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Defence Medal 1939-1945

The Defence Medal was awarded for service in the forces in non-operational areas subjected to air attack or closey threatened for at least three years service in Great Britain until 8th May 1945 or one year in territories overseas until 2 September 1945. In the case of mine and bomb disposal units the time qualification was three months and Canadians serving for one year in Newfoundland were eligible and persons serving for six months in Hong Kong were also eligible. Service in West Africa, Palestine and India, other than operational air crew, qualified also for this award. Those awarded the George Cross or the George Medal for civil defence received this award and the Home Guard also qualified for this award.

Owing to the terms of reference it was not unusual to find a person with this award who had never heard a shot fired, but a person with only the Defence Medal, for example, whilst serving in the rescue services in London earned also this award and only the man who wears this award knows why it was earned.

The award has the coinage head of King George VI on the obverse. The reverse shows the Royal Crown resting above a small oak tree and flanked by two heraldic lions. The dates 1939 and 1945 appear in the top left and right respectively on the reverse, whilst beneath are the words THE DEFENCE MEDAL. The Medal is made of a Cupro-Nickel combination. The Canadian versions however, were made of ".800 fine" silver.

The light green ribbon is 1.25 inches wide with a central stripe of orange, which is 0.5 inches wide, and a narrow black stripe in the middle of each green stripe. The orange (flame colour) represents the enemy attacks on the green land of England and the black stripes represents the black-outs.

Aadland, Richard* September 5th, 1904
† February 12th, 1945
Plot: XXV Row: C Grave: 13

Grid List
Fajtl, Frantisek* August 20th, 1912
† October 4th, 2008

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Falloon, Hugh Philip* November 7th, 1913
† May 5th, 1945

Farmer, John Hind* January 12th, 1917
† October 29th, 2012

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Farnes, Paul Caswell Powe* July 16th, 1918
† January 28th, 2020

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Farran, Roy Alexander* January 2nd, 1921
† June 1st, 2006

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Farthing, Wiliam John* April 23rd, 1914

Faulkner, George Vermilyea* June 15th, 1908
† March 23rd, 1955

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Fejfar, Stanislav* November 25th, 1912
† May 17th, 1942
Row: C Grave: 8

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Fenton, Ken* July 18th, 1920
† November 19th, 1976

Fenwick, Ian† August 7th, 1944
Row: D Grave: 1

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Fialkowski, Zbigniew Stefan* November 14th, 1910
† November 18th, 1997

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Field, Henry James "Harry"* November 21st, 1920
† January 7th, 2022

Findlay, Walter* March 25th, 1920
† July 20th, 1944
Plot: VII Row: J Grave: 3

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Firth, Charles Leslie* May 21st, 1900
† July 8th, 1971

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Firth, John "Jack"* July 17th, 1910
† August 19th, 2005

Fisher, Robert Lucius Cary* September 16th, 1900

Fitzalan-Howard, Gwendolen Mary, Duchess Norfolk* January 11th, 1877
† August 28th, 1945

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Fitzroy, Charles Oliver Edward* July 13th, 1923
† August 6th, 1944
Plot: VIII Row: B Grave: 18

Flanigan, Neil† March 2024

Flinterman, Johannes Leonardus "Crazy Flin"* October 2nd, 1919
† December 26th, 1992

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Flower, Richard Arthur* March 4th, 1916
† July 31st, 1993

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Fogarty, Francis Joseph* January 16th, 1899
† January 12th, 1973

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Foley, Francis Edward (Frank)* November 24th, 1884
† May 8th, 1958

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Forbes, Jacques Jean-Charles "Charly"* March 19th, 1921
† May 19th, 2010

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Forbes, Sir, Charles Morton* November 22nd, 1880
† August 28th, 1960

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Ford, Douglas* September 18th, 1918
† December 18th, 1943
Plot: 1 Row: B Grave: 41

Foster, Erle Milton* December 24th, 1921
† September 9th, 1944
Plot: 4 Row: E Grave: 12

Foster, Harry Wickwire* April 2nd, 1902
† August 16th, 1964

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Fowler, Hedley Nevile "Bill"* June 8th, 1916
† March 26th, 1944

Fox, Gardie William* September 4th, 1920
† October 7th, 1997

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Fraser, Bruce Austin, 1st Baron of North Cape* February 5th, 1888
† February 12th, 1981

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Fraser, Walter Ian* 1917
† May 31st, 1944
Plot: III Row: H Grave: 3

Freeborn, John Connell* December 1st, 1919
† August 28th, 2010

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Freyberg, Bernard Cyril* March 21st, 1889
† July 4th, 1963

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Frith, Robert William* 1923
† July 28th, 2003

Frost, Ernest Ralph Clyde* July 22nd, 1917
† July 28th, 1969

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Frost, John Dutton "Johnny"* December 31st, 1912
† May 21st, 1993

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Furst, Bohumil* January 10th, 1909
† January 2nd, 1978

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Sources