__NOTOC__ The Royal West African Frontier Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was established in September 1903 to reward native African NCOs and men who had completed 18 years, later reduced to 16 years, exemplary service in the

Royal West African Frontier Force The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received royal recognition ...

(RWAFF). The RWAFF was a multi-battalion

field force A field force in British Army, British and Indian Army military parlance is a combined arms land force operating under actual or assumed combat circumstances, usually for the length of a specific military campaign. It is used by other nations, but ...

, formed by the British

Colonial Office The Colonial Office was a government department of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, first created to deal with the colonial affairs of British North America but required also to oversee the increasing number of col ...

in 1900 to garrison the

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

n colonies of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

and

Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

. The 'Royal' prefix was granted in 1928, and reflected in the title of the medal from that year. Award of the medal was discontinued when the RWAFF was disbanded in 1960 following the creation of new national armies, as each colony moved towards independence.Tony Farrell. ''The Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.'' Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, Vol 59 No 3, page 234, September 2020. It is a 36mm wide circular silver medal bearing the effigy of the reigning monarch on the obverse. The reverse is inscribed 'FOR LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT' over four lines with, around the top circumference, the words 'ROYAL WEST AFRICAN FRONTIER FORCE', with the 'ROYAL' added in 1928. The 32mm wide ribbon is crimson with a central green stripe, the same as for the

King's African Rifles Long Service and Good Conduct Medal The King's African Rifles Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was approved in March 1907 to recognise long service and good conduct by native African NCOs and men of the King's African Rifles (KAR). Initially, the period of qualifying service to ...

. The medal was worn in uniform after campaign and royal commemorative medals.

Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

This medal replaced the earlier RWAFF medal after

became independent in April 1961. The terms of award, ribbon and medal design followed the earlier medal, except that the reverse now included the inscription 'ROYAL SIERRA LEONE MILITARY FORCES'. 169 awards were made up to 1971, when the country became a republic.

References

{{Efficiency and long service decorations and medals Military awards and decorations of the United Kingdom Awards established in 1903 Long and Meritorious Service Medals of Britain and the Commonwealth

Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

See also

References