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British War Medal, 1914-20: CM.1497-2009

An image of British War Medal, 1914-20

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Mint: London
Ruler: George V (1910-36)
Artist: McMillan, William
Ruler: Georgivs V Britt: omn: rex et Ind: imp: (With the title of)

Entities

Categories

Description

The Great War of 1914-1918 remains the bloodiest conflict in which Britain has ever been engaged. British casualties at Ypres and on the Somme from 1915 to 1918 outnumbered the entire British casualty list for the whole of the Second World War.
This medal was awarded to all members of the British Armed Forces who had fought in the War; some five million were issued. Because of the difficulty, in a conflict that had involved long-range artillery and air bombardment, of deciding eligibility for bars for individual battles, none of these were made. Unlike the Allied Victory Medal, this medal was also awarded to mobilised personnel who had not seen combat.
This medal was awarded to 2nd Lieutenant John Mitchell, of the Royal Air Force. It is one of a group of eight of his medals that are in the Lester Watson Collection.
Although the catalogue of the Watson Collection considers Mitchell's awards as its Group 7, the medals of that group are not physically attached and so have been treated separately here. Nonetheless it was as a group that Lester Watson purchased them, from the London dealers Baldwin in 1928.

Notes

History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin 1928

Legal notes

Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 36.1 mm
Weight: 33.92 g

Place(s) associated

  • London

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (2009) by Watson, Lester

Dating

Production date: AD 1920

Materials used in production

Silver

Techniques used in production

Struck

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Bust of George facing left

  • Text: GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:
  • Location: Obverse
  • Type: Design

Inscription present: Nude horseman on steed trampling shield and skull and crossbones

  • Location: Reverse
  • Type: Design

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.1497-2009
Primary reference Number: 141594
Watson Catalogue: 129
Ordering: M-0383
Previous object number: LW.0365c
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Saturday 22 January 2022 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Coins and Medals

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "British War Medal, 1914-20" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141594 Accessed: 2024-11-05 15:24:40

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141594 |title=British War Medal, 1914-20 |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-05 15:24:40|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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