18-581: The South Atlantic Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands War of 1982 between the United Kingdom and Argentina . Over 33,000 medals have been awarded. The South Atlantic Medal Association was formed in 1997 for recipients of the South Atlantic Medal. The medal is made of cupronickel , and is 36 mm in diameter. It
36-557: A British medal and was used partly for economy and speed of manufacture, and also as otherwise fewer than two hundred medals would have been issued to the Royal Air Force. While for other arms the vast majority of the medals were issued with a rosette , over 90% of the medals issued to the Royal Air Force are without the rosette , with the recipients mainly stationed on Ascension Island , some 3,300 nmi (6,100 km) north of
54-536: A General Service Medal 1962 (e.g. for operations in Northern Ireland or air operations in Iraq ), an Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan , an Operational Service Medal for Sierra Leone or an Iraq Medal . The criteria for the medal were substantially revised in 2011. The qualifying period was reduced from 1,080 to 720 days (36 to 24 months), the medal was retitled the 'Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011' and
72-478: A four part ribbon surrounded by a branch of oak leaves with laurel and olive leaves woven through the motto ribbon. The medal ribbon is the purple and green ribbon of the General Service Medal (1962) with an added central gold stripe denoting excellence. The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 uses the same medal, but with a ribbon with two central gold stripes. The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal
90-539: A result of the 2012 Independent Medal Review conducted by Sir John Holmes , from 1 October 2014 the qualifying period for the medal without rosette was extended to 21 October 1982, the date modifications were completed to RAF Stanley airfield allowing operation of RAF Phantoms as personnel on the islands post 14 June remained under threat of potential re invasion and the islands required due attention due to mines, booby traps, burial parties and general post conflict rehabilitation. The rosette remains an unusual feature for
108-529: A small scale for acts of heroism and bravery. The campaign were first issued by the British military with the medal awarded for the defeat of the Invincible Armada , with the 1815 Waterloo Medal being the first awarded to all men present and the 1847 Military General Service Medal being the first "modern" campaign medal. Accumulated Campaign Service Medal The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal and
126-485: Is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater . Campaign medals are very similar to service medals but carry a higher status as the award usually involves deployment to a foreign region or service in a combat zone. Campaign medals were first invented to recognize general military service in war, in contrast to meritorious decorations which were only issued on
144-401: Is hallmarked on the rim to the right of the suspension fixing. The 2011 version of the medal is not hallmarked. The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal was originally awarded to holders of the General Service Medal (1962) who had completed accumulated campaign service of 36 months since 14 August 1969. A clasp was awarded for each further period of 36 months campaign service. When the ribbon only
162-609: Is now currently awarded to holders of various campaign service medals who have completed 24 months (720 days) of campaign service. The Royal Warrant for the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal specifies that ... the medal shall be circular in form and be silver , that it shall bear on the obverse the Crowned Effigy of the Sovereign and on the reverse the description "FOR ACCUMULATED CAMPAIGN SERVICE" set within
180-462: Is worn, a silver rosette is worn on the ribbon for each clasp, with a single gold rosette indicating four clasps. Criteria for part-time members of the Royal Irish Regiment were similar but with 1,000 days replacing 36 months. The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal is currently awarded to those who have completed 1,080 days, aggregated by 1 January 2008, in theatres which would have merited
198-610: 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, instituted in January 1994, was awarded to holders of the General Service Medal (1962) who had completed 36 months (1,080 days) of accumulated campaign service. The replacement Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011
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#1732854836546216-559: The Falkland Islands and the war zone. An exception being the Royal Air Force Regiment who had one squadron disembark at San Carlos on 1 June. Those mentioned in despatches during the campaign wear a bronze oak leaf on the medal ribbon. Service qualifying for the South Atlantic Medal does not count towards the period required to receive the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal . Initially, about 29,700 people were awarded
234-642: The Atlantic Ocean. The design, attributed to HM the Queen , was based on the ribbon for the British Second World War campaign medal, the Atlantic Star , itself devised by her father King George VI . The medal with rosette was awarded for one day's service within 35° and 60° South latitude or for at least one operational sortie south of Ascension Island , between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (2 April being
252-662: The date of the Argentine invasion , 14 June being the date of ceasefire now accepted as the effective Argentine surrender on the islands although the Argentine surrender did not take place until mid August). This, generally, denoted service in the combat zone. Where the rosette was worn on the ribbon, this was both with the medal and on the ribbon bar. The medal without rosette was awarded for 30 days continuous or accumulated service between 7° and 60° South latitude between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (completing no later than 12 July 1982). As
270-597: The medal, including Prince Andrew . Members of the Merchant Navy and civilians were also eligible, for example civil servants serving in Ascension Island, NAAFI staff, war artist Linda Kitson and journalists attached to the armed forces, including Michael Nicholson . As at 3 November 2017, as a result of an extension of the qualifying period to 21 October 1982, an additional 3,626 medals have been awarded without rosette. Campaign medal A campaign medal
288-570: The ribbon was redesigned. Qualification for the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 was also restricted to only those serving from 1 January 2008. In 2019, the MOD Medal Office paused awarding the ACSM 2011 after concerns were raised that the Ministry of Defence was incorrectly applying the ‘double medaling’ principle to restrict qualification. The MOD initiated a review of the qualifying criteria and
306-448: The words "SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL" above make up the border. The initials and surname, rank or rating, service number and unit of the recipient are diamond engraved on the edge of the medal, although those for Royal Navy officers , as was the tradition, did not include the service number. The 32 mm ribbon has a central stripe of " sea green " flanked on each side by stripes of white and "empire blue", shaded and watered, symbolising
324-674: Was struck by the Royal Mint and issued by the Army Medal Office, Droitwich. It has the following design: The obverse bears a crowned effigy of The Queen facing right, with the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FID:DEF ( "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith " ). The reverse has the Falkland Islands' coat of arms , which bears the words "DESIRE THE RIGHT" (an allusion to English explorer John Davis' ship, " Desire " ). A laurel wreath below and
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