Terms:
This medal was awarded to British military and civilian personnel for a
range of service in the United Kingdom, and to British, British
Commonwealth and British Colonial personnel who served outside their
home countries in a non-operational area or in an area subject to
threat such as air attack.The length of qualifying service required for
the award of the Defence Medal varied depending on where an individual
served.
For persons normally resident in the United Kingdom, three
years' service in the United Kingdom was required (except for those who
served in a Mine and Bomb Disposal Unit, for whom 90 days' service was
required). Six months' (180 days) service overseas from or outside a
person's country of residence in a non-operational area subjected to
air attack or closely threatened (for example the United Kingdom,
Palestine or Fiji) was required. Or 12 months’ (360 days)
service overseas from or outside a person's country of residence in a
non-operational area which was not subjected to air attack and which
was not closely threatened was required.
Ribbon:
The centre of the ribbon is flamed-coloured, and the edges are green, symbols of the enemy attacks on Great Britain.
Two black stripes represent the blackout in Great Britain
