Second World War Medals

The bravery of our ancestors who fought in the armed services, worked in the Merchant Navy, or protected Britain and its allies during WW2 was commemorated with a range of campaign medals. If you’re lucky enough to have inherited a medal from this war but don’t know much about it, read on to find out why each medal was awarded, how to identify the various campaign medals, and what the different ribbon colours mean.

WW1 vs WW2

There are a few differences between military campaign medals issued in WW1