History

The Special Constabulary Long Service Medal was established by King George V by Royal Warrant on August 30, 1919. The Bronze Medal was initially created to reward service during the First World War, but it is now awarded to all ranks in the Special Constabulary in recognition of 9 years of unpaid service with more than 50 annual duties. Service during the First and Second World Wars counts as triple.

Recipients of the Medal who qualified for the award for service during the First World War were eligible for a clasp inscribed "THE GREAT WAR 1914-18." A clasp bearing the inscription "LONG SERVICE" and the date of the award was later introduced to reward an additional 10 years of service. A silver rosette may be worn on the ribbon to denote the award of a clasp when the ribbon is worn alone.

There are multiple versions of the Medal which vary by the obverse effigy of the reigning sovereign. There are 6 known obverse versions, with 2 versions existing for King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II. The Medal also features 4 versions that differ by reverse design. Until 1956, the Medal featured the reverse inscription, "FOR FAITHFUL SERVICE IN THE SPECIAL CONSTABULARY." In 1956, a version was introduced to recognize 15 years of service in the Ulster Special Constabulary, depicting the addition of the word "ULSTER" to the reverse inscription. In 1982 the Medal was altered to recognize 15 years of service in the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve, and again in 2001 to recognize the Police Reserve of Northern Ireland.

There may be additional obverse designs used with the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal.

Only Medal versions featuring clasps with an associated image are featured.