General Service Medal (1962)
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__NOTOC__ The General Service Medal (1962 GSM, originally referred to as the Campaign Service Medal), is a campaign medal of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
introduced in 1962 to replace both the
General Service Medal (1918) __NOTOC__ The General Service Medal (1918 GSM) was instituted to recognise service in minor Army and Royal Air Force operations for which no separate medal was intended. Local forces, including police, qualified for many of the clasps, as could ...
, as awarded to the Army and RAF, and the
Naval General Service Medal (1915) The Naval General Service Medal (1915 NGSM) was instituted in 1915 to recognise service by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in minor campaigns that would not otherwise earn a specific campaign medal. The Army/Air Force equivalent was the General ...
. The 1962 GSM was awarded until 2007, when it was replaced by the Operational Service Medal. In 2015 the
General Service Medal (2008) The General Service Medal 2008 (GSM 08) was introduced in 2015 for award to Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, and RAF personnel to recognise specified operations since January 2008, not qualifying for another campaign medal. Unlike its predecess ...
was introduced. The 1962 GSM was awarded for what were often arduous campaigns and well fought operations, evidenced by the casualties that were frequently sustained.


Description

The 1962 GSM is a circular
silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
medal, in diameter with the following design:British Battles and Medals, p 261. * The obverse shows the crowned effigy of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
with the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D. * The reverse bears the words 'FOR CAMPAIGN SERVICE' under a crown, all surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves. * The wide ribbon is purple with two outer stripes of dark green. These are the same colours as the GSM 1918–62, but in different proportions. * The name, rank, service number and regiment or corps of the awardee are annotated on the rim of the medal. Those
mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
or who received a Queen’s Commendation during a campaign qualifying for the 1962 GSM wear an oak leaf symbol on the medal ribbon. Service qualifying for the 1962 GSM after 14 August 1969 counted towards the period required to receive the
Accumulated Campaign Service Medal The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal and the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 are medals awarded by King Charles III to members of his Armed Forces to recognise long campaign service. The original Accumulated Campaign Service Medal, inst ...
.


Clasps

Fourteen clasps were awarded, the medal never being awarded without a clasp. The maximum awarded to any one individual appears to have been six. Clasps are worn in the order that the recipient qualified for them, not the date of the relevant Army Order. There was no minimum qualifying period for each clasp for those killed, wounded or disabled during operations, or where a recipient was decorated for operational service, including a
mention in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
and a Queen’s Commendation.


Cyprus crisis of 1963–64

: :As a result of the 2012 Independent Medal Review conducted by Sir John Holmes, from 1 March 2015 this clasp was awarded to those servicemen who served in Cyprus from 21 December 1963 to 26 March 1964. Personnel who have served on a tour of duty after this time receive the
United Nations Medal A United Nations Medal is an international decoration awarded by the United Nations (UN) to the various world countries members for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, a ...
as part of the
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
, who took over peacekeeping duties from 1964.


Borneo

: :Awarded to British, Australian and New Zealand land, sea and air forces who fought Indonesian soldiers, marines and irregular elements in Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak in East Malaysia, during Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation including
Operation Claret Claret was the code name given to operations conducted from about July 1964 until July 1966 from East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah) across the border in Indonesian Kalimantan during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. They were instigated ...
. Eligibility required 30 days service or, for aircrew, 1 operational sortie between 24 December 1962 and 11 August 1966. :This conflict claimed the lives of 114 Commonwealth personnel with 180 wounded. Recipients were subsequently awarded and given permission to wear the Malaysian
Pingat Jasa Malaysia The Malaysian Service Medal (''Pingat Jasa Malaysia'') is a medal given by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, King and Government of Malaysia. Established 3 March 2004, the medal recognizes service by members of the Malaysian Armed Forces during the Malay ...
.


Radfan

: :Awarded to service personnel who served for at least 14 days between 25 April and 31 July 1964 in the campaign in the
Radfan Radfan or the Radfan Hills is a region of the Republic of Yemen. In the 1960s, the area was part of a British protectorate of Dhala (a member of the Federation of South Arabia) and was the site of intense fighting during the Aden Emergency. In 1 ...
Mountains, mounted with South Arabia Federation troops against the
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
ian/
Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
i backed Radfan tribesmen. They were quickly and effectively defeated. Those taking part included a
brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
size army force, members of
815 Naval Air Squadron 815 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron flying the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 helicopter and is the Navy's front line Wildcat Naval Air Squadron. The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) in Somerset. The squa ...
, sailors on HMS ''Centaur'', and RAF aircrew. In 1967 eligibility was widened to include those who served in a supporting role in Aden.British Battles and Medals, p 262.


South Arabia

:This campaign during the
Aden Emergency The Aden Emergency, also known as the 14 October Revolution () or as the Radfan Uprising, was an armed rebellion by the National Liberation Front (South Yemen), National Liberation Front (NLF) and the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South ...
is related to the Radfan Campaign, because both were Egyptian-inspired attempts to end the British presence in
Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...
and end the embryonic
Federation of South Arabia The Federation of South Arabia (FSA; ') was a federal state under British protectorate, British protection in what would become South Yemen. Its capital was Aden. History Originally formed on April 4, 1962 from 15 states of the Federation ...
. This 3-year long campaign saw numerous terrorist attacks on both civilian and military targets. In both Radfan and Aden, the British Army suffered 90 personnel killed and 510 wounded. :The qualifying period was 30 days service in the Federation of South Arabia between 1 August 1964 and 30 November 1967.


Malay Peninsula

:This campaign was an extension of the conflict in Borneo where British and Malaysian troops were operating against Indonesian insurgents. In 1964, Indonesia attacked the Malaysian mainland, with parachute landings in Johore while other troops landed across the
Malacca Straits The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pa ...
from Indonesian Sumatra. It was for operations in Malaysia and surrounding waters against these troops that this clasps was instituted, as opposed to the concurrent Borneo operations. :The qualifying period was 30 days' service (or 30 sorties) in the Malaysian Peninsula-Singapore area between 17 August 1964 to 12 June 1965 for ground forces, and to 11 August 1966 for air crew. The qualifying period does not include jungle training prior to deployment to combat operations even if the training took place in Borneo. Personnel based on Singapore from 8 August 1965 also did not qualify as Singapore, which had been a part of the Federation of Malaysia, became independent. :Awards included approximately 20,000 clasps to the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
, 1,200 to the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
and 300 to the
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...
, with about 6,500 to the RAF. The bulk of the Army units present were drawn from the
Brigade of Gurkhas Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective name which refers to all the units in the British Army that are composed of Gurkha, Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. The brigade draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Arm ...
.


South Vietnam

:This clasp for service during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
was instituted by Royal approval on 16 December 1965 for "members of our Australian Armed Forces who qualify by participation in operations in defence of the Republic of Vietnam as from 24 December 1962, and to a date to be determined...". Between 1963 and 1965, at least 68 members of the
Australian Army Training Team Vietnam The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) was a specialist unit of military advisors of the Australian Army that operated during the Vietnam War. Raised in 1962, the unit was formed solely for service as part of Australia's contribution t ...
(AATTV) and 232 members of the
RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam No. 35 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) transport unit. Formed in 1942, 35 Squadron operated during World War II, transporting cargo and passengers around Australia, New Guinea and the Netherlands East Indies, with a variety of ai ...
qualified for the clasp. However, a decision in 1966 relating to the institution and award of the
Vietnam Medal __NOTOC__ The Vietnam Medal was a joint Australian and New Zealand campaign medal awarded for service in the Vietnam War. The medal was jointly developed by Australia and New Zealand, although there were separate Royal authorisation warrants for ...
led to the stripping of the award from the RAAF personnel. A Royal Warrant dated 8 June 1968 retrospectively changed the qualifying periods to: :Between 24 December 1962 and 29 May 1964: :* 30 days' service in ships operating in inland waters or off the Vietnamese coast. :* 1 day in the service of a land unit. :* 1 operational sortie. :* 30 days' service on an official visit. :For service after 29 May 1964, personnel were awarded the Vietnam Medal. Thus, only 68 clasps were issued, and all 68 went to AATTV members. :(the above statement is incorrect). :The clasp was also awarded to military staff at the UK embassy Saigon, and UK citizens serving within ADF.


Northern Ireland

: :This clasp was instituted for award to personnel involved in the various operations in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
during
The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
. :The qualifying period is a minimum of 30 days' service between 14 August 1969 and 31 July 2007. The 30 days' did not have to be consecutive. Should the qualifying period be cut short due to injury or death, then the completed days are counted as sufficient for the award of this clasp. :In the region of 300,000 medals were awarded with this clasp.Jim Galloway. ''The Northern Ireland Prison Service Medal''. Orders and Medals Research Society Journal, March 2021, Vol 60 No 1. Page 47.


Dhofar The Dhofar Governorate () is the largest of the 11 governorates in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of area. It lies in southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen's Al Mahrah Governorate and the southern border with Saudi Arabia's Easter ...

:In 1965 the mountain tribesmen of
Dhofar The Dhofar Governorate () is the largest of the 11 governorates in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of area. It lies in southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen's Al Mahrah Governorate and the southern border with Saudi Arabia's Easter ...
, a province of Oman, rose in revolt against the regime of Sultan Sa'ib bin Taimur. The revolt worsened in 1967 when the British left the adjacent
State of Aden The State of Aden ( ''Wilāyat ʿAdan'') was a state constituted in Aden within the Federation of South Arabia. Following its establishment on 18 January 1963, Charles Johnston (diplomat), Sir Charles Johnston stepped down as the last Governor ...
, with the new communist government in
Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
providing an important base for the rebels. With the Sultan clearly losing the war, his son staged a coup on 23 July 1970, after which he expanded the armed forces with British assistance. :The British
Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
(SAS) ostensibly provided training for local forces (BATT), but in reality was an operational fighting unit, the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
installed mortar locating radars and a sound ranging base at Salalah, the
Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
provided military and civil engineering, and RAF officers provided the backbone of the new Sultan's air force. The
RAF Regiment The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, the Corps carries-out security tasks relating to the protection of assets and personnel dedicated ...
, as well as airfield ground staff and the
Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...
, were a continuous presence at the air base in Salalah from 1970 to 1976. Medical support was provide by Field Surgical Teams (FSTs) of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). In addition, many British officers were seconded to the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF). Jordan and Iran also provided assistance. :During this period, the British forces suffered 24 killed and 55 wounded. :The qualifying period for the clasp was 30 days service between 1 October 1969 and 30 September 1976.


Lebanon

:In June 1982, in an attempt to remove
Palestinian Liberation Organisation The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ) is a Palestinian nationalist coalition that is internationally recognized as the official representative of the Palestinian people in both the occupied Palestinian territories and the diaspora. ...
bases which were attacking Israel, Israel invaded Lebanon, beginning the
1982 Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, also called the Second Israeli invasion of Lebanon, began on 6 June 1982, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon. The invasion followed a series of attacks and counter-attacks between the Palestine Liberation Organization ...
and advanced towards Lebanon's capital
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
. However, they quickly became embroiled in Lebanon's sectarian violence. :In October 1982, the US-inspired multinational peacekeeping force for Lebanon was sent into Beirut. It was composed of troops from USA, France, Italy and UK. Though all the other contingents suffered casualties (241 US Marines in one attack and 58 French troops in another suicide attack), the British troops carried out their assignments with no loss of life. The force was increasingly becoming just a target for the various factions, and was withdrawn during February - March 1984. :Eligibility for the clasp required 30 days service or, for aircrew, three sorties, between 7 February 1983 and 9 March 1984 About 700 clasps were awarded.British Battles and Medals, pp 263-4.


Mine Clearance, Gulf of Suez

:For 30 days accumulated service in the Gulf of Suez between 15 August 1984 and 15 October 1984. :In the summer of 1984, magnetic sea mines damaged at least 19 ships in the
Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
. In response, six nations including the USA, UK and France launched Operation Intense Look, a minesweeping operation involving more than 46 ships.


Persian Gulf

:For 30 days service between 17 November 1986 (first task group being led by HMS ''Nottingham'') and 31 October 1988 in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
during the
Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
. Royal Navy Ships tasked to the Armilla patrol escorted civilian shipping through the Straits of Hormuz whilst under serious threat from Iranian Forces. During this period 178 ships were attacked, 13,000,000 gross tons suffered damage. To combat extensive Iranian mining of the area the Task Group also carried out mine countermeasures in the Persian Gulf up to 28 February 1989.


Kuwait

:For 30 days service in Kuwait after the liberation, between 8 March and 30 September 1991.


N. Iraq & S. Turkey

:For 30 days service or three operational sorties between 6 April 1991 and 17 July 1991 in support of the coalition operations (
Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...
) to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
.


Air Operations Iraq

:Awarded to RAF personnel, some members of the Army (mainly Royal Engineers and attached personnel) and to the Royal Navy for 60 days continuous or 90 days accumulated service, or six operational sorties, between 16 July 1991 and 30 April 2003Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces, p 8A–3. in support of the no fly zones over Iraq and airfield repair in Iraq. Also awarded to members of the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RF ...
(RFA) who served on the Arabian Gulf Ready Tanker (AGRT) between these dates.


References


External links


NZDF Medals site
- from NZDF site
ADF Honours and Awards site


Bibliography

* Mussell, J (ed). ''Medals Yearbook - 2015'', (2016), Token Publishing. * Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds). ''British Battles and Medals'', (1988), Spink. * Ministry of Defence
''Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces. Part 1: Directive''
(JSP 761, V5.0 Oct 2016) {{New Zealand campaign medals British campaign medals Australian campaign medals New Zealand campaign medals Awards established in 1964