Canadian Forces Decoration

The Canadian Forces Decoration is a military long service medal awarded to officers and Non-Commissioned Members of the Canadian Forces (CF) who have completed twelve years of service. The decoration is awarded to all ranks who have a good record of conduct.

The decoration is awarded to the regular forces, reserve forces, officers of the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC), Canadian Rangers, and holders of honorary appointments in the CF. Service in the regular and reserve or auxiliary forces of the British Commonwealth of Nations will be counted towards the medal if the final five years have been served with the Canadian Forces and no other long service, good conduct, or efficiency medal has been awarded for the same service. The medal may be awarded to persons in possession of any long service, good conduct, or efficiency decoration or medal clasps, provided that the individual has completed the full qualifying periods of service for each award and that no service qualifying towards one award is permitted to count towards any other. The service need not be continuous. This award supersedes all other long service awards for members joining the Canadian Forces after 1 September 1939 (including the Canadian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, Canadian Efficiency Decoration and Canadian Efficiency Medal) and was the first award for Permanent Force officers.

Description

A decagonal (ten-sided, representing the ten provinces) gold plated brass medal, 36mm across the flats.

Bars

A clasp (bar) is awarded for every subsequent period of ten years of qualifying service.

Obverse

On the obverse:

King George VI: The uncrowned coinage head of King George VI, facing left, with the inscription: GEORGIVS VI.D:G:BRITT:OMN:REX FID: DEF:

Queen Elizabeth II: The uncrowned coinage head of Queen Elizabeth, facing right, with the inscription around the edge: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA CANADA with the word CANADA being at the bottom.

Reverse

The reverse shows, from top to bottom a naval crown, three maple leaves and an eagle representing the Navy, Army, and Air Force. The word "SERVICE" appears on a scroll at the bottom and two fleur-de-lis are depicted on each side of the crown.inscription: FOR LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT in four lines in large letters. On the King George VI verion, the King's Cypher was superimposed on the maple leaves.

Ribbon

The ribbon is 38mm wide, red, with three equally spaced thin white lines.

Mounting

King George VI: The suspension is a straight suspension bar bearing the word "CANADA".

Queen Elizabeth II: The suspension is a small bar between two scroll arms emerging from a natural maple leaf at the top of the medal.

Dates

This medal superseded all other long service awards for members joining the Canadian Forces after 1 September 1939.

Naming

The Decoration is engraved with the recipient's details (abbreviated substantive rank, initials and last name).

King George VI: The naming is on the reverse of the "CANADA" suspension bar.

Queen Elizabeth II: The naming is engraved around the edge.