War Medal 1939–1945

The British campaign medals are awarded to members of the British Armed Forces, Allied Forces and civilians participating in specific military activities. During the Second World War, a total of eighteen such decorations were issued. One of these is the 1939-1945 War Medal that is presented, established by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945. It was awarded to citizens of the British Commonwealth who served full-time in the armed forces or merchant navy for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. The condition was a 28-day service, regardless of the location. Those who had an equal period of service on all seas in the Merchant Navy were also eligible for the decoration, which, in the eyes of King George VI, performed tasks of national defence as important as the land forces, navy or air force. Full-time service in certain military or colonial services, militarised police and militarised civilian institutions was also similarly honoured. Foreign nationals called up or enlisted in the British Armed Forces who did not receive a similar award from their own governments were also eligible for the 1939-1945 War Medal. A member of the latter group may have been the person to whom the presented copy was given. The decoration found its way into the collection of The National Museum in Szczecin - Museum of the Szczecin History, as a result of a large donation of World War II memorabilia from the Szczecin branch of the Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy, but with no information on its previous owner. Anna Lew-Machniak