The Defence Medal
Service overseas or outside the country of residence,
providing that such service lasted for one year, except in
territories threatened by the enemy or subject to bomb
attacks, in which case it was six months prior to 02
September 1945. Under the terms of this last condition,
Canadians serving for one year in Newfoundland were eligible
and persons serving for six months in Hong Kong were also
eligible.
The conditions for the awarding of this medal as it applies to ‘C’ Force
soldiers are: between 03 September 1939 and 08 May 1945, the exact terms were:
Service overseas or outside the country of residence, providing that such
service lasted for one year, except in territories threatened by the enemy or
subject to bomb attacks, in which case it was six months prior to 02 September
1945. Under the terms of this last condition, Canadians serving for six months
in Hong Kong were also eligible.
The condition that applied to service in Hong Kong was put in place after 1985.
Those soldiers who served in Newfoundland (The Royal Rifles of Canada) and the
British West Indies (The Winnipeg Grenadiers) from the day they arrived to the
day they returned to Canada would have been eligible to receive the medal under
the original terms.
Those who arrived while the regiment was overseas would not have been eligible.
All members of ‘C’ Force Brigade Headquarters would probably not have been
eligible for the medal. |