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The Volunteer Officers'
Decoration Instituted
1892 to reward the "long and meritorious services of Officers of
proved capacity in Our Volunteer Forces in Great Britain" and
extended in 1894 to the colonies. The qualifying period was 20 years
commissioned service, with any service in the ranks counting at half
the rate.
Description: a silver skeletal badge in the form of oval oak wreath
"tied with gold",
43 mm high by 35.5 mm wide, containing the gilt finished crowned
cypher of Queen Victoria
N, Edward VII or George V. This decoration was
superseded by the Territorial Decoration in 1908 with in the UK (see
table for the colonies)
The reverse
is plain except in the case of the earlier issues which are
hallmarked. Suspension is by means of a free ring.
Naming: issued unnamed although frequently encountered unofficially
engraved in various styles.
Ribbon; 38mm wide dark green.
| Place |
Instituted |
General qualifying period (years) |
superseded |
cypher types |
superseded by: |
| Great Britain |
1892 |
20 |
1908 |
VR. EVIIR |
The Territorial Decoration |
| India |
1894 |
18 |
1899 |
VRI, EVIIR |
Indian Volunteer Officers' Decoration |
| "Colonies" |
1894 |
20 |
1899 |
VRI, EVIIR |
Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers'
Decoration |
| Bermuda |
1894 |
20 |
1930 |
VRI, EVIIR, GVR |
Efficiency Decoration |
| Official announcement of the
institution of the decoration: |
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War Office, July 29th, 1892. |
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THE VOLUNTEER OFFICERS' DECORATION WARRANT |
| VICTORIA, R. |
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VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the
Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting!
WHEREAS it is Our Royal desire to reward the long and meritorious
services of Officers of proved capacity in Our Volunteer
Force ; Now for the purpose of attaining this end, We have
instituted, constituted and created, and by these presents
for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, do institute, constitute
and create a new Decoration which We are desirous should be
highly prized by the Officers of Our Volunteer Force ; and
We are graciously pleased to make, ordain and establish the
following rules and ordinances for the government of the
same, which shall from henceforth be observed and kept: —
Firstly.—It is Ordained that the Decoration shall be
styled and designated "The Volunteer Officers' Decoration,"
and shall consist of an Oak Wreath in silver tied with gold,
having in the centre the Royal Cipher and Crown in gold.
Secondly.—It is ordained that the Decoration shall be
suspended from the left breast by a green riband of one inch
and a half in width from a silver Oak bar-brooch.
Thirdly.—It is ordained that the Decoration may be
worn by Us, Our Heirs and Successors, Kings and Queens
Regnant of the United Kingdom of Great. Britain and Ireland
; and it shall be competent for Us, Our Heirs and
Successors, to confer the Decoration upon any of the Princes
of the Royal Family of Great Britain and Ireland.
Fourthly.—It is ordained that no person shall be
eligible for this Decoration nor be nominated thereto unless
he is or was a Commissioned Officer and has served twenty
years in Our Volunteer Force—is recommended by the
Commanding Officer of the Corps in which he has served—and
is duly certified by the District Military Authorities in
which the Corps is located, as having been an efficient and
thoroughly capable Officer, in every way deserving of such a
decoration; Provided nevertheless and We do hereby declare
that half of any time during which an Officer of Our
Volunteer Force may have served in the ranks of Our said
Force shall reckon as qualifying service towards the twenty
years required as aforesaid.
Fifthly.—It is ordained that the names of those upon
whom We may be pleased to confer the Decoration shall be
published in the London Gazette, and a registry thereof kept
in the office of Our Principal Secretary of State for War.
Sixthly.—In order to make such additional provision
as shall effectually preserve pure this most honourable
distinction, it is ordained, that if any person on whom it
shall be conferred be convicted of any act derogatory to his
honour as an Officer and gentleman, his name shall forthwith
be erased from the registry of individuals upon whom the
said Decoration shall have been conferred, by an Order from
Us under Our Royal Sign Manual; and a notification thereof
shall be duly published in the London Gazette.
Lastly.—We reserve to Ourselves, Our Heirs and
Successors, full power of annulling, altering, abrogating,
augmenting, interpreting, or dispensing with these
regulations, or any part thereof, by a Notification under
Our Royal Sign Manual.
Given at Our Court at Osborne, the twenty-fifth day of July,
in the fifty-sixth year of Our Reign, and in the year of Our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-two.
By Her Majesty's Command,
Edward Stanhope. |
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Official announcement of the extension of the
decoration to the Colonies: |
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War Office, May 26, 1894. |
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Extension of the Volunteer Officers'
Decoration Warrant to the Colonies and India: — |
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VICTORIA, R.I. |
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WHEREAS by our Royal Warrant of the
twenty-fifth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and
ninety-two, We were graciously pleased to institute a new
Decoration for the purpose of rewarding the long and
meritorious services of Officers of proved capacity in Our
Volunteer Forces in Great Britain ;
And whereas it has been represented to Us by Our Principal
Secretary of State for War, on the recommendation of our
Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies acting on
behalf of the several Governments of Our Colonies, and of
Our Principal Secretary of State for India in Council, that
the extension of the grant of this Decoration for Long
Service to Our Volunteer Forces throughout Our Empire would
be highly valued by them ;
Now, to attain this end, We have extended, and by these
Presents for Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, do extend the
grant of this Decoration to the Officers of the Volunteer
Forces throughout Our Empire under the same terms and
conditions as those on which it is granted to Officers in
Our Volunteer Force by Our Royal Warrant of the twenty-fifth
day of July, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-two,
except that in the case of India eighteen years' service
shall be the qualifying period : Provided always that the
power of conferring the Decoration upon an Officer, or of
removing the name of an Officer from the Registry of
individuals upon whom the said Decoration shall have been
conferred shall be exercised on Our behalf, with the same
force as if exercised by Us, by the Governor General of
India, the Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada, or by
the Governor of the Colony or Dependency according as such
Officer shall have served in a Volunteer Force of India or
of such Colony or Dependency ; and the name of an, Officer
so granted the Decoration or removed from the Registry shall
be published in the Official Gazette of India or of the said
Colony or Dependency as the case may be.
And, We do further ordain that Officers who have given
qualifying service in the Volunteer Forces of any portion of
Our Empire, shall be entitled to reckon such service as part
of the qualifying service required for this Decoration.
And We reserve to Ourself, Our Heirs, and Successors full
power of altering, annulling, abrogating, augmenting,
interpreting, or dispensing with these Regulations, or any
part thereof, by a notification under the Royal Sign Manual.
Given at Our Court at Balmoral, this twentyfourth day of May, one
thousand eight hundred and ninety-four, in the fiftyseventh
year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesty's Command,
H. Campbell-Hannerman. |
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Victoria Cypher
