Terms:
The medal was awarded to Canadians for six months
service in Britain between
03 September 1939 and 08 May 1945
Medal:
A circular, silver (.800 fine) medal, 1.42 inches in diameter.
The British issue medals were made of cupro-nickel.
Obverse:
The obverse shows the bareheaded coinage effigy
of King George VI, facing left, and the legend:
GEORGIVS VI D: BR: OMN:
REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Reverse:
On the reverse, the Royal Crown rests on the
stump of an oak tree, flanked by a lion and a lioness. At the top left
is the date 1939,
and at the top right, the date 1945. In exergue,
though not ruled off, is the wording: THE DEFENCE/MEDAL.
Clasps:
none
Mounting:
A plain, straight, non-swivelling suspender with a single-toe claw.
Ribbon:
The light green ribbon is 1¼ inches wide with a central stripe of
orange (0.5 inches wide) and a narrow black stripe
in the middle of each green stripe.
The orange (flame colour) represents the enemy attacks on the green land
of England and the black represents the black-outs.
Awarded to:
Please note that the above is only a summary
outline of the conditions that apply to this medal.
Additional information and a list of qualifying areas of service are available
from the Honours and Awards Section, Veterans Affairs Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P4.
©Crown Copyright/MOD 2008