Historical information

The Victory Medal (also called the Allied Victory Medal) is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA. This medal was never awarded singly. It ia accompanied by the ribbon of the British War Medal but this medal is not held in the School archive

Significance

The medal is of historical and social significance for the College. The Holgate medals were the first WW1 medals held by the school archive.

Physical description

The Victory Medal is a 36mm diameter circular copper medal, lacquered in bronze. The obverse shows the winged, full-length, full-front, figure of Victory, with her left arm extended and holding a palm branch in her right hand. The reverse has the words ‘THE GREAT / WAR FOR / CIVILISATION / 1914-1919' in four lines, all surrounded by a laurel wreath. The 39mm wide ribbon has a ‘two rainbow' design, with the violet from each rainbow on the outside edges moving through to a central red stripe where both rainbows meet.

Inscriptions & markings

The reverse has the words ‘THE GREAT / WAR FOR / CIVILISATION / 1914-1919' in four lines
Inscribed around outer edge of medal: '4303 A-CPL. H. S. HOLGATE 29 BN A.I.F.'