Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975
Encyclopedia
The Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 recognises the service of Australian Defence Force and certain other persons in prescribed warlike operations in the period after World War II, and prior to February 1975. The medal was established in December 1997.
The Australian Active Service Medal
recognises warlike service after February 1975
Recipients of the AASM 1945–75 may be authorised to wear up to three further medals for the same period of service; a UK campaign medal, a medal from an international organisation and a medal from a host nation.
During this period campaign and service medals under the UK system were originally issued. The Australian system of honours was introduced in 1975 following which Australian service and campaign medals were issued to Australian Military Force personnel, and the issue of UK medals discintinued.
The AASM 1945–75 was issued retrospectively to provide an Australian recognition of the service. The AASM 1945–75 was issued in addition to the exiting UK medals. The UK medals remained recognised in the Australian Order of Predecendence. UK medals applicable to a clasp are referenced with the clasp details.
Personnel who receive this medal may also be entitled to receive a service or campaign medal from an international organisation or the host country, if they meet the eligibility criteria for those medals. These are treated as foreign medals in the Australian system, and if approved for wear on service uniforms, are worn after Australian medals in the order they are received.
Some of the international and host nation medals have been granted a blanket authority for all recipients to wear. Others are approved on an individual basis. Any foreign medals with blanket approval to be worn are referenced with the clasp. In addition all UN medals are authorised for wear.
The Australian Active Service Medal
Australian Active Service Medal
The Australian Active Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in warlike operations...
recognises warlike service after February 1975
Description
- The Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 is a nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of St EdwardSt. Edward's CrownSt Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
. The obverse has a Federation StarCommonwealth StarThe Commonwealth Star is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901....
with the inscription ‘THE AUSTRALIAN ACTIVE SERVICE MEDAL 1945 – 1975’. - The reverse has a wreath of golden wattle flanking a central horizontal panel.
- The medal ribbon is 32mm wide and has a central red stripe flanked by yellow stripes which in turn are flanked by stripes of blue, green and purple. These colours are representative of the ribbon colours of the Imperial awards previously issued for campaign service.
Related Medals
Recipients of this medal are also entitled to the issue of the Returned from Active Service BadgeRecipients of the AASM 1945–75 may be authorised to wear up to three further medals for the same period of service; a UK campaign medal, a medal from an international organisation and a medal from a host nation.
During this period campaign and service medals under the UK system were originally issued. The Australian system of honours was introduced in 1975 following which Australian service and campaign medals were issued to Australian Military Force personnel, and the issue of UK medals discintinued.
The AASM 1945–75 was issued retrospectively to provide an Australian recognition of the service. The AASM 1945–75 was issued in addition to the exiting UK medals. The UK medals remained recognised in the Australian Order of Predecendence. UK medals applicable to a clasp are referenced with the clasp details.
Personnel who receive this medal may also be entitled to receive a service or campaign medal from an international organisation or the host country, if they meet the eligibility criteria for those medals. These are treated as foreign medals in the Australian system, and if approved for wear on service uniforms, are worn after Australian medals in the order they are received.
Some of the international and host nation medals have been granted a blanket authority for all recipients to wear. Others are approved on an individual basis. Any foreign medals with blanket approval to be worn are referenced with the clasp. In addition all UN medals are authorised for wear.
MALAYA
- 1 days service during the Malayan EmergencyMalayan EmergencyThe Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
from 16 June 1948 – 31 July 1960
-
- See also General Service Medal (1918)General Service Medal (1918)The General Service Medal was instituted to recognise service in minor Army and Air Force operations for which no separate medal was intended. It was equivalent to the 1915 Naval General Service Medal.- Description :...
with clasp Malaya - May also be eligible for the Malaysian Pingat Jasa MalaysiaPingat Jasa MalaysiaThe Pingat Jasa Malaysia is a medal given by the King and Government of Malaysia. The name translates into English as the "Malaysian Service Medal". It was created in 2004 and is awarded to British and Commonwealth forces who served in Malaysia during the Malayan Emergency and the...
- See also General Service Medal (1918)
KOREA
- 1 days service during the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
from 1 July 1950 – 27 July 1953
-
- see also Korea MedalKorea MedalThe Korea Medal , sometimes referred to as the Queen's Korea Medal to distinguish it from the United Nations Service Medal, was a campaign medal created in 1951 to recognize troops from the various Commonwealth realms, except South Africa, who had given either one day's service in Korea or 28 days...
- see also the United Nations Korea Medal
- see also Korea Medal
MALAYSIA
- 1 days service in:
- BruneiBruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, North BorneoNorth BorneoNorth Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
and SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
from 8 December 1962 – 23 December 1962 - SabahSabahSabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
and BruneiBruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
from 24 December 1962 – 11 August 1966 - Malay PeninsulaMalay PeninsulaThe Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
and SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from 17 August 1964 – 11 August 1966
- Brunei
-
- See also General Service Medal (1962)General Service Medal (1962)The General Service Medal , was introduced in 1962 to combine the General Service Medal , as awarded to the Army and RAF, and the Naval General Service Medal...
with clasps Malay Peninsular and Borneo - May also be eligible for the Malaysian Pingat Jasa MalaysiaPingat Jasa MalaysiaThe Pingat Jasa Malaysia is a medal given by the King and Government of Malaysia. The name translates into English as the "Malaysian Service Medal". It was created in 2004 and is awarded to British and Commonwealth forces who served in Malaysia during the Malayan Emergency and the...
- See also General Service Medal (1962)
THAILAND
- 1 days service:
- at RTAF Base UbonUbon Royal Thai Air Force BaseUbon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force facility and is the home of Wing 21 of the RTAF 2nd Air Division. It is located in East-Central Thailand, near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in the Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 305 miles North-East of Bangkok...
from 25 June 1965 – 31 August 1968 - with 2 Field Troop, RAERoyal Australian EngineersThe Royal Australian Engineers is a corps of the Australian Army . The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps...
at Ban Kok Talat in Operation CROWN from 25 June 1965 – 31 August 1968
- at RTAF Base Ubon
THAI-MALAY
- 1 days service in:
- Land and air anti-terrorist operations (1 August 1960 – 31 December 1964)
- RAAF air operations (17 August 1964 – 30 March 1966)
VIETNAM
- For recipients of:
- GSM (1962)General Service Medal (1962)The General Service Medal , was introduced in 1962 to combine the General Service Medal , as awarded to the Army and RAF, and the Naval General Service Medal...
with clasp South Vietnam – 24 December 1962 – 28 May 1964 - Vietnam MedalVietnam MedalThe Vietnam Medal was a joint Australian and New Zealand campaign medal awarded for service in the Vietnam War.The medal was jointly developed by Australia and New Zealand, although there were separate Royal authorisation warrants for each country....
– 29 May 1964 – 27 January 1973 - Vietnam Logistic and Support MedalVietnam Logistic and Support MedalThe Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal was issued to recognise the service of Australian support personnel during the Vietnam War.-Qualification requirements:The qualifying criteria for the medal include:...
– 29 May 1964 – 27 January 1973
- GSM (1962)