What do World War 2 medals mean?
Millions of medals were presented to the brave young men who fought for their countries during World War II. The medals were given to soldiers as a symbol of gratitude for defending their country on the field of battle. The Silver Rosette is worn when a soldier wears his medal ribbon without the medal.
What do the Colours on war medals mean?
Their own colours often have a symbolic significance: the equal stripes of the ‘1939 to 1945 Star,’ for example, are dark blue to represent the service of the Royal and Merchant Navies, red, to represent that of the Armies and light blue to represent that of Air Forces.
What was the rarest medal in ww2?
Atlantic Star
Atlantic Star, World War II Medal This is in our opinion one of the Rarest of the World War II Stars. The Atlantic Star was instituted in May of 1945 to honour those who took place in the Battle of the Atlantic. It was mainly for those who were part of shipping convoys, a mission that many did not come back from.
Should you clean ww2 medals?
Cleaning medals. You may need to clean or even polish your medal before storing it. However, we don’t recommend polishing unless absolutely necessary because the repeated abrasion of polishing will damage the sharpness of the medal’s design.
What side do I wear my grandfather’s war medals?
If wearing your own medals, they should be worn on the left hand side of your chest over your heart. If wearing someone else medals they should be worn on the right hand side.
What do bars on medals mean?
It most commonly indicates the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the recipient has met the criteria for receiving the medal in multiple theatres. Bars are also used on long-service medals to indicate the length of service rendered.
What do military medals mean?
Military medals can recognize bravery or gallantry, heroism, or meritorious service. They may be awarded for actions during peacetime or war, in defense of civilians or fellow service members, and they can be earned for actions taken during the course of combat or outside of direct military conflict.
Should you clean WW2 medals?
What do the medals on a military uniform mean?
In many cases, the honor is extended to members of the Reserves and National Guard. Military medals can recognize bravery or gallantry, heroism, or meritorious service. Medals can indicate service in a specific conflict, like Afghanistan or the Global War on Terror, or honor individual service.
Why is the Medal of Honor given?
Created in the wake of the Civil War, the Medal of Honor is awarded to those who risk their lives above and beyond the call of duty in “actual combat” against an armed enemy of the United States.
What were the WW2 German medals?
WWII German Medals. Military decorations of the Third Reich were awards and medals bestowed by the Wehrmacht between 1935 and 1945 during the reign of Nazi Germany and the years of World War II.The German Empire consisted of 25 states: four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities and three Hanseatic cities.
What is the Order of the Second World War medals?
Second World War Medals The following campaign stars and medals were instituted in recognition of service in the Second World War and are worn in the order shown: 1939-45 Star The ribbon is dark blue, red and light blue in three equal vertical stripes and is worn with the dark blue stripe furthest from the left shoulder.
What is the Arctic Star Medal for WW2?
The Arctic Star medal recognises service between 1941 and 1945 delivering vital aid to the Soviet Union, running the gauntlet of enemy submarine, air and surface ship attacks. This list of military awards and decorations of World War II is an index to articles on notable military awards presented by the combatants during World War II .
What is the most visited medal in WW2?
Most Visited WW2 Medals, Orders & Decorations. 1 The 1939-1945 Star (1943) The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted in 1943 to award to subjects of the British Commonwealth for 2 The War Medal 1939-1945 (1945) 3 The Coburg Badge (1932) 4 The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (EK 1939) 5 The War Cross 1939-1945 (1939)