WW1 VICTORY MEDAL +RIBBON +2-PATCHES +ALLANTOWN VICTORY MEDALS SEE STORE WW1

Description

PLEASE FOLLOW OUR E BAY STORE
SEE ALL PICS
SALE
SEE OUR STORE
PLEASE READ WHOLE ADD
SEE STORE !!!!
World War I Victory Medal (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
For other uses, see
Victory Medal
.
World War I Victory Medal
Type
Medal
Awarded for
"service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, or with either of the following
expeditions
:
American Expeditionary Forces in European Russia
between November 12, 1918, and August 5, 1919.
American Expeditionary Forces Siberia
between November 23, 1918, and April 1, 1920."
Description
A
medal
of
bronze
36 millimeters in diameter. On the
obverse
is a winged
Victory
standing full length and full face. On the reverse is the inscription
The Great War for Civilization
and the
coat of arms for the United States
surmounted by a
fasces
, and on either side the names of the
Allied and Associated Nations
. The medal is suspended by a
ring
from a
silk
moire
ribbon
1 3/8 inches in length and 36 millimeters in width, composed of two
rainbows
placed in
juxtaposition
and having the red in the middle, with a white thread along each edge.
Presented by
Department of War
and
Department of the Navy
Eligibility
Military personnel only
Motto
The Great War for Civilization
Status
Obsolete
Established
1919
; 102 years ago
Service ribbon
and
campaign streamer
Precedence
Next (higher)
Mexican Border Service Medal
Next (lower)
Army of Occupation of Germany Medal
The
World War I Victory Medal
(originally known as the
Victory Medal
) was a
United States
World War I
service medal
designed by
James Earle Fraser
.
[1]
Award of a common
allied
service medal was recommended by an inter-allied committee in March 1919.
[2]
Each allied nation would design a 'Victory Medal' for award to their military personnel, all issues having certain common features, including a winged figure of
victory
on the obverse and the same ribbon.
[3]
The Victory Medal was originally intended to be established by an
act of Congress
. The
bill
authorizing the medal never passed, however, thus leaving the military departments to establish it through
general orders
. The
War Department
published orders in April 1919, and the
Navy
in June of the same year.
[4]
Criteria
[
edit
]
The Victory Medal was awarded to military personnel for service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, or with either of the following
expeditions
:
American Expeditionary Forces in European Russia
between November 12, 1918, and August 5, 1919.
American Expeditionary Forces Siberia
between November 23, 1918, and April 1, 1920.
[5]
Design
[
edit
]
The front of the bronze medal features a
winged Victory
holding a shield and sword on the front. The back of the bronze medal features "The Great War For Civilization" in all capital letters curved along the top of the medal. Curved along the bottom of the back of the medal are six stars, three on either side of the center column of seven staffs wrapped in a cord. The top of the staff has a round ball on top and is winged on the side. The staff is on top of a shield that says "U" on the left side of the staff and "S" on the right side of the staff. On left side of the staff it lists one
World War I Allied
country per line:
France
,
Italy
,
Serbia
,
Japan
,
Montenegro
,
Russia
, and
Greece
. On the right side of the staff the Allied country names read:
Great Britain
,
Belgium
,
Brazil
,
Portugal
,
Rumania
(spelled with a U instead of an O as it is spelled now), and
China
.
Devices
[
edit
]
To denote battle participation and campaign credit, the World War I Victory Medal was authorized with a large variety of devices to denote specific accomplishments. In order of seniority, the devices authorized to the World War I Victory Medal were as follows:
Citation Star
[
edit
]
The
Citation Star
to the World War I Victory Medal was authorized by the United States Congress on February 4, 1919.
[6]
A
3
⁄
16
inch silver star was authorized to be worn on the ribbon of the Victory Medal for any member of the U.S. Army who had been cited for gallantry in action between 1917 and 1920. In 1932, the Citation Star ("Silver Star") was redesigned and renamed the
Silver Star Medal
and, upon application to the
United States War Department
, any holder of the Silver Star Citation could have it converted to a Silver Star medal.
Navy Commendation Star
[
edit
]
The
Navy Commendation Star
to the World War I Victory Medal was authorized to any person who had been commended by the Secretary of the Navy for performance of duty during the First World War. A
3
⁄
16
inch silver star was worn on the World War I Victory Medal, identical in appearance to the Army's Citation Star. Unlike the Army's version, however, the Navy Commendation Star could not be upgraded to the Silver Star medal.
[4]
[7]
Army Battle Clasps
[
edit
]
The following
battle clasps
, inscribed with a battle's name, were worn on the medal to denote participation in major ground conflicts.
[1]
Army Battle Clasps
Major Ground Conflict
Start Date
End Date
Aisne
May 27, 1918
June 5, 1918
Aisne-Marne
July 18, 1918
August 6, 1918
Cambrai
May 12, 1917
December 4, 1917
Champagne-Marne
July 15, 1918
July 18, 1918
Lys
April 9, 1918
April 27, 1918
Meuse-Argonne
September 26, 1918
November 11, 1918
Montdidier-Noyon
June 9, 1918
June 13, 1918
Oise-Aisne
August 18, 1918
November 11, 1918
St. Mihiel
September 12, 1918
September 16, 1918
Somme-Defensive
March 21, 1918
April 6, 1918
Somme-Offensive
August 8, 1918
November 11, 1918
Vittorio-Veneto
October 24, 1918
November 4, 1918
Ypres-Lys
August 19, 1918
November 11, 1918
For general defense service, not involving a specific battle, the "Defensive Sector" Battle Clasp was authorized. The clasp was also awarded for any battle which was not already recognized by its own battle clasp.
The World War I Victory Medal bears the clasps of the battles the U.S. Army participated in across the ribbon. Not all battles are shown on the bar clasps. Only the battles designated as battles that would have bars issued were shown on the medal. The famous
Battle of Chateau Thierry
to hold the Chateau and the bridge as a joint effort between the US Army and the US Marines against the German machine gunners did not get awarded clasps.
Navy Battle Clasps
[
edit
]
Navy battle clasps were issued for naval service in support of Army operations and had identical names to the Army battle clasps. There was a slight variation of the criteria dates for the Navy battle clasps, as listed below.
[4]
Navy Battle Clasps
Major Ground Conflict
Start Date
End Date
Aisne
June 1, 1918
June 5, 1918
Aisne-Marne
July 18, 1918
July 20, 1918
Meuse-Argonne
September 29, 1918
October 10, 1918
Meuse-Argonne
October 25, 1918
November 11, 1918
St. Mihiel
September 12, 1918
September 16, 1918
Ypres-Lys (Service in support of the Northern Bombing Group)
The Defensive Sector Clasp was also authorized for Navy personnel who had participated in naval combat but were not authorized a particular battle clasp.
Defensive Sector Clasp on Ribbon
Navy Operational Clasps
[
edit
]
For sea-related war duty, the Navy issued the following
operational clasps
, which were worn on the World War I Victory Medal and inscribed with the name of the duty type which had been performed:
[4]
Navy Operational Clasps
Operation
Start Date
End Date
Armed Guard: Merchant personnel(freighters, tankers, and troop ship)
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Asiatic: Service on any vessel that visited a Siberian port
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Asiatic: Port visit must have exceeded ten days in length
November 12, 1918
March 30, 1920
Atlantic Fleet
: Service in the Atlantic Fleet
May 25, 1918
November 11, 1918
Aviation
: Service involving flying over the Atlantic Ocean
May 25, 1918
November 11, 1918
Destroyer
: Service on destroyers on the Atlantic Ocean
May 25, 1918
November 11, 1918
Escort
: Personnel regularly attached to escort vessels on the North Atlantic
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Grand Fleet: Personnel assigned to any ship of the “United States Grand Fleet”
December 9, 1917
November 11, 1918
Mine
Laying: Service in mine laying sea duty
May 26, 1918
November 11, 1918
Mine Sweeping: Service in mine sweeping sea duty
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Mobile Base: Service on tenders and repair vessels
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Naval Battery: Service as a member of a naval battery detachment
July 10, 1918
November 11, 1918
Overseas: Service on shore in allied or enemy countries of Europe
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Patrol
: War patrol service on the Atlantic Ocean
May 25, 1918
November 11, 1918
Salvage
: Salvage duty performed on the seas
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Submarine
: Submarine duty performed on the Atlantic Ocean
May 25,1918
November 11, 1918
Submarine Chaser: Anti-submarine duty performed on the Atlantic Ocean
May 18, 1918
November 11, 1918
Transport
: Personnel regularly attached to a transport or cargo vessel
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
White Sea
: Service on any vessel which visited a Russian port or war patrols in the White Sea not less than ten days
November 12, 1918
July 31, 1919
Unlike the army, the navy only allowed one clasp of any type to be worn on the ribbon. Members of the marine or medical corps who served in France but was not eligible for a battle clasp would receive a bronze
Maltese cross
on their ribbons.
[4]
Army Service Clasps
[
edit
]
For non-combat service with the army during the First World War, the following
service clasps
were authorized to be worn with the World War I Victory Medal. Each service clasp was inscribed with a country or region name where support service was performed. The U.S. Army issued the following service clasps:
[1]
Army Service Clasps
Country or Region
Start Date
End Date
England
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
France
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Italy
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Russia
November 12, 1918
August 5, 1919
Siberia
November 23, 1918
April 1, 1920
Navy Service Clasps
[
edit
]
The U.S. Navy issued similar service clasps to the Army for service in the following regions during the following periods:
[4]
Navy Service Clasps
Region
Start Date
End Date
England
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
France
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Italy
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Russia
November 12, 1918
July 31, 1919
Siberia
November 12, 1918
March 30, 1920
West Indies
April 6, 1917
November 11, 1918
Campaign Stars
[
edit
]
Since battle and service clasps could only be worn on the full-sized World War I Victory Medal, 3/16 inch bronze
service stars
were authorized for wear on the award ribbon. This was the common method of campaign and battle display when wearing the World War I Victory Medal as a ribbon on a military uniform.
Maltese Cross device on U.S. WWI Victory Medal
Maltese Cross
[
edit
]
Medals issued to
U.S. Marines
were issued with a
Maltese cross
device affixed to the ribbon.
Distribution
[
edit
]
The World War I Victory Medals were awarded after the end of World War I, so they were mailed to the servicemen instead of awarded in person. For example, the boxes containing the Victory Medals for
United States Army
World War I veterans were mailed out by the depot officer at the General Supply Depot, U.S. Army, in
Philadelphia
,
Pennsylvania
, in April 1921. An outer light brown box with an address label glued to it and its postage area marked "OFFICIAL BUSINESS, Penalty for private use 0" contained an inner white box stamped with the bars the serviceman was supposed to receive on his medal. The inner white box contained the medal, which was wrapped in
tissue paper
.
Only after filling out the application form A.G.O. No. 740 with the help of an authorized officer could it be officially forwarded to the Philadelphia Quartermaster Intermediate Depot for the veteran then to receive his medal by mail. The Army started issuing Victory Medals on June 21, 1920, not April 1921 as listed above. The Navy had a late start due to production issues and started in August 1920.
[8]
Name change
[
edit
]
In 1945, the "Victory Ribbon" was created as an award for those who served in
World War II
. Between 1945 and 1947, the World War I award continued to be known by its original name, the "Victory Medal", and the World War II award was known as the "Victory Ribbon". In 1947, the Victory Ribbon became a full-sized medal as the
World War II Victory Medal
, at which point the World War I Victory Medal adopted its current name. However, some military records as late as the 1950s continued to annotate the World War I decoration by its previous name, and the medal was often referred to as "Victory Medal (WWI)".
An international award
[
edit
]
Not only did the United States issue a Victory Medal, but so did a significant number of Allied and associated countries involved in the conflict against the Dual Alliance between Austria and Germany.
The proposition of such a common award was first made by French Maréchal
Ferdinand Foch
who was supreme commander of the Allied Forces during the First World War. Each medal in bronze has the same diameter (36 mm) and ribbon (double rainbow), but with a national design representing a winged victory.
[a]
Country
Designer
Manufacturer
Number issued
Belgium
Paul Du Bois
(1859–1938)
—
300,000–350,000
Brazil
Jorge Soubre (1890–1934)
Casa da Moeda
Rio
approximately 2,500
Cuba
Charles Charles
Etablissements Chobillon
6,000–7,000
Czechoslovakia
Otakar Španiel (1881–1955)
Kremnice Mint
approximately 89,500
France
Pierre-Alexandre Morlon (1878–1951)
Monnaie de Paris
approximately 2,000,000
France
[b]
Charles Charles
Etablissements Chobillon
—
France
[b]
M. Pautot
Louis Octave Mattei
—
—
United Kingdom
[c]
William McMillan (1887–1977)
Woolwich Arsenal
Wright & Son
6,334,522 plus
Greece
Henry-Eugène Nocq (1868–1944)
V. Canale
approximately 200,000
Italy
Gaetano Orsolini (1884–1954)
Sacchini-Milano
S. Johnson-Milano
F. M. Lorioli & Castelli-Milano
approximately 2,000,000
Japan
[d]
Shoukichi Hata
Osaka Mint
193,300
Poland
[e]
.... Vlaitov
Mint Kremnica
—
Portugal
João Da Silva (1880–1960)
Da Costa
approximately 100,000
Romania
.... Kristesko
—
approximately 300,000
Siam (Thailand)
Itthithepsan Kritakara
(1890–1935)
—
approximately 1,500
South Africa
[f]
William McMillan (1887–1977)
Woolwich Arsenal
approximately 75,000
United States
James Earle Fraser (1876–1953)
Arts Metal Works Inc.
S. G. Adams Stamp & Stationary Co.
Jos. Mayer Inc.
approximately 2,500,000