Civilian Gallantry Awards

The awards to which civilians are (were) eligible can be split into:

1) Civilians in General
2) Awards to the Police

and

3) A List of Civilian Awards


1) Civilians in General

Although we concentrate on military archives a closely linked topic is the award of gallantry medals to civilians. Generally it is possible to research such awards and the main (British) civilian gallantry awards in the 19th and early 20th century were:

i) Albert Medal (for merchant seamen, the Royal Navy and later firemen, miners, railway men, the army, and others),
ii) Edward Medal (for miners, quarry men and later dock workers, railway men, etc.),
iii) Sea Gallantry Medal (for merchant seamen),
iv) Empire Gallantry Medal (from 1922 for meritorious service) primarily for civilians but also for the military in certain circumstances,
v) British Empire Medal (from 1922 for meritorious service) primarily for civilians but also for the military in certain circumstances,
vi) George Cross (from 1940 for meritorious service, replacing the Empire Gallantry Medal, and later the Edward Medal and Albert Medal) primarily for civilians but also for the military in certain circumstances,
vii) George Medal (from 1940 for meritorious service) primarily for civilians but also for the military in certain circumstances,
viii) Queen’s Gallantry Medal (from 1974 for meritorious service).


The National Archives retain the records for civilian awards and for the civilian awards given to military personnel such as the military GCs, GMs and BEMs. Civilian awards were often bestowed on firemen, policemen and air raid precautions (ARPs). However there is no index to the awards for 1940-49. Gallantry awards to civilians for the 1940-48 period are kept together and these include GCs, GMs, Order of the British Empire (OBE), BEMs and the King's / Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct.

2) Awards to the Police
Some awards have been instituted especially to recognise bravery by police officers. These medals are:

i) African Police Medal (later Colonial Police Medal)
ii) Constabulary Medal (Ireland)
iii) King's Police Medal (later the King's Police and Fire Services Medal, and now the Queen's Police Medal)


3) Alphabetical List of Civilian Gallantry Awards
This list is appropriate to the awards and honours system before the changes in 1993. Awards granted before the changes in the honours and awards system of 1993:

i) African Police Medal
ii) Albert Medal
iii) British Empire Medal
iv) Colonial Police Medal
v) Constabulary Medal
vi) Edward Medal
vii) Empire Gallantry Medal
viii) George Cross
ix) George Medal
x) King's Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom
xi) King's Police and Fire Services Medal, & King's and Queen's Police Medal
xii) New Zealand Cross
xiii) Queen's Fire Service Medal
xiv) Queen's Gallantry Medal
xv) Sea Gallantry Medal