Long Service Medals to the Naval Reserve 1909 - 1957

    The long service medals awarded to petty officers and ratings of the various bodies of the Naval Reserve are basically the same medal with different ribbons, although one also has a different type of suspension. Medal are identified by the Reserve abbreviation impressed on the rim after the recipient details. These medals are summarised in the tables below.
    General description: in silver 36mm diameter, suspension by a normal straight bar except in the case of the RFR LSGC which is a ball and ring type (see below). Obverse; the bust of the relevant Monarch of the period - the first two issues notable in that they have the King, EVII & GV respectively , in the uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet; the rest are the usual coinage type profiles. Reverse bears the image of HMS Dreadnought under a leaden sky, with the motto 'DIUTURNE FIDELIS ' (Faithful Over Time) under.
     
   Naming: no surprises - early issues in large serif capitals, the rest generally small neat sans-serif capitals with slight variations of letter style over the years.
   (Ribbons: see below)
  Bars and Rosettes.- An Admiralty Fleet order of 1919 authorised the award of a bar for those of the RNR, RNVR, RNASBR, who completed a second qualifying period of service, and much later (1942) a rosette ^N was authorised to denote the award of a bar when the ribbon alone was worn.
 

Long Service and Good Conduct Medal	Ribbon Period
Royal Naval Reserve Medal instituted 1908
	1909 - 1941	1941-1957
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Medal instituted 1908
	1909 - 1919	1919 - 1957
Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve Medal instituted 1919
	1919 - 1943	1943 - 1949
Royal Naval Volunteer (Wireless) Reserve Medal instituted 1939
	1939 - 1957
Royal Fleet Reserve   Institution of the medal is approved by the Admiralty,1st April 1920.  Medal first issued July 1922
	1922 - 2000 ?

Notes.
   Commissioned Officers of the RNR and RNVR were granted the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration respectively for long service. These decorations will be covered on a separate page.

In 1957 the RNR, RNVR and RNV(W)R were amalgamated. The medal design remained the same but the ribbon changed to equal stripes of blue / white / green (centre) / white / blue. The medal finally disappeared in 2000 when it was replaced by the tri-service Volunteer Reserves Service Medal.
 

The primary purpose of the Naval Reserve is to have a large number of trained personnel ready to be called upon in times of war (or other emergency) that may necessitate the expansion of the Royal Navy.

Royal Naval Reserve.
Composed of  Merchant Navy seaman. The RNR LSGC medal was awarded for 15 years service provided the required training had also been completed. Mobilized war service counted double.

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Civilian volunteers. The medal awarded for 12 years service, with wartime service counting double.

Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve
Manned by  volunteers of the St John Ambulance Brigade. The RNASBR was initially formed to maintain an acceptable ratio of medically trained personnel to seaman which would be needed in wartime. The medal was awarded for 12 years service with war service counting double. The RNASBR were disbanded 1949
Ratings in the RNASBR
J.R.A = Junior Reserve Attendant.
S.R.A. = Senior Reserve Attendant.
2. S.B.S. 2nd Class Sick Berth Steward
S.B.S. = Sick Berth Steward
R. WDMR = Reserve Wardmaster (equal to CPO)
 

Royal Naval Volunteer (Wireless) Reserve
Created to augment the RNVR Telegraphist branch and manned by 'enthusiastic radio amateurs'. Awarded for 12 years service, with war time service counting double. 211 medals were issued, this medal is also found to officers.

Royal Fleet Reserve 
Composed of  men who had served full time with the Royal Navy or Royal Marines.  Enlistment rules changed over time but generally a man joined  the Royal Navy for a specific number of years followed by a number of years in the Royal Fleet Reserve ^N During his time in the RFR he carried on with his civilian occupation unless he was required by the Navy, such as in wartime. The Navy reserve Act 1900 initially created two classes of reservist:
Class A reservist - men under 45 in receipt of a life pension and who possessed a specific skill such as Seaman Gunner, Signallers etc.
Class B reservist - men who had served 12 years in the Navy or a minimum of 4 years and purchased their discharge.
Class C reservist ( new class introduced in 1903 ) - seamen ratings who entered for 7 years in the RN followed by 5 years RFR or in the case of stokers, 5 years RN followed by 7 years RFR. These men can be identified by the SS prefix to their service numbers (SS = Short Service)
The Medal itself was awarded for 15 years aggregate service. The original rules for the medal made it impossible for a bar to be awarded, hence the ball and ring design was adopted.