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An award for a specific act of courage, as distinct from service.
Also known as: Bravery award, Decoration for courage
An award made for a named act rather than for being somewhere. The distinction from a campaign medal is the most important one in reading a medal group, and it is invisible from shape alone — the ribbon and the order of wear are what reveal it.
An award conferred for a specific act of courage or distinguished conduct, made on recommendation and citation rather than on qualifying service.
Contexts: History
In British practice the citation is published in the London Gazette, so a gallantry award is traceable to a dated public record describing what was done.
United Kingdom
Takes precedence over campaign and service medals in the order of wear, so its position in a mounted group identifies it even where the design does not.
United Kingdom
A repeat award is marked by a bar on the ribbon in British practice and by an oak leaf cluster or numeral in United States practice, rather than by a second medal being worn.
A medal or cross hanging from a ribbon, positioned before campaign medals in a mounted row, sometimes with a plain metal bar across the ribbon.
A campaign medal records presence and a gallantry decoration records an act; both are worn together and look similar at a glance.