Among his medals we have an American Army Good Conduct Medal. I know some American personnel were attached to the Chindits, but I'm not sure whether this medal was ever awarded to personnel from the British Army, perhaps if someone had fought in a campaign with an American attachment?

[Walkwolf]

Hi, MrsN08. Welcome to the Forum.

I suppose this is possible, but the U.S. Good Conduct medal is for 'exemplary behavior,
efficiency and fidelity by personnel in active Federal military service'. Unless it is
attached to his own group of medals, or with a supporting document,
it is more than likely a rogue medal he picked up along the way.

There would be no reason to 'award' a common medal such as this to a foreign soldier.
They are plentiful and inexpensive, and it is not uncommon for a piece of militaria
to have simply been collected.

[MrsN08]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your reply - I didn't think it would have been given to British soldiers, but nobody seems to know how my grandad came across it, so you're probably right that he just picked it up somehow along the way. We don't know whether he had any friends in the US army while he was in Burma and might have acquired it somehow that way. It's even got the original ribbon with it. One of those mysteries I guess we'll never solve as none of his brothers or sisters are with us either who may know!
Many thanks again!
Laura

[Uberman]

It's not a mystery. Good Conduct medals were not issued to foreign personnel outside of U.S. Forces ranks. But, servicemen often trades extra medals they had doubles off or "fell of the back of a supply truck".

I've had Brit and Aussie medals come in U.S. groupings. Always separate and not on a ribbon. Common practice to trade with whoever was around!

Also, while on subject, I do know the Good Conduct medals were very popular for some reason among the Allies and some U.S. guys would have multiples of them.

[ObKrieger]

Those GCM's are like weeds, I keep finding them in my collection. I've got 6-7 of them! Neat medals though.

This trading process is how many German medals ended up in the U.S. and Britain as well. If only I were in WWII, oh the things I would trade for...