Protocol for wearing medals

[Muskoka]

Can anyone tell me the protocol for when recipients wore their medals?

[Roadhog]

Dear Forum mates, Before I sold my medals in disgust on eBay I spent 23 fun-filled years worrying about the proper wearng of Army medals, awards and ribbons

When receiving an award, the soldier can be wearing wither a dress or duty uniform. The full-sized medal is pinned on the soldier's chest and then the presenting officer usually shakes the awardee's hand and says a few words with him or her. The award set given to the soldier or his next-of-kin contains the full-size medal, the corresponding ribbon and a small enameled metal copy of the ribbon that can be worn on a civilian suit lapel or as a tie-tack. The award set usually comes in a blue plastic box. A basic medal set can be issued that comes in a small blue cardboard box that does not contain the enameled metal replica of the ribbon.

Regulations (at least in 1992) usually called for wearing a miniture version of all medals, awards and badges with the Army Blue Mess Uniform (tuxedo). However, the Class A green, the dress blue and tropical white uniforms usally have the soldier wearing his ribbons only as well as full-sized awards such as the parachutist badge and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

I have seen full-sized medals being worn on the dress blue uniform under extraordinary occassions such as a presidential visits or inaugrations. Another exception is the soldiers from the Army's 3rd Infantry Regment "the Old Guard" who guard the Unknown Soldier's tomb in Washington D.C. They too wear their full-sized medals on the dress blue uniforms.

Depending on the post's commander's whim, ribbons and awards can be worn on the Army green shirt of the CLASS B unform.

There is a Department of Defense published order of merit that dictates what order the medals or ribbons are placed on the uniform. Awards for valor usually are placed higher than those for merit. The Medal of Honor is worn around the neck hanging from its blue ribbon (like the Blue Max) on formal occassions but does come with a ribbon for placement on the top of a soldier's "tossed salad" ribbon assortment.

When you retire or leave the service, it is expected that old soldiers wear their medals and awards on their old uniforms or civilian clothes for occassions like Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. The Army also provides a device much like the old WWII "ruptured duck" to signify the completion of honorable service. These can be worn daily on lapels and ties.

Hope this general information helps. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask away. VR, Roadhog "Memento mori."

[Muskoka]

Thanks for this very comprehensive reply. I had no idea it was so "regimented"!

[Roadhog]

What exactly do you mean by protocol? Are you speaking about WWI times (1914-1918) only? Are you asking about when it would have been appropriate for a soldier to wear his medals? Are you seeking information on any particular nation? Please clarify and I'll take another run at answering your question. VR, Roadhog "Memento mori."

[Doc]

I would second the question as to what nation, service, and time period you are interested in. The relevant regulation for current US Army wear of full-size medals and decorations is AR 670-1, which is available on the web.

The relevant paragraph is: 29–8. Wear of full-size U.S. and foreign decorations and service medals
a. Where worn. All personnel may wear full-size decorations and service medals on the Army blue and white
uniforms. When the Army green dress uniform is worn to social functions, enlisted personnel may wear full-size
decorations and service medals on the coat of the green dress uniform.
b. How worn. Personnel wear all full-size decorations, except the Medal of Honor (see para c, below) in the order of
precedence from the wearer’s right to left, in one or more rows, with 1?8-inch space between rows. Second and
subsequent rows will not contain more medals than the row below. Personnel will not wear service and training ribbons
when full-size decorations and service medals are worn. Personnel may wear U.S. and foreign unit award emblems as
prescribed, when wearing full-size medals. Full-size medals are worn as follows:
(1) Males wear full-size medals immediately above the left breast pocket, in as many rows as necessary. The
number of medals worn in each row depends upon the size of the coat. Full-size decorations or medals will not overlap
within a row. When full-size medals are worn, up to three full-size or miniature combat and special skill badges from
groups 1 to 5 are authorized for wear above the medals, in order of group precedence (see para 29–17a). Males may
not wear the Driver and Mechanic badges with full-size medals, and they may not wear special skill and marksmanship
badges on the pocket flap below the medals (see fig 29–4).
Figure 29–4. Wear of full-size and miniature medals, Army blue and white uniforms, male
271 AR 670–1 • 3 February 2005
(2) Females wear full-size medals centered on the left side of the coat. The bottom row of the medal pendants are
positioned parallel to the bottom of the nameplate. Females may adjust the placement of the medals and nameplate to
conform to individual body shape differences. The number of medals worn in each row depends upon the size of the
coat. When full-size medals are worn, up to three full-size or miniature combat and special skill badges from groups 1
to 5 are authorized for wear above the medals, in order of group precedence (see para 29–17a). Females may not wear
the Driver and Mechanic badges with full-size medals, and they may not wear special skill and marksmanship badges
below the medals (see fig 29–5).

Doc

[Muskoka]

I'm specifically interested in the RFC /RAF, WW1 only. I'm writing an historical fiction and want to get the details accurate. The medals in this case are a DSO with bar and an MC.

[Graeme]

Muskoka

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 31 OCTOBER, 1919.
CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD.
St. James's Palace, S.W. 1,
31st October, 1919.

WEARING OF ORDERS, DECORATIONS AND MEDALS IN MORNING DRESS.

All members of the various Orders of Knighthood, etc., and all persons who have been awarded Decorations and Medals may, should they wish to do so, wear their Insignia, Decorations and Medals with morning dress on Official Occasions and at Public Functions.

The Ribbons of the Orders, Decorations and Medals may be worn on all occasions at the discretion of the holder.

The method of wearing the ribbons of Orders, Decorations and Medals, which will be the same in all cases, both for men and women, is as follows: —

Knights Grand Cross, Knights Grand Commanders, Dames Grand Cross, Knights Commanders and Dames Commanders: - Should wear the Star only on the left breast of the Coat or in a corresponding place on the dress, as the case may be.

Members of the Order of Merit, Men who are Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Companions of the several Orders of Knighthood, Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order and Men who are Commanders of the Order of the British Empire: - Should wear the ribbon to which the Badge is suspended under the tie, which should be a bow, the badge hanging about three-quarters of an inch below the bow.

Women who are Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Companions of the Distinguished Service Order, Officers of the Order of the British Empire, Members of the 4th and 5th Classes of the Royal Victorian Order, Members of the Order of the British Empire, Persons who have been decorated with The Victoria Cross, The Royal Red Cross, The Distinguished Service Cross, The Military Cross, The Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Force Cross and Persons who have been awarded medals: - Should wear the Badges, Decorations and Medals on the left breast of the coat, or in a corresponding place on the dress as the case may be.

The method of wearing the Insignia of Orders, also Decorations and Medals, on Official Occasions and at Public Functions with morning dress is as follows: —

A piece of the ribbon one and a half inches wide, or the width of the medal ribbon, and half an inch in depth, mounted on a bar of metal in the form of a brooch, to be worn on the left breast of the coat, or in a corresponding place on the dress as the case may be.

NOTE.—The above intimation only refers to Morning Dress and does not alter the regulations with regard to wearing Orders, Decorations and Medals with Uniform, or with Evening Dress.

Somewhere I've got a note of what to wear when in uniform - basically just the ribbon bar for day-to-day wear and the actual "gongs" when full dress uniform was worn.

Graeme

[Roadhog]

Thanks for the great info on the British WWI awards Graeme. This is why the Forum is such a boon to us writers. Also Doc, I had almost completely forgot about female soldiers and foreign awards.

I"ve been out of "the game" for the past 15 years. For example, I always caught hell for wearing my expert marksmanship badge on my dress uniforms. Most officers don't. When challenged, I always replied that most of the officers I knew couldn't shoot worth a damn and that being a southerner, I was proud of my marksmanship skills.

It is funny what you can recall and what info just slips away isn't it? VR, Roadhog "Memento mori."

[Michael]

Simply put, for the R.F.C./R.A.F. 1914-18, ribbons only would have been worn on the uniform tunic over the left chest pocket. Given the young age of most pilots, it would be unusual for them to have anything other than gallantry awards, and many of those were instituted late in the War. The Military Cross was an earlier award, and might have been won by a man before transferring to the R.F.C., or after.

Some of the senior officers and enlisted men might have served in the Boer War, (1899-1902) or the Sudan campaign (1896) and have campaign ribbons up.

[Graeme]

In terms of gallantry awards, officers could receive:

Victoria Cross (instituted in January 1856)
Distinguished Service Order (instituted September 1886; Bar instituted in August 1916)
Distinguished Service Cross (instituted as the Conspicuous Service Cross in June 1901)
Military Cross (instituted in December 1914)

Other ranks could receive:

Victoria Cross (instituted in January 1856)
Distinguished Conduct Medal (instituted in December 1854)
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (re-instituted in July 1874)
Distinguished Service Medal (instituted in October 1914)
Military Medal (instituted in March 1916)
Meritorious Service Medal (instituted in December 1845)

If the person concerned had joined up early enough and survived long enough they might also have worn the ribbon of the 1914 Star (instituted in August 1917).

Another ribbon on display could have been that of the Albert Medal (instituted in March 1866, split into two classes in April 1867 and extended to acts of gallantry on land in April 1877).

The only gallantry-specific awards instituted late in the war were the four RAF awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Flying Medal and Air Force Medal, all instituted in June 1918.

So an airman, dependent upon rank and service, could sport up to five ribbons before introduction of the RAF awards.

Graeme