Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of awarding a specific Gallipoli campaign medal to British soldiers that served in that campaign between February 1915 and January 1916, in the context of the recognition granted to Australian and New Zealand troops through the Anzac Commemorative Medallion; and whether his Department has had discussions on this with (a) veterans' organisations and (b) other relevant stakeholders.

Campaign, as well as long-service and gallantry medals were all issued to eligible Service personnel during and immediately after the First World War. The Ministry of Defence does not usually review decisions on medallic recognition when more than five years have elapsed since the event. This is because it is viewed that those making the required judgements at the time, were better placed to do so, than now. This principle has been examined by the Cabinet Office Honours and Decorations Committee a number of times and on each occasion has been found to be sound.

Campaign medals, which are awarded in circumstances meeting certain thresholds or risk and rigour, any carry with them strict eligibility criteria, differ considerably from commemorative medallions which purely memorialise an event at a later date and have a wider distribution.

Whilst we recognise and are indebted to the significant bravery and sacrifice of those British troops who served alongside their Anzac counterparts during the Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War, no commemorative medal is currently planned.