Irish Emergency service Medal

[Daniele C]

This is mine complete with box and papers.

got it from the family

[Daniele C]

2

[Daniele C]

3

[Daniele C]

4

[torstenbel]

Very nice medal. Do you know what the award criteria were and how many were issued? Cheers, Torsten.

[Noor]

The Emergency Service Medals 1939-1946
An Bonn Seirbhise Eigeandala

Established 6 October 1944 (However, the production and issue of the insignia did not commence until 1947)
Awarded for Good conduct service (3 September 1939 - 31 March 1946)
Manufacturer P. Quinn Ltd. And The Jewellery and Metal Mfg, Co.
Awarded approximates nearly 240,000

The obverse represents a walking Eire, wearing a cloak, holding a sword downwards and with an Irish wolfshound on a leash. Around the top edge is the inscription "RE NA PRAINNE" (Emergency Period) followed by the designer's name in very small lettering : Lawrence Campbell R.H.A. The reverse has a laurel spray between the dates 1939 and 1946 and above is the title of the organisation in which service (either one or two years, depending on the organisation) was done. The medals are unnamed and worn from a ribbon with either a single broad white centre stripe or two narrower white centre stripes. A top bar "SEIRBHIS NAISUNTA" (National Service) should always be present while a bronze bar with the dates 1939, 1946 on either side of a laurel spray, indicates each two years of additional service. The top bar has the manufacturer's name on the reverse.

The series is probably unique in that the medals have a common obverse but no fewer that tweleve different reverses and two types of ribbons. Some of these are rare, but the majority are common, having been issued in tens of thousands.

AN FORSA COSANTA AITUIL (The Local Defence Forces) : A volunteer reserve force organised on a regional basis and designed to support the regular army by point defence and guerrilla activities.

RIBBONS :  There are three types of ribbon, both 32mm wide. The first, for medals 1 to 7 is reddish orange with two white stripes. The second, for medals 8 to 11, is reddish orange with a single white stripe in the middle.  Number 12 is blue with a single white stripe in the centre.

SUSPENSION :  The ribbon is threaded through a ring that is affixed to the top of the medal and hangs from a bronze pin bearing the words "SEIRBHIS NAISUNTA" meaning National Service.

BARS :  Were authorised for each additional two years service, consecutive or aggregate, beyond the qualifying period, no more than two bars being awarded to anyone. The bars which are sewn onto the ribbon, are bronze and bear the dates 1939-1946 with a laurel spray between. Rare versions of the Merchant Marine Medal did have 3 bars.

DESIGNER :  Laurence Campbell, RHA, whose name appears on the bottom right of the front.

MANUFACTURERS :  P. Quinn Ltd. And The Jewellery and Metal Mfg, Co.

NUMBERS ISSUED :  The Dept of Justice approximates that nearly 240,000 Emergency medals were issued to the various organisations. ALL of these emergency medals were issued un-named.