Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration

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Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration
Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration (George V) v1.jpg
First King George V version, 32 mm ribbon
Awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
TypeMilitary long service decoration
EligibilityOfficers of part-time Colonial Forces
Awarded forTwenty years meritorious service
StatusDiscontinued in 1930
Post-nominalsVD
Statistics
Established1899
Order of wear
Next (higher) Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies
EquivalentIndian Volunteer Forces Officers' Decoration
Next (lower) Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal
Related Volunteer Officers' Decoration
Ribbon - Volunteer Long Service Medal.png Ribbon - Volunteer Officers' Decoration.png
32 mm and 38 mm ribbon bars

The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration, post-nominal letters VD, was established in 1899 as recognition for long and meritorious service as a part-time commissioned officer in any of the organized military forces of the British Colonies, Dependencies and Protectorates. It superseded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies in all these territories, but not in the Indian Empire. [1] [2]

Contents

In 1930, the decoration, along with the Volunteer Officers' Decoration and the Territorial Decoration, were superseded by the Efficiency Decoration in an effort to standardise recognition across the British Empire. [3]

Origin

In 1892, the Volunteer Officers' Decoration was instituted as an award for long and meritorious service by officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force. In 1894, the grant of the decoration was extended by Royal Warrant to commissioned officers of volunteer forces throughout the British Empire, defined as being India, the Dominion of Canada, the Crown Colonies and the Crown Dependencies. A separate new decoration was instituted, the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Institution

The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration was established by Queen Victoria's Royal Warrant on 18 May 1899. This decoration could be awarded to part-time commissioned officers in recognition of long and meritorious service in any of the organized military forces of the Dominion of Canada and the British Colonies, Dependencies and Protectorates, whether designated as militia or volunteers or otherwise. The decoration superseded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies in all these territories, but not in the Indian Empire, where the Indian Volunteer Forces Officers' Decoration would subsequently be instituted. [1] [8]

The use of the post-nominal letters VD by recipients of this decoration was approved by Royal Warrant on 9 May 1925. [2]

Award criteria

The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration could be awarded for twenty years of service as a part-time commissioned officer in any of the Colonial Auxiliary Forces. Qualifying service could be had by serving in the forces of more than one Colony or Protectorate. Service in the Militia and Volunteer Forces of the United Kingdom was also reckonable, so long as at least half of all qualifying service was rendered in the forces of the Colonies or Protectorates. Service on the West Coast of Africa counted as double time, while half the time served in the ranks prior to being commissioned was also reckonable. Service on the permanent staff was not reckonable. [1]

Order of wear

In the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration takes precedence after the Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies and before the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal. The same ribbon was used for all three awards, except during the period from 1921 to 1927, when the decoration was suspended from a wider green ribbon. [9]

Ribbon - Volunteer Long Service Medal.png Ribbon - Volunteer Long Service Medal.png Ribbon - Volunteer Long Service Medal.png

Description

The decoration is an oval skeletal design and was struck in silver, with parts of the obverse in silver-gilt. The oval is 1 716 inches (37 millimetres) high and 1 14 inches (32 millimetres) wide and is suspended by a thin silver wire suspension bar which is attached to a small ring at the top on the reverse. [10]

Obverse

The obverse is an oval silver band, inscribed "COLONIAL AUXILIARY FORCES" and with the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch in skeletal form and in silver-gilt in the centre. The oval is surmounted by a silver-gilt Imperial Crown. Five versions of the decoration are known. [10]

Reverse

The reverse is plain. The recipient's name was usually engraved at either the top on the back of the crown or around the circumference of the decoration. [10]

Ribbon

The ribbon, as described in the regulations accompanying the original Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria, is the same as that of the Volunteer Long Service Medal, dark green and 1 14 inches (32 millimetres) wide, and suspended from a silver bar-brooch decorated with an oak leaf pattern. In an amendment to the rules and ordinances pertaining to the decoration, published in the Royal Warrant of King George V on 9 June 1921, the ribbon was described as green and 1 12 inches (38 millimetres) wide. This wider ribbon and brooch was revoked by the Royal Warrant of King George V on 22 June 1927. [1] [11]

Discontinuation

The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration, along with the Volunteer Officers' Decoration and the Territorial Decoration, were superseded by the Efficiency Decoration on 23 September 1930, as one decoration to reward long and meritorious service of part-time officers of the Territorial Army in Great Britain and of the Auxiliary Military Forces of the Empire and the Protectorates, to recognize the Imperial character of such service. [3]

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Air Efficiency Award

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Efficiency Medal

The Efficiency Medal was instituted in 1930 for award to part-time warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men after twelve years of efficient service on the active list of the Militia or the Territorial Army of the United Kingdom, or of the other Auxiliary Military Forces throughout the British Empire. At the same time a clasp was instituted for award to holders of the medal upon completion of further periods of six years of efficient service.

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Efficiency Decoration

The Efficiency Decoration, post-nominal letters TD for recipients serving in the Territorial Army of the United Kingdom or ED for those serving in the Auxiliary Military Forces, was instituted in 1930 for award to part-time officers after twenty years of service as an efficient and thoroughly capable officer. The decoration superseded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration, the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration and the Territorial Decoration.

Efficiency Decoration (South Africa)

The Efficiency Decoration , post-nominal letters ED, was instituted in 1930 for award to efficient and thoroughly capable part-time officers in the Citizen Force of the Union of South Africa after twenty years of service. The decoration superseded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration.

Efficiency Medal (South Africa)

The Efficiency Medal was instituted in 1930 for award to part-time warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men after twelve years of efficient service on the active list of the Citizen Force of the Union of South Africa. At the same time, a clasp was instituted for award to holders of the medal upon completion of further periods of six years of efficient service. The medal superseded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal.

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Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal

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Volunteer Long Service Medal

The Volunteer Long Service Medal was instituted in 1894 as an award for long service by other ranks and some officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force. Award of the medal was discontinued when it was superseded by the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal in 1908.

Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (South Africa)

The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct is a distinctive South African version of the British Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military). It was awarded to members of the Permanent Force of the Union of South Africa who had completed eighteen years of reckonable service.

Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Cape of Good Hope)

In May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Colonial governments to adopt various British military medals and to award them to their local military forces. The Cape of Good Hope introduced this system in September 1895 and, in 1896, instituted the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal .

Meritorious Service Medal (Cape of Good Hope)

In May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Colonial governments to adopt various British military medals and to award them to members of their local permanent military forces. The Cape of Good Hope introduced this system in September 1895 and, in 1896, instituted the Meritorious Service Medal .

Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal

The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1899 as a military long service award for part-time members of all ranks in any of the organized military forces of the British Colonies, Dependencies and Protectorates throughout the British Empire. The medal gradually superseded the Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies in all these territories, with the exception of the Isle of Man, Bermuda and the Indian Empire.

Meritorious Service Medal (Natal)

In May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Colonial governments to adopt various British military medals and to award them to members of their local permanent military forces. The Colony of Natal introduced this system in August 1895 and, in 1897, instituted the Meritorious Service Medal (Natal).

Meritorious Service Medal (South Africa)

In May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Colonial governments to adopt various British military medals and to award them to their local permanent military forces. The Cape of Good Hope and Colony of Natal instituted their own territorial versions of the Meritorious Service Medal in terms of this authority. These two medals remained in use in the respective territories until after the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

Volunteer Officers Decoration for India and the Colonies UK long service medal for volunteer officers

The Volunteer Officers' Decoration was instituted in 1892 as an award for long and meritorious service by officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force. In 1894, the grant of the decoration was extended to commissioned officers of Volunteer Forces throughout the British Empire. A separate new decoration was instituted, the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies, post-nominal letters VD.

Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies UK volunteer long service medal

The Volunteer Long Service Medal was instituted in 1894 as an award for long service by other ranks and some officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force. In 1896, the grant of the medal was extended to other ranks and officers who had served in the ranks of the Volunteer Forces throughout the British Empire. A separate new medal was instituted, the Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies. Awarding of this medal was discontinued in stages when it was superseded in most territories by the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal in 1899 and in the remainder by the Efficiency Medal in 1930.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "No. 27085". The London Gazette . 2 June 1899. p. 3517.
  2. 1 2 "No. 33049". The London Gazette . 22 May 1925. p. 3446.
  3. 1 2 "No. 33653". The London Gazette . 17 October 1930. p. 6309.
  4. "No. 26311". The London Gazette . 29 July 1892. p. 4303.
  5. Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Vol. II, 1897 (No. 222. Volunteer Officers' Decoration, 1892.). London: A. Constable. p. 491.
  6. "No. 26516". The London Gazette . 26 May 1894. p. 3115.
  7. Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Vol. II, 1897 (No. 223. Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies, 1894.). London: A. Constable. p. 494.
  8. Classical Numismatic Gallery - Medals, Badges, Decorations - Indian Volunteer Forces (1902), Edward VII, Silver Miniature Medal (Accessed 3 July 2015)
  9. "No. 56878". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2003. p. 3353.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Veterans Affairs Canada - Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration - VD (Accessed 3 July 2015)
  11. 1 2 3 4 "No. 33292". The London Gazette . 8 July 1927. p. 4414.