- Time Period: Post-WW2
- Year of Institution: 1951
- Country: Great Britain, Australia, Canada
The Korea Medal (or Médaille de Corée in French), also known as the Queen’s Korea Medal, was a campaign medal created in 1951 to recognize troops from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom who had given 28 days service offshore during the Korean War, or at least one day’s service in an air sortie over Korea.
The Korean War was the first event in which United Nations (UN) armed forces took on a combat role in a multinational effort to stop the North Korean takeover of the Republic of Korea. It involved the participation of 20 UN member states, the Republic of Korea and Italy.
Except for Canada, the medal was identical in all countries where it was awarded, and holds a different place in each country’s order of precedence for honors.
The Korean War Medal Design
Designed by Edward Carter Preston, a Liverpool artist, sculptor and medallist, the Korea Medal measures 36 millimetres (1.4 in) and is a disc. All medals were made of cupro-nickel, except for the Canadian version that was made of silver.
On the Korean War medal obverse is an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by an inscription that symbolizes her roles as both fount of honour and Commander-in-Chief of her various forces. At the time of the medal’s creation, King George VI was monarch. However, he died on 6 February 1952 and so the image of his daughter was placed on the obverse of the medal, uncrowned.
There are three versions of the inscription surrounding the Queen’s head:
- ELIZABETH II DEI GRA. BRITT. OMN. REGINA F.D. (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God Queen of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith).
- ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D. (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God Queen, Defender of the Faith), later awards omitting BRITT. OMN..
- ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA CANADA (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God Queen of Canada), awarded to Canadian participants.
On the reverse is a depiction of Hercules wrestling the Hydra—a symbolic representation of communism—with the word KOREA below.
The recipient’s name, rank and regimental number is impressed on the medal’s rim.
