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The Emergency Service Medal ( Irish: ''An Bonn Seirbhíse Éigeandála'') is a military decoration of the
The medal is made of bronze, on the front there is an image of a woman with a dog beside her, along the top the words ''"Re na Práinne"'' are inscribed in Irish. On the back there is an olive branch with "1939" to one side of it, and "1946" to the other. At the top there are words inscribed in Irish, the words are different across the 11 variants, with each being the Irish name of the organisation or group the individual who received the medal is a member of. The example Medal shown reads ''"An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil"'', which was the Irish name for the Local Security Forces.
The Ribbon is scarlet red with 1 or 2 white stripes in the center. The ribbons for the Local Security Forces, Air Raid Precautions Agency, First Aid Division of the Irish Red Cross and the Volunteer Aid Division of the Irish Red Cross all have one large stripe, while the rest of the ribbons have two smaller disconnected stripes.
There is a bar at the top of all Medals, which reads ''"Serbís Náisiúnta"''. If an individual completed an extra two years of service during The Emergency, then they would be awarded an extra bar with "1939-1946" inscribed on the front. Up to two extra bars could be earned, both having the same design.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
that was awarded to servicemen who served during The Emergency from 1939 to 1946.
Due to faulty record keeping during the period, the total number of Medals issued is not known.
Description
The medal is made of bronze, on the front there is an image of a woman with a dog beside her, along the top the words ''"Re na Práinne"'' are inscribed in Irish. On the back there is an olive branch with "1939" to one side of it, and "1946" to the other. At the top there are words inscribed in Irish, the words are different across the 11 variants, with each being the Irish name of the organisation or group the individual who received the medal is a member of. The example Medal shown reads ''"An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil"'', which was the Irish name for the Local Security Forces.
The Ribbon is scarlet red with 1 or 2 white stripes in the center. The ribbons for the Local Security Forces, Air Raid Precautions Agency, First Aid Division of the Irish Red Cross and the Volunteer Aid Division of the Irish Red Cross all have one large stripe, while the rest of the ribbons have two smaller disconnected stripes.
There is a bar at the top of all Medals, which reads ''"Serbís Náisiúnta"''. If an individual completed an extra two years of service during The Emergency, then they would be awarded an extra bar with "1939-1946" inscribed on the front. Up to two extra bars could be earned, both having the same design.
Eligibility
The medal was eligible for Members of the26th Infantry Battalion
The 26th Infantry Battalion (26ú Cathlán) was formed during " The Emergency" in Ireland at the time of the Second World War. This battalion was part of the second line reserve and comprised almost exclusively men who had seen active service in th ...
, Irish Navy
The Naval Service () is the maritime component of the Defence Forces of Ireland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork.
Though preceded by earlier maritime defence organisations ...
and the Irish Air Corps
The Air Corps () is the air force of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out ...
for 1 year of service. Members of the Reserve Defence Forces, the Local Security Force, the Air Raid Precautions Agency, the Maritime Inscription, the Second Line Reserve, the First Aid Division of Irish Red Cross, the Volunteer Aid Division of Irish Red Cross, the Army Nursing Service and the Chaplaincy Service were awarded it after 2 years of service.
References
{{Reflist Orders, decorations, and medals of Ireland 1944 establishments in Ireland Awards established in 1944 Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations Ireland in World War II Campaign medals Military awards and decorations of World War II