Meritorious Service Medal (Natal)

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Meritorious Service Medal (Natal)
Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) Victoria.jpg
Awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India
Country Flag of the Natal Colony 1875-1910.svg Colony of Natal
Type Military long service medal
Eligibility Warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers
Awarded for 21 years meritorious service
Status Discontinued in 1913
Statistics
Established 1897
Order of wear
Next (higher) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Queen Elizabeth II's Long and Faithful Service Medal
Equivalent Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Meritorious Service Medal (United Kingdom)
Flag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg Meritorious Service Medal (Cape of Good Hope)
Flag of New Zealand.svg Meritorious Service Medal (New Zealand)
Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg Meritorious Service Medal (South Africa)
Next (lower) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Accumulated Campaign Service Medal
Ribbon - Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Natal).png
Ribbon Bar

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). [1]

Colony of Natal British colony in south Africa (1843–1910)

The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its provinces. It is now the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

Contents

The medal is a distinctive Colonial version of the British Meritorious Service Medal. It was coupled to a Meritorious Service Annuity and was awarded in limited numbers, usually upon retirement, to selected warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers of the Natal Police who had completed twenty-one years of meritorious service. [1]

Meritorious Service Medal (United Kingdom) British military decoration

The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) is a silver medal for distinguished service, or for gallantry, principally by non-commissioned officers of all of the British armed forces and of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.

Origin

The United Kingdom's Meritorious Service Medal was instituted by Queen Victoria on 19 December 1845 to recognise meritorious service by senior non-commissioned officers of the British Army. The medal was initially only awarded to sergeants but, on 10 June 1884, eligibility was extended to all soldiers above the rank of Corporal. Recipients were also granted a Meritorious Service Annuity, the amount of which was based on rank. [2] [3]

Queen Victoria British monarch who reigned 1837–1901

Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. On 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India.

Non-commissioned officer Military officer without a commission

A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not earned a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually obtain their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. In contrast, commissioned officers hold higher ranks than NCOs, have more legal responsibilities, are paid more, and often have more non-military training such as a university diploma. Commissioned officers usually earn their commissions without having risen through the enlisted ranks.

Upon its institution in 1845, a sum of £2,000 of public money was made available annually to grant Meritorious Service Annuities of £20 each to sergeants of the Regular Army as a reward for good, faithful and efficient service. This allowed for a maximum of 100 British Army soldiers to be in receipt of the annuity at any time and, since those selected to receive the annuity were also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the medal was awarded sparingly. Even though the budgeted amount for these annuities was increased from time to time, further awards of the medal and annuity were therefore restricted to only those registered candidates, recommended by their commanding officers, who were selected by the Commander-in-Chief of the Army from a list as those whom he considered to be the most deserving to receive any annuities which may have fallen vacant. [2] [3]

British Army land warfare branch of the British Armed Forces of the United Kingdom

The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of British Armed Forces. As of 2018, the British Army comprises just over 81,500 trained regular (full-time) personnel and just over 27,000 trained reserve (part-time) personnel.

Natal Colonial Forces

In the late 19th century, the military forces of the Colony of Natal consisted of the para-military Natal Police and a Volunteer Force, which was reorganised as the Natal Militia in 1904. The Natal Police and Natal Militia were amalgamated to form the Natal Colonial Forces in 1908. [1]

Adoption

On 31 May 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Dominion and Colonial governments to adopt the Meritorious Service Medal, as well as the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and to award them to permanent members of their local military forces. The Colony of Natal introduced this system in August 1895 and the Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) was instituted by Royal Warrant on 19 October 1897. [1] [3] [4]

Distinguished Conduct Medal United Kingdom military decoration for bravery

The Distinguished Conduct Medal, post-nominal letters DCM, was established in 1854 by Queen Victoria as a decoration for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranking below the Victoria Cross, until its discontinuation in 1993 when it was replaced by the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. The medal was also awarded to non-commissioned military personnel of other Commonwealth Dominions and Colonies.

Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

The Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was instituted by King William IV in 1830. The medal remained in use for 100 years, until it was replaced by the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) in 1930. During that time the reverse of the medal remained virtually unchanged, while the design of the obverse was altered during the reigns of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V.

The Natal medal was identical to the British medal on the obverse, but had the additional inscription "NATAL" on the reverse. Other territories which took advantage of the authorisation include Canada, Cape of Good Hope, India, New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and, from 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia. Second versions of most of these medals, with the effigy of King Edward VII on the obverse, were introduced after his succession to the throne in 1901. [5] [6]

Award criteria

Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) were usually already holders of the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal). The medal and annuity were awarded only to selected candidates, usually upon retirement as a reward after long and valuable service, upon recommendation by their commanding officers and selected from a list by the Commander-in-Chief of the Natal Colonial Forces, the Governor of the Colony of Natal. [1] [2]

Order of wear

In the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) ranks on par with the United Kingdom's Meritorious Service Medal. It takes precedence after Queen Elizabeth II's Long and Faithful Service Medal and before the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal. [7]

South Africa

With effect from 6 April 1952, when a new South African set of decorations and medals was instituted to replace the British awards used to date, the older British decorations and medals applicable to South Africa continued to be worn in the same order of precedence but, with the exception of the Victoria Cross, took precedence after all South African orders, decorations and medals awarded to South Africans on or after that date. Of the official British medals which were applicable to South Africans, the Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) takes precedence as shown. [7] [8] [9]

Ribbon - Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Cape).png Ribbon - Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Natal).png Ribbon - Meritorious Service Medal (Union).png

Description

The medal was struck in silver and is a disk, 36 millimetres in diameter and with a raised rim on both sides. The suspender is an ornamented scroll pattern swiveling type, affixed to the medal by means of a claw and a horizontal pin through the upper edge of the medal. On the Queen Victoria version the suspender mount is a double-toe claw, while the King Edward VII version has a single-toe claw. [3]

King Edward VII version Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) Edward VII.jpg
King Edward VII version
Obverse

The obverse of the first version of the medal bears the effigy of Queen Victoria, circumscribed "VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX". The King Edward VII version has the effigy of the King in Field Marshal's uniform, circumscribed "EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR". [2] [3]

Reverse

The reverse of both versions have the words "FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE" in three lines, encircled by a laurel wreath and surmounted by the Imperial Crown. At the top, above the crown and wreath, it is inscribed "NATAL" in a curved line. [2] [4]

Ribbon

The ribbon is that of the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal). While the ribbon of the British Meritorious Service Medal was plain crimson until mid-1916, the ribbon of the Natal medal is 32 millimetres wide and crimson, with a 4 millimetres wide light yellow band in the centre. [1] [3]

Discontinuation

Of the four Colonies which were to form the Union of South Africa in 1910, the Cape of Good Hope and the Colony of Natal adopted their own territorial versions of the Meritorious Service Medal. The award of these medals was discontinued after the Union of South Africa was established in 1910. Once the Union Defence Forces were established in 1912, the Union began to award the Meritorious Service Medal (South Africa). [1] [10]

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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.

South Africa Medal (1880)

The South Africa Medal (1880), often referred to as the Zulu War Medal, is a campaign medal which was instituted in 1880 and awarded by the British Government to members of the British Army, Royal Naval Brigade and Colonial Volunteers who were involved in a series of South African tribal wars in the Cape of Good Hope, Colony of Natal and Transvaal between 1877 and 1879, most notably for the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.

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.

Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers Decoration

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.

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, initially designated the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service Medal, was instituted in 1908. It could be awarded to part-time ratings in the United Kingdom's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve after twelve years of service and good conduct. The medal was a Naval version of the Volunteer Long Service Medal and its successor, the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.

Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal

The Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal is a military and civil commemorative medal which was awarded to commemorate the opening of the first Union Parliament by the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn in 1910. It may be considered as the first of many independence medals which were instituted throughout the Commonwealth during the 20th century.

Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal

The Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal is a long service and good conduct medal, instituted for award to other ranks of the Permanent Forces of the Dominions and Colonies of the British Empire. The medal, also known as the Permanent Overseas Forces Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, was established in 1910 as a single common award to supersede the several local versions of the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal which were being awarded by the various territories.

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.

Distinguished Conduct Medal (Natal) military decoration for bravery in Natal

In 1895, Queen Victoria authorised Colonial governments to adopt various British military decorations and medals and to award them to their local military forces. The Colony of Natal introduced this system in August 1895 and, in 1897, instituted the Distinguished Conduct Medal (Natal), post-nominal letters DCM.

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 .

Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal)

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

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 (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

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

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 5 6 7 South African Medal Website – Colonial Military Forces (Accessed 6 May 2015)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "No. 33700". The London Gazette . 20 March 1931. p. 1893.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stephen Stratford Medals site - British Military & Criminal History - 1900 to 1999 - Army MSM (Accessed 20 June 2015)
  4. 1 2 Just Done Productions Medal View - Meritorius Service Medal (1897) (Access date 22 June 2015)
  5. ↑ New Zealand Defence Force – New Zealand Long Service and Good Conduct Medals - The New Zealand Meritorious Service Medal (Access date 21 June 2015)
  6. ↑ Australian Government - It's an Honour - Imperial Awards - Meritorious Service Medal (1902-1975) (Access date 21 June 2015)
  7. 1 2 "No. 56878". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2003. p. 3352.
  8. ↑ Government Notice no. 1982 of 1 October 1954 - Order of Precedence of Orders, Decorations and Medals, published in the Government Gazette of 1 October 1954.
  9. ↑ Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC   72827981
  10. ↑ South African Medal Website – Union Defence Forces (1913–1939) (Accessed 9 May 2015)

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