Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945
- Significance
- History
- Past recipients
- How it is awarded
- Medal design
- Print fact sheet
- More information
Significance
The Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 recognises the service of eligible civilians in Australia during World War II.
The medal is for civilians who served in arduous circumstances in support of the war effort as part of organisations with military-like arrangements and conditions of service.
History
The Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 recognises the service of Australian civilians who worked in organisations such as the Australian Women's Land Army (AWLA), the Civil Constructional Corps (CCC) and the Red Cross Emergency Service Companies during World War II.
The medal was introduced on the recommendation of the Committee of Inquiry into Defence and Defence-related Awards.
The Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 was established on 28 October 1994 by Letters Patent.
Past recipients
Read about Peggy Williams who was part of the AWLA and received a Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945.
Search the Australian Honours List for past recipients of the Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 .
View the numbers for Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945.
How it is awarded
The Governor-General awards the Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 on the recommendation of the Prime Minister or delegate.
Recipients must have served for a qualifying period in any one or a combination of the 38 eligible groups between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
A guide to eligible groups is available as a downloadable file (Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 eligibility guide) on the Applying for honours - Civilian Service Medal section of this website.
There is no post-nominal.
Medal design
Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945
The Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 is bronze and portrays the Southern Cross surrounded by golden wattle , Australia's floral emblem.
The Southern Cross represents Australia and the golden wattle represents the civilian population joining in defence of the country.
Medal ribbon
The medal ribbon has three vertical bands. The central band is ochre to represent the soil of Australia. The two outer bands are green for the land and food production. The two white stripes on the ribbon represent communication and construction.
Print fact sheet
The information on this page is available as a printable fact sheet.
- Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 - Fact Sheet - PDF 58KB | RTF 904KB
Note: For more information on PDF files and their use see the PDF Help page on this site.
More information
See also Applying for honours - Civilian Service Medal
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