Civil Defence Medal
The Civil Defence Medal (CDM) is a long service award by the United Kingdom, instituted by Queen Elizabeth II in March 1961 and awarded for 15 years continuous service in a variety of different organisations including the Civil Defence Corps (CD), the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), the National Hospital Service Reserve (NHSR) and the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation. Qualification was extended in 1963 to Civil Defence personnel in Gibraltar, Hong Kong and Malta. With most of the eligible organisations disbanded, the medal is currently only awarded to civil defence volunteers on the Isle of Man. Description An oval medallion measuring 38mm in height by 32mm wide in silver coloured cupronickel.Obverse: The crowned head of Queen Elizabeth II and the legend ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FID. DEF.Reverse: The original 1961 medal depicted three shields, each bearing the initials of one of the three main services: CD, AFS and NHSR, with an oak branch in the background. A separate Northern Ireland version had the initials AFRS (Auxiliary Fire and Rescue Service) and HSR (Hospital Service Reserve) on the last two shields. When the award was extended to Gibraltar, Hong Kong and Malta in 1963, a new reverse was designed,