ribbons or gongs?

[Tim P]

These days, when on parade the full medal is worn. When in uniform (tunics obviously) but not on parade the practice is ribbons only.

For those WW1 soldiers who had medals awarded for pre war service or in the case of valour awards, wartime, when walking out was the practice of ribbons only in force then.. or full medals?

[Muerrisch]

my opinion, for what it is worth, is that the soldiers would not have access to their medals in war time. On declaration of war, medals were handed into the custody of the depot [Mobilization Regulations 1914 refer]. Ribbons only.

[T8HANTS]

I did meet an old veteran of the Royal Sussex (I think), who said he had lost his Boer War and Dheli Durbar medals when he went into the bag in 1918. There must have been some truth to it as Lord Louis Mountbatten when he was Governor of the IOW got him replacements.

G

[Blackblue]

I think it would have been as it is now. Different orders of dress for different occasions which dictated how awards were worn - ribbons (dress of the day), full medals (ceremonial) or miniatures.

Rgds

Tim D

[Muerrisch]

Paras 156 and 240 Mobilization 1914 specifically have all medals including those of reservists and special reservists to be handed in on declaration against a receipt. Therefore the only medals a soldier might have access to during the war were any gallantry or long service awarded during the war, plus, possibly, the 1914 star very near end war.

Regardless of valued opinions here, those were the rules. There are, of course, always exceptions.

[truthergw]

Rools is rools and , as you wisely observe, they is made to be broke. What does the photographic evidence say? I can't recall photos of men wearing medals but I can't recall a pic of a full dress parade. There could surely have been very few occasions when a man in possession of his medals was in a position to be captured?

[Tim P]

Interesting. I had mused that prewar medals awarded in 1911 for coronation and for territorial excellence at any point would have been in evidence despite not having seen pics of old territorials so attired.

If an order to turn in medals was made then it makes sense.