The Gulf War Medal was a campaign

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

approved in 1992, for issue to officers and men of British forces who served in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during

Operation Granby Operation Granby, commonly abbreviated Op Granby, was the code name given to the British military operations during the 1991 Gulf War. 53,462 members of the British Armed Forces were deployed during the conflict. The total cost of operations wa ...

(the Liberation of Kuwait) in 1990–91.

Medal

The Gulf Medal is cupro-nickel and in diameter, with the following design: * Obverse: the crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right with the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FID. DEF. * Reverse: an eagle in flight above an automatic rifle superimposed on an anchor, representing the three services, with THE GULF MEDAL above and 1990-91 below. * Ribbon: wide, with a sand-coloured broad central stripe flanked by narrow stripes of dark blue, red and light blue, representing the three services, with the dark blue on both outer edges. * Naming: The recipients details were impressed in capitals on the edge of the medal.

Qualification criteria

Two clasps were authorised for those who served in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion, and for those who took part in operations to liberate Kuwait: * 2 Aug 1990 :Awarded to the members of the Kuwait Liaison Team who were in Kuwait on this date, and who were taken hostage by the invading Iraqi Army. * 16 Jan-28 Feb 1991 :Awarded for seven days continuous service between these dates in the designated Theatre of Operations. This clasp signifies service during the actual war. In undress uniform, a rosette is worn on the medal ribbon to denote the award of either clasp. * Without clasp :Awarded for thirty days continuous service in the Middle East (in a defined area of operations, including Cyprus) between 2 August 1990 and 7 March 1991. There was no minimum qualifying period for those decorated for bravery (including a mention in dispatches and a Queen’s Commendation), while the period could be reduced for those killed, wounded or taken prisoner.

Numbers awarded

The breakdown of awards to the armed forces was as follows: About 1,500 civilians including American, Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand members of

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marconi ...

working at

Dhahran Dhahran ( ar, الظهران, ''Al-Dhahran'') is a city located in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. With a total population of 240,742 as of 2021, it is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Together with the nearby cit ...

and

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

and Khamis Mushayt also received the medal with the clasp 16th Jan to 28th Feb. Most were recently retired members of their respective country's armed forces.

Related medals

Recipients of the Gulf Medal were also entitled to the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal and the Saudi Liberation of Kuwait Medal, awarded to all allied personnel involved in the liberation of Kuwait. British service personnel were granted permission to accept these, but not to wear them in uniform. Service in the Middle East after the liberation of Kuwait was recognised by the

General Service Medal (1962) __NOTOC__ The General Service Medal (1962 GSM, also sometimes referred to as the Campaign Service Medal), is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom introduced in 1962 to replace both the General Service Medal (1918), as awarded to the Army and ...

with clasps ''Kuwait'' (service in Kuwait between 8 March – 30 September 1991) and ''N. Iraq & S. Turkey'' (service in Northern Iraq or Southern Turkey between 6 April – 17 July 1991). British personnel could also qualify for the

United Nations Medal A United Nations Medal is an international decoration An international decoration is a military award which is not bestowed by a particular country, but rather by an international organization such as the United Nations or NATO. Such awards ar ...

for UNIKOM (

United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission The United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) was established on April 9, 1991 following the Gulf War by Security Council Resolution 689 (1991) and fully deployed by early May 1991. The task of joint military observers was to mon ...

), for a minimum of ninety days service between 1 April 1991 – 6 October 2003. Qualifying service for the Gulf Medal does not count towards the period required to receive the

Accumulated Campaign Service Medal The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal and the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 are medals awarded by King Charles III to members of his Armed Forces to recognise long campaign service. The original Accumulated Campaign Service Medal, inst ...

Medal

Qualification criteria

Numbers awarded

Related medals

References

See also