British Empire Medal

The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal (BEM), is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "BEM", and it is divided into military and civil divisions in a similar way to the Order of the British Empire itself. While recipients are not technically counted as members of the Order, these medals are nevertheless affiliated with it. The BEM was awarded to subjects of the United Kingdom until 1992, after which time it lay in abeyance in the United Kingdom, although was still awarded in some Commonwealth realms. However, following the 2011 Australian Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the BEM will once again be issued starting with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

History

The Medal of the Order of the British Empire was first established in 1917 together with the Order of the British Empire itself. In 1922 the original medal was split in two new honours. While the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (usually known as the Empire Gallantry Medal) was awarded for acts of bravery until it was replaced by the George Cross in 1940, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service (usually known as the British Empire Medal) was awarded in similar circumstances as the lower classes of the Order of the British Empire, but usually to people below management or professional level. In the uniformed services, it was awarded to non-commissioned officers of the armed forces, officers below superintendent rank in the police, and personnel below divisional officer level in the fire services.

From 1940, the British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service could again be awarded for gallantry, but now for acts of bravery (not in the face of the enemy) which were below the level required for the George Medal and to the same classes of people awarded the BEM for other services (with more senior recipients receiving the Order of the British Empire). From 14 January 1958 these awards were instead designated as the British Empire Medal for Gallantry and consisted of the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service with a silver oak leaf emblem worn on the ribbon. It could not be awarded posthumously and was eventually replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

The BEM was awarded to subjects of the United Kingdom until 1992. Those awarded the honour did not receive it from the monarch but from the lord lieutenant of their county or a local authority. Former prime minister Sir John Major decided that the distinction between the BEM and MBE had "become increasingly tenuous" and he wanted more local people to receive their awards from the Queen herself. However, following the 2011 Australian Heads of Government Meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron, announced that the medal will once again be issued beginning next year to coincide with The Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The medal still is awarded in the Commonwealth realms and Dominions, such as the Bahamas and Cook Islands.

See also

• Recipients of the British Empire Medal

External links

• Search recommendations for the British Empire Medal on The UK National Archives' website.
• British Empire Medal on the Veterans Affairs Canada site