Medals Method

Supporting guides

• What Is a Medal Roll?
  A medal roll is the official list of people entitled to a medal, usually organised by unit or corps. It gives name, number, unit and medal, and it is the record that proves entitlement, whether or not the medal itself survives.
• What Is a Medal Index Card?
  A medal index card is a summary card that points to the roll entries for one person, listing the medals and the roll references. It is a finding aid, so follow its references to the full roll entries rather than stopping at the card.
• How Do I Find a Medal Roll Entry?
  Find a roll entry from name, number and unit, in the catalogue or index for the medal in question. A surname alone will return many people, so the number and unit are what narrow the search to one person.
• What Do Campaign Medals Show?
  Campaign medals show service in a campaign or theatre within qualifying dates, as defined by the medal's rules. They prove qualifying service in general terms, not presence at one battle on one day.
• What Does a Medal Clasp Mean?
  A clasp on a campaign medal marks a particular operation, battle or period within the wider campaign. Read the clasp with the medal's rules, because the same campaign medal can carry different clasps for different service.
• How Do I Read Medal Ribbons in a Photograph?
  Ribbons in a photograph can suggest which medals a person had, but colours reproduce badly and ribbons were sometimes worn out of order. Treat a ribbon reading as a lead to check against the roll, never as proof.
• What If a Medal Was Never Claimed or Issued?
  Some medals were never claimed, and entitlement on a roll does not always mean the medal was sent. The roll proves entitlement; issue and receipt are separate facts that the roll may or may not record.
• What Does Engraving on a Medal Tell You?
  Engraving on a medal usually gives name, number and unit at the time of issue, which helps match a surviving medal to a roll entry. Engraving alone does not prove the service behind the medal, so check it against the roll and the service record.
• Can a Medal Be Forfeited or Returned?
  Medals could be forfeited for misconduct under the rules of the time, and forfeiture may be noted on the roll or the service record. A missing medal is not by itself proof of forfeiture, so check the record before drawing that conclusion.
• How Do I Test a Family Medal Story?
  Test a medal story by finding the roll entry for the person, then checking the qualifying dates against the service record postings. If the postings do not cover the qualifying period, the story needs re-examination, however firmly it is remembered.
• In What Order Should I Research Medals?
  Work in this order: service record, then medal index card or roll entry, then the medal's qualifying rules. That order stops a medal from being read as proof of service it does not cover.
• Medal Roll or Service Record: Which Comes First?
  The service record comes first, because it fixes the person, unit and dates. The medal roll then adds entitlement, and the two together are stronger than either alone.