Queen's Fire Service Medal (QFSM)

Summary

The Queen’s Fire Service Medal (QFSM) recognised gallantry and distinguished service in British and Commonwealth fire services.
Instituted in 1954, it replaced the King’s Police and Fire Service Medal.
The medal features Queen Elizabeth II and a distinct ribbon design.
This medal was replaced in Australia by the Australian Fire Service Medal in 1989.

Description

The Queen's Fire Service medal (QFSM) consisted of two awards:

The Queen's Fire Service medal for Gallantry (awarded posthumously) was awarded for acts of exceptional courage and skill at the cost of their lives.
The Queen's Fires Service medal for distinguished Service was awarded for the exhibition of conspicuous devotion to duty.

Criteria

The Queen's Fire Service medal was instituted on 19 May 1954 by Queen Elizabeth II to be issued to members of recognised fire services in Britain and Commonwealth countries. Awarded for 'acts of exceptional courage and skill at the cost of their lives' or for the 'exhibition of conspicuous devotion to duty'.

Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal QFSM after their name.

Awards for gallantry are essentially on a posthumous basis.

This medal replaced the King's Police and Fire Service Medal and was in turn was replaced in Australian honours with the Australian Fire Service Medal in 1989. The last award of the QFSM to an Australian was in 1989. Between 1954 and 1989, 98 QFSMs were awarded.

Design

The medal is silver and 36 millimetres in diameter, with the obverse having the profile of Queen Elizabeth II.
The medal's reverse is a standing figure with a sword and shield, with an inscription of "For Gallantry" or "For Distinguished Fire Service" around the face's side.
The ribbon is of red with three yellow stripes. The Queen's Fire Service Medal for Gallantry has a single thin blue stripe running through the centre of each yellow stripe.

Queen's Fire Service Medal

Nominations

This medal is no longer available as it was replaced by Australian Fire Service Medal.

Recipients

Date granted	Given name/s	Surname	Position	Location	Awarded for
14/06/1969	Percy Allan (Peter)	Gray	D.C.O.	-	Distinguished Service
16/06/1979	Clarence Herbert	Howe	D.C.O.	-	Distinguished Service
16/06/1979	Ronald Alexander	Orchard	C.O.	-	Distinguished Service
31/12/1979	Ernest Joseph	Bromley	S.O.	Ballarat UFB	Distinguished Service
31/12/1979	Stanley Maxwell (Max)	Taylor	D.C.O.	-	Distinguished Service
14/06/1980	Derrik Albert	Austin	Group Officer	Mortlake FBG	Distinguished Service
14/06/1980	Maurice Eric	Johnson	Ex Captain	Maryvale F/B	Distinguished Service
14/06/1980	Peter	Lang	S.O.	Norlane UFB	Distinguished Service
14/06/1980	Patrick George	Mullins	-	Maryborough UFB	Distinguished Service
31/12/1980	Donald Eric	Fleming	Captain	Monbulk RFB	Distinguished Service
31/12/1980	Ian Keith	Johnson	D.C.O.	-	Distinguished Service
31/12/1980	Graham John	Stork	A.C.O.	-	Distinguished Service
31/12/1980	Norman Noel	Webster	Ex Captain	Pakenham UFB	Distinguished Service
13/06/1981	Lawrence Gordon	Lavelle	Shoreham RFB	-	Distinguished Service
13/06/1981	Brian Vincent	Potter	D.C.O.	-	Distinguished Service
13/06/1981	Thomas Francis Henry	Williamson	-	-	Distinguished Service
31/12/1981	Harold William	Baptist	Captain	Noble Park UFB	Distinguished Service
31/12/1981	Ernest Charles	Caddy	Ex Captain	Drouin UFB	Distinguished Service
31/12/1981	Roderick George	Coutts	Group Officer	Kanna District FBG	Distinguished Service
31/12/1981	Douglas Henry	Lade	Group Officer	Highlands Caveat RFB	Distinguished Service
12/06/1982	Geoffrey Thomas	Evans	Captain	Echuca	Distinguished Service