| Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Queen Victoria version | |
| Type | Military marksmanship medal |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | the Monarch of the United Kingdom |
| Eligibility | All ranks (Army) |
| Clasps | Displaying year of award |
| Status | Current in United Kingdom, Jamaica and New Zealand |
| Established | 1869 |
| First awarded | 1870 |
 Ribbon bar | |
| Order of wear | |
| Next (higher) | King's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces |
| Next (lower) | King's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces |
The Medal for the Best Shot in the British Army, Infantry, was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1869 and was awarded annually from 1870 to 1882 to the best shot of the Infantry of the British Army, including the Royal Engineers and the Colonial Corps.[1]
In 1923, the medal was re-introduced by King George V and designated the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces. It could now be awarded to the champions of Army marksmanship competitions, held under battle conditions at annual central meetings in the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, Colonies and India. Early participating countries were Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.[2][3][4]
The number of countries which awarded the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces grew to twelve by the mid-20th century, but as some countries gained independence from the United Kingdom or instituted their own equivalent awards, that number dwindled to the present three: the United Kingdom, Jamaica and New Zealand.[2][5]
An Air Force version of the medal, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces, was instituted in 1953. This was followed by the institution of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces in 1958 and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in 1966.[6][7][8][9][10]
- ^ Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Vol. II, 1897 (No. 217. Best Shot.). London: A. Constable. p. 484.
- ^ a b The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - A Concise History of the Queen's/King's Medal (Accessed 7 August 2015)
- ^ "No. 33554". The London Gazette. 22 November 1929. p. 7530.
- ^ "No. 39294". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 July 1951. p. 4035.
- ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Home Page (Accessed 7 August 2015)
- ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces (Accessed 7 August 2015)
- ^ "No. 40204". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1954. p. 3539.
- ^ "No. 42338". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 April 1961. p. 3149.
- ^ "No. 49522". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 October 1983. p. 14201.