South Atlantic Medal
Encyclopedia
The South Atlantic Medal is a British campaign medal
awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands War
of 1982, between the United Kingdom
and Argentina
; 29,700 were issued. The South Atlantic Medal Association was formed in 1997.
, 36 mm in diameter, and was struck by the Royal Mint
and issued by the Army Medal Office, Droitwich. The obverse side bears a crowned effigy
of the The Queen. Like a modern British coin, it has the abbreviated form of ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR ("Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith
") on the border and the Queen is facing to the right.
The reverse side has the Falkland Islands' coat of arms
, which bears the words "DESIRE THE RIGHT" (an allusion to English explorer John Davis'
ship, "Desire
"). A laurel wreath
and the words "SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL" make up the border.
The ribbon has a central stripe of "sea green" flanked on each side by stripes of white and "empire blue", shaded and watered. The additional rosette
that could be awarded was worn on the ribbon.
, the recipient would have been required to do one days service within 35° and 60° South latitude or do at least one operational sortie
south of Ascension Island
, between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (April 2 being the date of the Argentine invasion
, June 14 being date of Argentine surrender
).
The medal alone was awarded for 30 days continuous or accumulated service between 7° and 60° South latitude
between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (completing no later than 12 July 1982).
The rosette
remains an unusual feature for a British medal and was used in this case because otherwise fewer than two hundred medals would have been issued to the Royal Air Force. The vast majority of the medals were issued with a rosette
whereas over 90% of the medals issued to the Royal Air Force
are without the rosette
and thus rarer, the recipients having been stationed on Ascension Island
, some 3300 nmi (6,111.6 km) north of the Falkland Islands
and the war zone.
. Members of the Merchant Navy and civilians were also eligible for the medal, such as journalist Michael Nicholson
.
The initials and surname, rank or rating, service number and unit of the recipient are diamond engraved on the edge of the medal though those for Royal Navy
officers
, as was the tradition, did not include the service number.
Campaign medal
A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater...
awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
of 1982, between the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
; 29,700 were issued. The South Atlantic Medal Association was formed in 1997.
Appearance
The medal is a coin, made of cupronickelCupronickel
Cupronickel or copper-nickel or "cupernickel" is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. Cupronickel is highly resistant to corrosion in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater...
, 36 mm in diameter, and was struck by the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
and issued by the Army Medal Office, Droitwich. The obverse side bears a crowned effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of the The Queen. Like a modern British coin, it has the abbreviated form of ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR ("Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith
Defender of the Faith
Defender of the Faith may refer to:*Fidei defensor , a title of several European Christian monarchs.*Defender of the Faith, a title of the heads of the ruling Solomonic dynasty of the former Ethiopian Empire....
") on the border and the Queen is facing to the right.
The reverse side has the Falkland Islands' coat of arms
Coat of arms of the Falkland Islands
The coat of arms of the Falkland Islands was granted to the Falkland Islands on September 29, 1948.The ship represents the Desire, the vessel in which the English sea-captain, John Davis, is reputed to have discovered the Falkland Islands in 1592....
, which bears the words "DESIRE THE RIGHT" (an allusion to English explorer John Davis'
John Davis (English explorer)
John Davis , was one of the chief English navigators and explorers under Elizabeth I, especially in Polar regions and in the Far East.-Early life:...
ship, "Desire
Desire (ship)
The Desire was the 120 ton flagship Thomas Cavendish built for his highly successful 1586-1588 circumnavigation of the globe. The Desire was only the third ship to circumnavigate the globe after the Victoria of Ferdinand Magellan and the Golden Hind of Francis Drake...
"). A laurel wreath
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
and the words "SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL" make up the border.
The ribbon has a central stripe of "sea green" flanked on each side by stripes of white and "empire blue", shaded and watered. The additional rosette
Rosette (decoration)
A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
that could be awarded was worn on the ribbon.
Awarding the medal
To be awarded the medal with the additional rosetteRosette (decoration)
A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
, the recipient would have been required to do one days service within 35° and 60° South latitude or do at least one operational sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
south of Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
, between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (April 2 being the date of the Argentine invasion
1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands
On 2 April 1982, Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands . The invasion involved an initial defence force organised by the Falkland Islands' Governor Sir Rex Hunt giving command to Major Mike Norman of the Royal Marines, the landing of Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo...
, June 14 being date of Argentine surrender
Falklands War Argentine surrender
The last stage of the Falklands War was the surrender of the Argentine Governor at Port Stanley.-Background:With the last natural defence line at Mount Tumbledown breached, the Argentine town defences of Port Stanley began to falter. In the morning gloom, one company commander got lost and his...
).
The medal alone was awarded for 30 days continuous or accumulated service between 7° and 60° South latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (completing no later than 12 July 1982).
The rosette
Rosette (decoration)
A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
remains an unusual feature for a British medal and was used in this case because otherwise fewer than two hundred medals would have been issued to the Royal Air Force. The vast majority of the medals were issued with a rosette
Rosette (decoration)
A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
whereas over 90% of the medals issued to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
are without the rosette
Rosette (decoration)
A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
and thus rarer, the recipients having been stationed on Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
, some 3300 nmi (6,111.6 km) north of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
and the war zone.
Recipients
Less than 29,700 people were awarded the medal, including The Prince AndrewPrince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. Members of the Merchant Navy and civilians were also eligible for the medal, such as journalist Michael Nicholson
Michael Nicholson
Michael Nicholson OBE is an English journalist and former ITN Senior Foreign Correspondent.- Journalistic career :Born in Romford, Essex, Nicholson attended the University of Leicester. Nicholson was a war reporter for ITN, who reported from wars in Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, Cambodia,...
.
| Branch | # of medals issued |
|---|---|
| British Army British Army The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England... |
7,000 |
| Royal Air Force Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world... |
2,000 |
| Royal Navy Royal Navy The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service... |
13,000 |
| Royal Marines Royal Marines The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service... |
3,700 |
| Royal Fleet Auxiliary Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment... |
2,000 |
| Merchant Navy/Civilian | 2,000 |
The initials and surname, rank or rating, service number and unit of the recipient are diamond engraved on the edge of the medal though those for Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, as was the tradition, did not include the service number.