The King's Commendation for Bravery and the King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air are United Kingdom awards,[1] open to both military personnel and civilians. They were established in 1994, when the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air were discontinued.[2]
| King's Commendation for Bravery King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air | |
|---|---|
 King's Commendation for Bravery  King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air | |
| Type | Bravery award |
| Awarded for | Bravery not in action against an enemy |
| Description | Ribbon device in silver |
| Presented by | United Kingdom |
| Eligibility | Both service personnel and civilians |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 1994 |
Criteria
editThe two awards are granted for bravery entailing risk to life and meriting national recognition, but not to the standard required of the King's Gallantry Medal. Classed as 'level 4' awards by the Ministry of Defence, they are the lowest level of bravery award, alongside a mention in dispatches. The awards do not give rise to post-nominal letters.[3]
The King's Commendation for Bravery is open to both to civilians in peacetime conditions and to all ranks of the British Armed Forces for actions not in the presence of an enemy. It is denoted by a silver spray of laurel leaves.[4]
The King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air is awarded on the same basis, but for acts of bravery in the air. It is denoted by a flying eagle in silver.[4]
King’s Commendations can be awarded posthumously,[4] and are not restricted to British subjects.
Manner of wear
editThe holder is entitled to wear the appropriate device in a similar manner to a mention in despatches. If awarded for bravery in a theatre for which a campaign medal has been granted, it is worn on the ribbon of the appropriate medal. When awarded in peacetime conditions and when no medal is issued, the emblem is worn on the uniform or coat after any medal ribbons. Recipients with no medals wear the device in the position that a single medal would be worn.[5]
From 2003, in addition to British campaign medals, commendation and mention in despatches devices can be worn on United Nations, NATO and EU medals.[6] Originally only one commendation or mention in dispatches emblem of each category could be worn on any one medal ribbon.[7] In a change introduced in 2014, those with multiple awards may wear up to three of each commendation and mention in dispatch devices on a single campaign medal and ribbon bar.[8]
Recipients
editKing's and Queen's Commendation awards
editThis table summarises the various King's and Queen's Commendations awarded by the United Kingdom:
| Period | For Bravery | For Bravery (Air) | For valuable service | For valuable service (Air) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 - 1952[9] | King's Commendation for Brave Conduct |
– | – | King’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air |
| 1952 - 1994[10] | Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct |
– | – | Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air |
| 1994 - 2022[2] | Queen's Commendation for Bravery |
Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air |
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service |
– |
| 2022 - present | King's Commendation for Bravery |
King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air |
King's Commendation for Valuable Service |
– |
References
edit- ^ Military Honours and Awards, Ministry of Defence.
- ^ a b "London Gazette: 12 August 1994 Issue:53760 Page:11527".
- ^ "Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces (JSP 761) (V5.0 Oct 16). Appendix 1 to Annex A, page 1A1-2". MoD Joint Services Publication. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ a b c "Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility". gov.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ "No. 56878". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2003. p. 3355.
- ^ John Mussell (ed). Medal Yearbook 2015. p. 108. Published by Token Publishing Ltd. Honiton, Devon.
- ^ MOD, PS12 (January 2012). Army Dress Regulations (All Ranks) Part 13 (PDF). MOD. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces (JSP 761) (V5.0 Oct 16). Paras 12.02 and 12.19". MoD Joint Services Publication. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ "London Gazette: 24 July 1951 Supplement: 39294 Page:4035".
- ^ "London Gazette: 14 January 1958 Supplement: 41285 Page:365".