The Naval Meritorious Service Medal

by Simon Eyre

The Naval Meritorious Service Medal is an account of the development of the medal which largely replaced the Distinguished Service Medal from 1918 as an award for acts of gallantry not under enemy fire, as well as providing an appropriate award to recognise the many men who provided long and meritorious service. This medal has previously remained largely unresearched but this account draws together the surviving recommendations for these awards, including an analysis of the campaigns for which the awards were made as well as detailing the Army and Royal Air Force Meritorious Service Medal awards made to Naval personnel providing a definitive history of these awards.