The General Service Medal (1962 GSM, originally referred to as the Campaign Service Medal), is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom introduced in 1962 to replace both the General Service Medal (1918), as awarded to the Army and RAF, and the Naval General Service Medal (1915). The 1962 GSM was awarded until 2007, when it was replaced by the Operational Service Medal. In 2015 the General Service Medal (2008) was introduced. The 1962 GSM was awarded for what were often arduous campaigns and well fought operations, evidenced by the casualties that were frequently sustained.

Description

The 1962 GSM is a circular silver medal, 36 mm in diameter with the following design: Those mentioned in despatches or who received a Queen’s Commendation during a campaign qualifying for the 1962 GSM wear an oak leaf symbol on the medal ribbon. Service qualifying for the 1962 GSM after 14 August 1969 counted towards the period required to receive the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal.

Clasps

Fourteen clasps were awarded, the medal never being awarded without a clasp. The maximum awarded to any one individual appears to have been six. Clasps are worn in the order that the recipient qualified for them, not the date of the relevant Army Order. There was no minimum qualifying period for each clasp for those killed, wounded or disabled during operations, or where a recipient was decorated for operational service, including a mention in dispatches and a Queen’s Commendation.

Cyprus crisis of 1963–64

Borneo

Radfan

South Arabia

Malay Peninsula

South Vietnam

Northern Ireland

Dhofar

Lebanon

Mine Clearance, Gulf of Suez

Persian Gulf

Kuwait

N. Iraq & S. Turkey

Air Operations Iraq