Item number: M519-1

Reference number: Borna Barac II#356; MYB# 54-1; Joslin# 46a

Year: AD 1914-1930

Material: Silver

Provenance: J. Collins Medal 2026

This is a miniature version of the Distinguished Service Medal awarded during the reign of King George V to petty officers and ratings of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in recognition of acts of bravery in the face of the enemy. Recipients of this award are entitled to post-nominal letters ‘DSM’.

The medal is circular in form. The obverse features in the centre an uncrowned profile bust of King George V facing left, wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet, decorated with the Order of the Bath, the Royal Victorian Order, amongst other honours. Encircled along the circumference is the legend ‘GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:’, translating as ‘George V, King of all the Britains, Emperor of India’.

The reverse bears the central inscription ‘FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE’, encircled by a laurel wreath. Above the wreath rests St Edward’s Crown, symbolising royal authority.

The ribbon is dark blue with two white stripes towards the centre.

In response to the demands of the First World War, King George V instituted the Distinguished Service Medal to supplement the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal and to serve as the other ranks’ counterpart to the Distinguished Service Cross. In AD 1916, a second award bar was approved to recognise subsequent acts of gallantry. In common with other service decorations, eligibility for the award was extended during the Second World War to encompass Army and Royal Air Force personnel serving aboard ships, as well as members of the Merchant Navies of Britain and the Commonwealth. Approximately 5,600 medals were awarded during the First World War, whilst just under 7,300 were issued during the Second World War.

During the First World War, the Royal Navy, as the paramount maritime force in the world, executed a naval blockade centred upon the Grand Fleet, successfully severing Germany’s overseas resupply and trade lifelines, thereby exerting a decisive impact on global strategy. Beyond safeguarding the command of the sea for the British Empire in fleet actions such as the Battle of Jutland, the Royal Navy actively countered emerging threats, implementing the convoy system to neutralise unrestricted submarine warfare, whilst pioneering the operational deployment of Q-ships and the Royal Naval Air Service.

物件編號: M519-1

參考書目編號: Borna Barac II#356; MYB# 54-1; Joslin# 46a

年代: 公元 1914-1930 年

材質: 銀

來源: J. Collins Medal 2026

這是一枚迷你版的傑出服務獎章，於喬治五世時期頒發，頒予皇家海軍與陸戰隊的士官兵，以表彰其面對敵人時的英勇行為。獲頒此章者可於其姓名後加上「DSM」稱號。

章體呈圓形。正面中央為英國國王喬治五世（King George V）的左側身海軍元帥軍裝肖像，頭上無冠。配有巴斯勳章、皇家維多利亞勳章等。沿章緣環列銘文「GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:」，即「喬治五世，全不列顛之王，印度皇帝」。

背面中央銘文為「FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE」，即「因傑出服務」，以月桂葉冠環繞。上方為聖愛德華王冠，象徵王權。

綬帶為深藍色，靠近中央處有兩條白色條紋。

因應第一次世界大戰的需求，喬治五世設立此「傑出服務獎章」作為「傑出行為獎章」（Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, CGM）的補充，並作為士兵／非軍官階級對標「傑出服務十字勳章」（Distinguished Service Cross, DSC）的相應獎章。公元1916年通過了扣章（Bar）制度，用以獎勵第二次的英勇事蹟。如同其他服役勳章，該獎章的頒授範圍在第二次世界大戰期間擴大至在艦艇上服役的陸軍與皇家空軍人員，同時也涵蓋了英國及其聯邦的商船海軍。在第一次世界大戰期間，約頒發了5,600枚；而在第二次世界大戰期間，頒發數量略少於7,300枚。

在一戰期間，英國皇家海軍（Royal Navy）作為全球最強大的海上力量，以大艦隊（Grand Fleet）為核心實施海上封鎖，成功切斷了德國的海外物資補給與貿易命脈，在全球戰略上發揮了決定性作用。除了在日德蘭海戰等大規模艦隊對決中維護大英帝國的制海權，皇家海軍也積極應對新型態威脅，透過護航制度反制德國無限制潛艇戰，並開創性地運用偽裝獵潛艦（Q-Ships）與海軍航空兵（RNAS）參與戰鬥。