Efficiency Medal

This article is about the British award for long service in the Territorial Army. For other awards named "Efficiency Medal", see Efficiency Medal (disambiguation).

Efficiency Medal
First King George VI version with a "MILITIA" suspender bar
TypeMilitary long service medal
Awarded forTwelve years of efficient service
Country United Kingdom
Presented bythe Monarch of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India
EligibilityPart-time other ranks and some officers
ClaspsFor further periods of 6 years service
StatusStill current in New Zealand
Established1930
Original, HAC and 1967 ribbon bars
Order of wear
Next (higher)Territorial Efficiency Medal
EquivalentEfficiency Medal (New Zealand)
Efficiency Medal (South Africa)
Next (lower)Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct 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.[1]

The medal superseded the Volunteer Long Service Medal, the Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies, the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal, the Militia Long Service Medal, the Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and the Territorial Efficiency Medal.[1]

In the British Commonwealth, the Efficiency Medal was gradually superseded by national medals in some member countries, in Canada by the Canadian Forces' Decoration in 1951, in the Union of South Africa by the John Chard Medal in 1952 and in Australia by the Reserve Force Medal in 1982. In the United Kingdom the medal was superseded by the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal in 1999. New Zealand continues to award the Efficiency Medal (New Zealand) and is one of a few countries to still do so.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

  1. ^ a b "No. 33653". The London Gazette. 17 October 1930. p. 6311.
  2. ^ McCreery, Christopher (2011). The Canadian Forces' Decoration (PDF). Ottawa: Directorate of Honours and Recognition National Defence Headquarters. pp. 6–9. (Accessed 26 May 2015)
  3. ^ South African Medal Website - Union Defence Forces (1939-52) (Accessed 3 May 2015)
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Alexander, EGM; Barron, GKB; Bateman, AJ (1986). South African Orders, Decorations and Medals. Cape Town: Human and Rousseau Publishers. p. 160. ISBN 0-7981-1895-4.
  6. ^ Australian Government - It's an Honour - Reserve Force Medal (Accessed 18 July 2015)
  7. ^ Gov.UK - Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility - Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (Accessed 9 July 2015)
  8. ^ "The Efficiency Medal". New Zealand Defence Force. Retrieved 4 July 2015.