King's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces

The King's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces was instituted in 1953, as an Air Force version of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces. One medal each can be awarded to the champion shot of annual small arms marksmanship competitions held by the Air Forces of the United Kingdom and those member countries of the British Commonwealth whose Governments desire to take part in the grant of the award.[1][2]

King's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces
TypeMilitary marksmanship medal
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byThe monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms
EligibilityAll ranks
ClaspsDisplaying year of award
StatusCurrent in United Kingdom and New Zealand
Established1953
First awarded1953
Ribbon bar
Order of wear
Next (higher)King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces
Next (lower)Cadet Forces Medal

The Air Forces of countries that took part at some stage include the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Royal Rhodesian Air Force. Today, only the United Kingdom and New Zealand still award the medal.[3]

Origin

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The Medal for the Best Shot in the British Army, Infantry, was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1869 and was awarded from 1870 to 1882 to the best shot of the annual Army shooting competition. In 1923 the medal was re-introduced by King George V and designated the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces. It could now be awarded to the champions of Army marksmanship competitions, held under battle conditions, at annual central meetings in the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, Colonies and India.[4][5][6]

All contenders for the King's/Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces have to be serving members of the Regular Army, Army Emergency Reserve, Territorial Army, or Local Militia and Volunteer Forces in the countries concerned. Members of independent Naval and Air Forces, while not excluded from the competition, could therefore not be awarded the medal even though they won the championship. This happened to an Air Force shot twice, in Canada in 1938 and in Rhodesia in 1962.[7][8][9]

Institution

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The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 June 1953. Only one medal, or a clasp only, is granted annually in each of the Air Forces of the United Kingdom and those member countries of the British Commonwealth whose governments desire to take part in the grant of the award. Apart from the United Kingdom, the Dominions of Australia, Canada and New Zealand and the Colony of Rhodesia all took part at some stage, but only the United Kingdom and New Zealand still award the medal.[1][3][10][11][12]

Every medal is awarded with a clasp, inscribed with the year of award and attached to the medal's suspension bar. Holders of the medal who qualify for a subsequent award, are awarded a clasp only, to be worn on the ribbon of the original medal and attached to the original or previous clasp. When medals are not worn, the award of second or further clasps are denoted on the ribbon bar by a silver rosette to denote the award of each additional clasp.[1][10][11]

Award criteria

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The medal is awarded to the champion shot of the annual championship meeting of each respective Air Force, held under service rifle championship conditions. All medal contenders have to be actual serving members of the Regular Air Forces of the respective countries.[1][12]

Order of wear

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In the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the King's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces takes precedence after the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces and before the Cadet Forces Medal.[1][10][11][13]

Participating countries

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The tables below list the known recipients of the medal in the respective participating countries.[3]

United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom, the first Royal Air Force championship to compete for the medal took place in 1953 and was won by Senior Technician J.E.P.P. Witts of RAF Stafford. The championship took place annually since then, except in 1991 when no competition was held as a result of the Gulf War. The record for the most wins of the Air Force medal is held by Chief Technician J.T. Prictor, who won the championship for the fourteenth time in 2009.[14][15]

Year Rank Initials Surname Squadron or Formation
1953 SAC (T) J.E.P.P. Witts RAF Stafford
1954 Sgt C.H. Greenlee RAF Ballykelly
1955 Cpl Tech B.R. Creasey RAF Wahn
1956 Sqn Ldr C.C. Willott OBE RAF West Malling
1957 Flt Lt M. Gill RAF Little Rissington
1958 Wg Cdr P.E.H. Thomas AFC RAF Hornchurch
1959 Wg Cdr P.E.H. Thomas AFC (2) RAF Hornchurch
1960 Sqn Ldr D.H. Young RAF Hemswell
1961 WO F. Flanaghan RAF Chigwell
1962 Chf Tech B.R. Creasey (2) RAF West Raynham
1963 SAC (T) D.J. Limby RAF Geilenkirchen
1964 Flt Lt R.S. Hassell RAF Lindholme
1965 Cpl R.N. van Gelderen RAF Gaydon
1966 Cpl R.N. van Gelderen (2) RAF Gaydon
1967 Chf Tech H.J. Dillon-Lee RAF Wattisham
1968 Sgt R.N. van Gelderen (3) RAF Gaydon
1969 Sgt R.N. van Gelderen (4) RAF Gaydon
1970 Sgt R.N. van Gelderen (5) RAF Gaydon
1971 Sgt R.N. van Gelderen (6) RAF Gaydon
1972 Sgt R.N. van Gelderen (7) RAF Gaydon
1973 Flt Lt G. Cox
1974 Chf Tech D.D. Watt RAF Honington
1975 Sgt P.A. Moss RAF Sealand
1976 Sgt P.A. Moss (2) RAF Sealand
1977 Sgt P.A. Moss (3) RAF Sealand
1978 Sgt P.A. Moss (4) RAF Sealand
1979 Chf Tech A.A. Thompson
1980 MAE I. Wilkinson RAF Lyneham
1981 Cpl P.W. Raymond RAF Abingdon
1982 Cpl J.A. Wyles
1983 Flt Lt D.P. Calvert
1984 Cpl J.T. Prictor RAF Honington
1985 Cpl P.W. Raymond (2) RAF Abingdon
1986 Cpl J.T. Prictor (2) RAF Honington
1987 Cpl I.L. Vosper RAF Cottesmore
1988 Cpl J.T. Prictor (3) RAF Bruggen
1989 SAC I.D.E. Brown RAF Catterick
1990 Sgt J.T. Prictor (4) No. 9 Squadron RAF, RAF Bruggen
1992 FS M.W. Silver BEM No. 19 Squadron RAF, RAF Aldergrove
1993 Sgt P. Barry RAF Valley
1994 Sgt D.B. Vick RAF Honington
1995 Sgt J.T. Prictor (5) No. 9 Squadron RAF, RAF Bruggen
1996 Flt Lt L.F. Smith No. 72 Squadron RAF, RAF Aldergrove
1997 Sgt J.T. Prictor (6) No. 9 Squadron RAF, RAF Bruggen
1998 Flt Lt L.F. Smith (2) Engineering Wing, RAF Coningsby
1999 Sgt J.T. Prictor (7) RAF Kinloss
2000 Chf Tech J.T. Prictor (8) MOD London, RAF Uxbridge
2001 Chf Tech J.T. Prictor (9) MOD London, RAF Uxbridge
2002 Chf Tech J.T. Prictor (10) RAF Cottesmore
2003 Chf Tech J.T. Prictor (11) RAF Cottesmore
2004 Flt Lt C. Allen RAF Wittering
2005 Sqn Ldr L.F. Smith (3) 5001 Squadron, RAF Stafford
2006 Chf Tech J.T. Prictor (12) 5131 (BD) Squadron, RAF Wittering
2007 Chf Tech J.T. Prictor (13) 5131 (BD) Squadron, RAF Wittering
2008 Flt Lt D.B. Vick (2) RAF Honington
2009 Chf Tech J.T. Prictor (14) 5131 (BD) Squadron, RAF Wittering
2010 Sqn Ldr L.F. Smith (4) HQ Air Command, RAF Halton
2011 Sqn Ldr D.B. Vick (3) RAF Regiment, RAF Honington
2012 Sgt P. Hunter
2013 Cpl R. Jamieson RAF Regiment
2014 Cpl R. Jamieson (2) RAF Regiment
2015 Cpl R. Jamieson (3) RAF Regiment
2016 Sgt A. Lilley RAF Waddington
2017 Cpl M. Keightley RAF Northolt
2018 Sgt A. Lilley (2) RAF Waddington
2019 FS P.A.D. Guard RAF Odiham

Australia

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The first Royal Australian Air Force championship to compete for the medal took place in 1956 and the first medal to an Australian was won by Warrant Officer C.E.P. Hawes. The championship took place annually from then until 1987, except in 1963 when no competition was held. In 1988, the Champion Shots Medal was instituted in Australia and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces ceased to be awarded.[16][17]

Year Rank Initials Surname Squadron or Formation
1956 WO C.E.P. Hawes
1957 Cpl P.R. Beare RAAF School of Technical Training, Wagga Wagga
1958 LAC D.G. Lamb No. 2 Aircraft Depot
1959 AC M.J. Baxter 86 Wing
1960 Cpl R.B. Cook Basic Flight Training Squadron
1961 Cpl R.B. Cook (2) Basic Flight Training Squadron, Pt. Cook
1962 LAC M.J. Baxter (2) 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron
1964 Sgt G. Wiles
1965 Cpl J.W. Dewhurst
1966 Cpl R.J. Rielly
1967 Sgt T.L. Mitchell
1968 Sgt M. Billett
1969 Cpl J.W. Dewhurst (2)
1970 FS S.R. Catts
1971 FS T.L. Mitchell (2)
1972 FS T.L. Mitchell (3)
1973 Flt Lt C.J. Griffiths
1974 LAC G. Thompson
1975 Sgt P. Phillips
1976 Sgt P. Phillips (2)
1977 Cpl G. Thompson (2)
1978 Cpl G.T. Pern
1979 Cpl G. Thompson (3)
1980 Sgt J.L. Hamilton 492 Squadron
1981 Sgt J.L. Hamilton (2) 492 Squadron
1982 Cpl G.T. Pern (2)
1983 WO P. Phillips (3)
1984 Sgt B.G. Hartman MOVCORDC
1985 WO J.L. Hamilton (3)
1986 FS N.F. Marxsen
1987 Sgt B.G. Hartman (2) MOVCORDC

Canada

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The first Royal Canadian Air Force championship to compete for the medal took place in 1954 and the first medal to a Canadian was won by Flight Sergeant J.V.P. Martin CD. The championship took place annually from then until 1967, when the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force were unified into the Canadian Armed Forces. As a result, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces ceased to be awarded and, from 1968, regular Canadian Air Force members competed with regular Army and Navy members for the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces.[18][19][20][21]

Year Rank Initials Surname Squadron or Formation
1954 FS J.V.P. Martin CD
1955 Flt Lt T.W. Gregory CD
1956 Cpl S. Goddard
1957 LAC D.A. Green
1958 LAC G.E. Sannachan
1959 FS R.H. Cunnington CD
1960 FS J.W. Brown CD
1961 Cpl A.F. O'Brien
1962 Cpl A.F. O'Brien (2)
1963 Fg Off O.J. Ruckpaul CD RCAF Station Centralia
1964 LAC C.R.E. Wesley
1965 Cpl H.R. Peters CD
1966 Flt Lt O.J. Ruckpaul CD (2) CFB Cold Lake
1967 Flt Lt M.D. Phoenix CD

New Zealand

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The first Royal New Zealand Air Force championship to compete for the medal took place in 1954 and the first medal to a New Zealander was won by Warrant Officer F.A. Haycock. The championship, which is restricted to members of the regular Air Force, took place annually from then, except in 1966, 1967, 1996 and from 1998 to 2003, when no competition was held. The medal is still current in New Zealand.[22][23]

Year Rank Initials Surname Squadron or Formation
1954 WO F.A. Haycock
1955 LAC M.W.P. Godwin
1956 WO F.A. Haycock (2)
1957 WO F.A. Haycock (3)
1958 Sgt L.P. Boyd
1959 Sgt C.G. Robertson
1960 LAC H.V. Childe
1961 LAC H.V. Childe (2)
1962 Sgt C.G. Robertson (2)
1963 Flt Lt G.C. Derby
1964 WO F.A. Haycock (4)
1965 Sgt P.J. Sears
1968 Flt Lt A.E. West
1969 WO C.G. Robertson (3)
1970 Sqn Ldr A.E. West (2)
1971 WO R.F. Flutey
1972 Cpl W.H. Wilkinson
1973 FS M.J. Ross
1974 Wg Cdr G.C. Derby (2)
1975 Sgt G.E. Cuthbert
1976 Sgt G.E. Cuthbert (2)
1977 Sgt G.E. Cuthbert (3)
1978 FS A.W. Schischka
1979 FS A.W. Schischka (2)
1980 FS J.W. Tasker
1981 WO M.J. Gallagher
1982 AC V.J. d'Ath
1983 Fg Off M.F. Loughran
1984 Sgt D.M. Craill General Service Instructor
1985 Sqn Ldr R.B. Smith
1986 Flt Lt D.J. Ashton
1987 Sqn Ldr R.B. Smith (2)
1988 Flt Lt M.F. Loughran (2)
1989 Sgt S.J. Bakker
1990 Wg Cdr R.B. Smith (3)
1991 Cpl S.R. Meldrum
1992 Cpl J.M. Kovacs
1993 Cpl J.M. Kovacs (2)
1994 Cpl J.M. Kovacs (3)
1995 Cpl B.W. Large
1997 Cpl J.M. Kovacs (4)
2004 Sgt S.R. Meldrum (2)

Rhodesia

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The 1962 Rhodesian Army competition for the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces was won by Corporal Technician B.T. Gilpin of Thornhill Air Base, a member of the Royal Rhodesian Air Force. Despite protests from the Army commanders, the Minister of Defence presented Gilpin with the Army medal. As a result of the controversy, Rhodesia sought and was granted the Crown's permission to introduce the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces. The first Royal Rhodesian Air Force championship to compete for the Air Force medal took place in 1963, but the first medal award was backdated to 1962 and the first two medals were presented in December 1963, one to Gilpin and the other to the Air Force champion for 1963, Flight Lieutenant W.J. Geeringh. Gilpin's 1962 Army medal was returned and the 1962 Army runner-up, Inspector D. Hollingworth, was awarded a second clasp to his existing medal.[9][24]

The championship took place annually from then until 1968, even after Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence on 11 November 1965, until Rhodesia severed its ties with the British Crown on 2 March 1970 and, in that same year, instituted the President's Medal for Shooting of the Security Forces.[9]

Year Rank Initials Surname Squadron or Formation
1962 Cpl Tech B.T. Gilpin Thornhill Air Base
1963 Flt Lt W.J. Geeringh RRAF
1966 Cpl G. Dartnell Thornhill Air Base
1968 Flt Lt W.J. Geeringh (3) RRAF

Description

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The medal was struck in silver and is a disk, 36 millimetres (1.42 inches) in diameter, with a raised rim on each side and suspended from a straight silver bar.[22]

Obverse

The obverse bears the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and is circumscribed "ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F. D.", reading around from the top. The effigy was designed by sculptor Cecil Thomas OBE and was used on a number of medals.[22][25]

Reverse

The reverse shows Hermes, the mythological messenger of the gods, mounted on the back of a hawk in flight, with a javelin in his right hand and in his left a caduceus, two snakes wrapped around a winged staff. The image is circumscribed “THE QUEEN'S MEDAL FOR CHAMPION SHOTS OF THE AIR FORCES”. The reverse of the medal was designed by British sculptor Sir Bernard Sindall.[1][10][11][22]

Clasp

Since the medal can be won multiple times, each subsequent award is indicated by the award of another clasp, which displays the year of the subsequent award. The clasps are designed to be attached to the suspender and to each other with rivets, in roller chain fashion. When medals are not worn, the award of second and subsequent clasps are denoted by silver rosettes on the ribbon bar. Since it is impossible to sew more than four rosettes onto a single ribbon bar and since several champions have won the award more than five times, gold rosettes were introduced to provide for situations where more than five championships have been won.[10][11][22][25]

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and dark crimson with a 3 millimetres wide dark blue band, a 3 millimetres wide light blue band and a 3 millimetres wide dark blue band on each edge.[1][10][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces (Accessed 7 August 2015)
  2. ^ "No. 40204". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1954. p. 3539.
  3. ^ a b c The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Home Page (Accessed 7 August 2015)
  4. ^ Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Vol. II, 1897 (No. 217. Best Shot.). London: A. Constable. p. 484.
  5. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - A Concise History of the Queen's/King's Medal (Accessed 7 August 2015)
  6. ^ "No. 33554". The London Gazette. 22 November 1929. p. 7530.
  7. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Revised Rules (Accessed 8 August 2015)
  8. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Flight Lieutenant Thomas William Gregory CD (Accessed 8 August 2015)
  9. ^ a b c The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Southern Rhodesia (Accessed 8 August 2015)
  10. ^ a b c d e f Royal Air Force - RAF Small Arms - Royal Warrant - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces (Accessed 12 August 2015)
  11. ^ a b c d e f New Zealand Defence Force - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Air Forces Royal Warrant Archived 26 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 12 August 2015)
  12. ^ a b New Zealand Defence Force - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces Regulations 1954 Archived 26 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 12 August 2015)
  13. ^ "No. 56878". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2003. p. 3353.
  14. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Royal Air Force (Accessed 12 August 2015)
  15. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Chief Technician John Terence Prictor (RAF) (Accessed 13 August 2015)
  16. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Royal Australian Air Force - The Queen's Medal (Accessed 12 August 2015)
  17. ^ Australian Government - It's an Honour - Champion Shots Medal Archived 13 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 9 August 2015)
  18. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Royal Canadian Airforce (Accessed 13 August 2015)
  19. ^ Canadian Medals for Champion Shots - Queen's Medal for the Champion Shot of the Royal Canadian Air Force - Document dated 18 September 2014, created by Surgeon Captain John Blatherwick, pp. 8-9 (Accessed 9 August 2015)
  20. ^ King's/Queen's Medal For The Champion Shot of the Royal Canadian Air Force - Document created by Surgeon Captain John Blatherwick CM OBC CD MD FRCPC LLD, pp. 9-10 Archived 22 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 8 August 2015)
  21. ^ National Defence and the Canadian Forces - Queen's Medalists Recipients - Queen’s Medal for The Champion Shot of the Royal Canadian Air Force (1954 - 1967) Archived 18 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 13 August 2015)
  22. ^ a b c d e New Zealand Defence Force - Other New Zealand Medals and Awards - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Air Forces Archived 24 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 13 August 2015)
  23. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - The Royal New Zealand Air Force (Accessed 13 August 2015)
  24. ^ The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Royal Rhodesian Air Force (Accessed 8 August 2015)
  25. ^ a b The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Army Medals (Accessed 7 August 2015)