Awards for Valour

Those entitled to receive the 1914 Star helped the French to hold back the German advance whilst more men were recruited, trained and equipped. They are all worthy of honour for the part they played at the war's beginning. The Battles of Mons, the Marne and the first Battle of Ypres are just three of the major engagements during this period. Around 378,000 1914 Stars were awarded in total

By the end of 1915 the number of men recruited had increased immensely. Newly signed up forces were arriving in France in huge numbers to replace men killed or wounded in battle and to swell the army's ranks

6,500,000 of The British War Medal, 1914-18, were given out. Of these, 110,000 were made of bronze. Some people who served up to 1920, two years after the war ended, were later added to those eligible for the award

Less people were eligible to receive The Allied Victory Medal than The British War Medal. A general rule was that those who received The Allied Victory Medal also received The British War Medal, though not vice versa

A comic strip of the time, in the Daily Mirror newspaper, featured the characters Pip the dog, Squeak the penguin and Wilfred the rabbit. For reasons unknown, the names of the characters were attached to the medals. Traditionally the three medals were worn together and displayed in the same order by those who had all three

In addition to joining the service before 30th September 1914, those awarded the medal must also have served in a war zone between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918. Anyone who received the 1914 Star or 1914-15 Star was not eligible to receive the Territorial War Medal. The Territorial Force was the forerunner of the modern Territorial Army. It was initially set up to serve only within the UK but volunteers were sent throughout the Empire as needed, including the battlefields in France

On the badge were the words, “For King and Empire; Services Rendered.” This led to it also being called the “Services Rendered Badge." After April 1918 the badge was also awarded to civilians attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps, including female nurses

The colours were the same as the running lights used to differentiate the two sides of a ship. The medal showed a merchant ship in rough seas and an enemy submarine close by. A total of 133,135 Mercantile Marine War Medals were awarded

DFC stood for Distinguished Flying Cross and was awarded to airmen for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy". At the time, the Royal Air Force was new. It was formed on 1st April 1918, only a few months before the war ended. Previously, pilots had flown for the Royal Flying Corps, which was attached to the army, or the Royal Naval Air Service. The two services were merged together to form the RAF, which is now the oldest independent air force in the world

The Victoria Cross was awarded 628 times and to 627 people. Captain Noel Chavasse, a doctor serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, was awarded the VC twice. Of those who received the award about one quarter were killed in action. The First World War saw more VCs awarded than any other conflict. In the Second World War only 181 were given out