ASAC Australia | Wearing of Citations

PATRON: Lieutenant General F J Hickling AO CSC

Wearing of Unit Citations

The Medals pages are intended as a guide only. Please post medal queries at the Medal & Awards Discussion Board located at the Forum.

According to chapter 8, paragraph 840 and 841 of the Navy DI, unit citations [both Australian and Foreign] are to be positioned centrally on the left breast with citations dressed per first row of ribbons with medal ribbons centrally positioned 5mm directly above unit citations [Australia having precedence over Foreign]. Citations are to be positioned with top edge of citation 20mm centrally below bottom line of medals.

Navy (USN) Unit Citations are, unlike Army or Air Force, in so much that the citation emblem is a ribbon and worn whilst in uniform on the left side, Army/RAAF emblems are worn on the right when in uniform.

Below is a copy of the Army Dress Manual in regards to the wearing of Citations: REFERENCE ARMY STANDING ORDERS FOR DRESS (ASOD)

Chapter 28 Para 420

Commendations and Citations will be worn on the RIGHT side above the pocket (or in the same place if there is no pocket).

Chapter 32-8 Para 3152

A person in the immediate family of a deceased recipient of a Decoration or Medal may wear the insignia awarded to that member, on occasions specially designated for military commemoration. The medals or ribbons of the medals are to be worn on the RIGHT breast and only when the person is in civilian clothes, they are NOT permitted to be worn on uniform under any circumstances. This would also include Citations.

Chapter 32 Para 3206

Medal ribbons may be arranged on receipt of new awards and before investiture or receipt of the medal. In this case the Riband of the new medal is to be worn in the appropriate order of procedure (Note that this means AFTER you have received official notice that you are entitled to the medal).

Chapter 32 Para 3208

Medals MAY be Court Mounted at the expense and option of the member, UNLESS Court Mounting is ordered for the performance of a members duties (i.e. RSM can order you to do so if deemed necessary).

This applies to all services. When wearing Medals, you may place a piece of the ribbon corresponding to the new medal in the spot where the medal shall hang.

Medal Application Details

Application forms for new (or replacement medals) are available in Adobe PDF Format at the Australian Defence Force site. To access these forms and the statutory declaration required in relation to lost medals, please click here.

Medal Application Details

Australia

In March of 2003, the Directorate of Honours and Awards collocated it's several medal sections together at Tuggeranong, a regional commercial/business centre in Canberra.

Following the move to Tuggeranong, the Directorate has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve the system of processing medals applications.

One such initiative is to use the facilities of the defence service centre at Cooma, NSW to receive, register and acknowledge mail for the directorate.

Navy, Army, Air Force :

DIRECTORATE OF HONOURS AND AWARDS
LOCKED BAG 2003
COOMA NSW 2630

Merchant Navy :

Chief Mercantile Marine Officer
Department of Transport
PO Box 596
CIVIC SQUARE ACT 2608

International

British service persons with service pre 1920 write to:

Army Medal Office MOD(GS)
Records "Z" Section
Bourne Avenue
Hayes Middlesex
ENGLAND UB3 IRF

This is a handy link to the UK MOD medals office: United Kingdom - MOD Medals Office

British service persons with service 1920 - 2001 write to:

Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency
(Joint Personnel Administration Centre)
MOD Medal Office
Building 250
Royal Air Force Innsworth
Gloucester
GL3 1HW

The MOD Medal Office enquiry line is:
Tel: 01452 712612 ext 8149

Medal Queries: please post your questions at the Medal & Awards Discussion Board located at the Forum.

The information contained in the medal descriptions has been gathered from a variety of sources both across the web, from print, and from oral submissions. It is updated as new information comes to hand.

If you are seeking an off-line source of medal information, ASAC Australia highly recommends the following book:
Williams R. D. 1981 1983 1990 Medals To Australia. Pocket Book Publications, Dubbo, Australia

All medal and ribbon images displayed on the ASAC Australia website have been digitally rendered.

Reproduction without prior written consent is prohibited.

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