Sean M.
The first image above is the front (obverse) view of Harold’s five medals. The second image is the back (reverse) side.
From left to right (first image) they are:
The India General Service Medal (1937-1939)
The Indian General Service Medal (1936 IGSM) was awarded for minor military campaigns on the North-West Frontier of India between 1936 and 1939. Each campaign covered by the medal was represented by a clasp on the ribbon; two were sanctioned, both relating to operations in Waziristan:
North West Frontier 1936–37
North West Frontier 1937–39 (this is the campaign Harold participated in)
The edge of this medal is engraved: “7010522 C/SGT. H.HIGHAM. R.U.RIF.”
The 1939–1945 Star was awarded for operational service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945, and was the only campaign star that covered the full duration of the Second World War.
The 1939–1945 Star was awarded for specified periods of operational service overseas between 3 September 1939 and either 8 May 1945 in Europe or 2 September 1945 in the Far East theatre. The broad criteria were 180 days of service between these dates, with more specific criteria depending on service arm. Army personnel had to complete 180 days of service in an operational command.
The Africa Star was awarded for a minimum of one day’s service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. The operational area includes the whole of the area between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar, together with Malta, Ethiopian Empire, Kenya, the Sudan, both Somalilands and Eritrea. Areas not bordering on the Mediterranean only qualified for the Africa Star between 10 June 1940 and 27 November 1941 inclusive.
Army personnel had to enter North Africa on the establishment of an operational unit, while service in Abyssinia, Sudan, Somaliland and Eritrea also qualified.
The 1st Army Clasp was awarded for service with the First Army between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943 inclusive.
Servicemen and women of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth who are mentioned in despatches are not awarded a medal for their actions, but receive a certificate and wear an oak leaf device on the ribbon of the appropriate campaign medal. Harold was Mentioned in Dispatches during this campaign.
The Defence Medal is a campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945, to be awarded to citizens of the British Commonwealth for both non-operational military and certain types of civilian war service during the Second World War.
The War Medal 1939–1945 is a campaign medal which was instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945, for award to citizens of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time in the Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (LSGC, Military)
The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) is a medal awarded to regular members of the armed forces. It was instituted by King George V in 1930 and replaced the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal as well as the Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal. The medal was originally awarded to Regular Army warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the UK Armed Forces. It also had a number of territorial versions for the Permanent Forces of the British Dominions. The eligibility criteria were relaxed in 1947 to also allow the award of the medal to officers who had served a minimum period in the ranks before being commissioned.
Regular Force officers were traditionally not eligible for any long service awards. From 1 May 1947 British Army officers also became eligible for the award of the medal, but only if at least twelve of their eighteen (later fifteen) years of qualifying service had been in the ranks before being commissioned and provided that the conduct requirements for the award of the medal had been met.
This medal has the following engraved on its edge: “LIEUT. H. HIGHAM. R.U.R.”
This medal was likely presented to Harold sometime between Oct 1942 (emergency commission as a 2Lt) and Feb 1944 (promoted to Captain).
