- Time Period: Post-WW2
- Year of Institution: 20 June 1974
- Country: Great Britain
The Queen’s Gallantry Medal (or QGM) is a United Kingdom decoration awarded for exemplary acts of bravery by civilians, and by members of the Armed Forces “not in the face of the enemy”, where the services were not so outstanding as to merit the George Cross or the George Medal.
The medal was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry and the British Empire Medal for Gallantry. The QGM ended the anomaly where the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry was awarded for lesser acts of bravery than the George Medal but took precedence over it in the Order of Wear.
The QGM has been awarded posthumously since 30 November 1977.
The Queen’s Gallantry Medal Design
The medal is circular, struck in silver, and measures 36 millimeters in diameter.
The obverse shows the crowned effigy of the Queen, with the inscription “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D.”. The reverse bears the image of a St Edward’s Crown above the words ‘The Queen’s Gallantry Medal’ in four lines, flanked by laurel sprigs.
The ribbon measures 32 mm wide and consists of three equal stripes of dark blue, pearl grey, and dark blue with a narrow rose pink stripe in the center. While awards to women generally have the ribbon fashioned into a bow, female recipients in the armed forces or civilian uniformed services have the medal presented with the ribbon in the same style as for male recipients.
The name of the recipient is impressed on the rim of the medal. If awarded to members of the Armed Forces, service number, rank, and unit are also included.
