Brighton Borough Police Special Constabulary Long Service Medal c1945
Name/Title
Brighton Borough Police Special Constabulary Long Service Medal awarded to Harold Field c1945
Entry/Object ID
383
Description
King George VI Special Constabulary Long Service medal and ribbon, stamped on edge "Harold Field". The medal is mounted with a pin clip to the rear.
Use
For awarding to a special constable with 9 years service or 3 years wartime service.
Context
The Special Constabulary Long Service medal was first instituted in 1919, as the Special Constabulary Medal, to acknowledge the contribution made by members of the special constabulary during the First World War. In 1920 it was changed to the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal and awarded to recognise 9 year's service. In addition claps are awarded to the medal ribbon for additional periods of service. Initially this was for every ten years but in 2022 it was reduced to 5 years. Service during the Second World War was tripled.
This particular medal was awarded to Harold Field who was a member of Brighton Police Special Constabulary during the Second World War. Research shows that he was the owner of a Brighton laundry business in 1939 but that entry on the voter's register does not list him as a member of the special constabulary, which was normal practice at the time. This suggests that he only joined the special constabulary during the war. There is also a newspaper report from 1953 ( Sussex Daily News 15th December 1953 page 4) reporting that Brighton Police Special Constable Sergeant H. Field had been awarded a bar to his Long Service Medal, again indicating that the original medal was for wartime service. There is no bar on this medal suggesting it was never attached.
