The Victory Medal was authorised in 1919 to commemorate the victory of the Allied Forces over the Central Powers. Each of the Allied nations issued a Victory Medal to their own nationals. Each nation used the standard ribbon but used different designs on the medal to reflect national identity and custom. A number had the figure of Victory on the obverse. Australians were awarded the medal issued by Great Britain.
The Victory Medal was awarded to prescribed classes of persons who entered a theatre of war on duty between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918.
Theatres of war are defined in Appendix A to Military Order 560 of 1919. Navy use the theatres as for Army.
Design
The medal is bronze with a winged figure of Victory on the obverse. The reverse has the words The Great War For Civilisation surrounded by a laurel wreath.
The ribbon has a 2 rainbow design, with the violet from each rainbow on the outside edges moving through to a central red stripe where both rainbows meet.
A member mentioned in despatches for service during World War 1 wears a bronze spray of oak leaves on the Victory Medal ribbon. Only one emblem is worn no matter how many times a member may have been mentioned.
When a ribbon alone is worn a slightly smaller insignia is worn as a ribbon emblem.
Source documents
Victory Medal 1914-19 criteria (PDF, 42.93 KB)
Appendix A to Military Order 560 of 1919 (PDF, 50.58 KB)