History

The George Medal was established by Royal Warrant on September 24, 1940. The Medal was awarded to military personnel of Commonwealth nations and colonies and continues to be a current award in Great Britain. It is awarded to British and Commonwealth civilians and military personnel of any rank from any branch of the British or Commonwealth armed forces in recognition of acts of bravery. Foreigners are also eligible for the award. It is primarily awarded to civilians, with awards to military personnel only being made when no other decoration is suitable (ie. when the act of bravery is not performed in the face of the enemy).

The Medal may be awarded to the same recipient multiple times, in which case each additional award is denoted by a clasp on the ribbon. All bar clasps are inscribed on the reverse with the year of issue.

Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters GM.

The Medal has always been issued named, but both the style of inscription and the typeface have changed over time. Men wear the medal on a breast ribbon worn on the left chest while women wear the medal on a bow worn on the left shoulder.

There may be additional versions that differ in size.