Imperial Service Medal

[foxs_marine]

I have recently come into possession of medals belonging to my great uncle who was a regular soldier between the wars & in WW2. There's an Africa Star, 39-45 Star, War Medal, Defence Medal & an Indian General Service Medal with the clasp "North West Frontier 1936-7".
There's also an Imperial Service Medal - my mum says he worked in Whitehall post war, possibly in communications or signals (he had been RSigs).
I'd like to get the medals cleaned, re-ribboned & court mounted but this gives rise to questions;
How can I find out if that's all the medals there ought to be (the bar was split up for a while)? - I do have his service number.
What's the sequence (I assume IGSM, AS, 39-45 Star, WM, DM, ISM)?
Can the ISM be mounted with the others & if so, where would it be placed?
All suggestions gratefully received,

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

The order of wear for that group is IGSM, 39-45, Africa Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, ISM.

The ISM should have his full name inscribed on the reverse: this is then searchable through the London Gazette (though dependent on when he was awarded it).

The ISM is/was pretty much a long service award for Civil Service.

The IGSM should be researchable through Ancestry (currently free up to 11 Nov 2020) or, if you're happy to release his full name, I can have a look for you.

 

[BuckFelize]

Reverse? For the love of God man!

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

Reverse? For the love of God man!

Errm - yeah.

Obverse= (usually for medals and coins) the 'front' face which usually shows the monarch's head.

Reverse= the rear face; the rear face that is not usually seen.

 

[BuckFelize]

Inscribed on the reverse? I doubt it's a pre-1920 award.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

Inscribed on the reverse? I doubt it's a pre-1920 award.

True: I wrote 'ISM' whilst thinking 'ISO'.

 

[whiffler]

ISM was/is a post-retirement award, and not very common. Also for working grades rather than office types.

In my time I knew of a couple, for a guy in file store and another for a messenger.

 

[foxs_marine]

The order of wear for that group is IGSM, 39-45, Africa Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, ISM.

The ISM should have his full name inscribed on the reverse: this is then searchable through the London Gazette (though dependent on when he was awarded it).

The ISM is/was pretty much a long service award for Civil Service.

The IGSM should be researchable through Ancestry (currently free up to 11 Nov 2020) or, if you're happy to release his full name, I can have a look for you.

I've just been & had a look, the ISM is stamped around the rim, it reads "William Edwin Butler".

 

[dlrg]

Just for reference.

Medal Yearbook 2020.

 

[Bus Pass 01]

Imperial Service Medal! Soon have the wokey mob after you.

 

[tommikka]

ISM was/is a post-retirement award, and not very common. Also for working grades rather than office types.

In my time I knew of a couple, for a guy in file store and another for a messenger.

It can be awarded to office types, entitlement is by grade not industrial/non industrial.
Industrial Skill Zones and Non industrial E1s/E2s
Management grades are not eligible, but can be if they leave having downgraded.
(I handed one over to someone who had been a scientific grade but had downgraded to E2 in later years for a quiet job)

A minimum of 25 years service is required, but it isn’t provided until after you leave.

 

[foxs_marine]

It can be awarded to office types, entitlement is by grade not industrial/non industrial.
Industrial Skill Zones and Non industrial E1s/E2s
Management grades are not eligible, but can be if they leave having downgraded.
(I handed one over to someone who had been a scientific grade but had downgraded to E2 in later years for a quiet job)

A minimum of 25 years service is required, but it isn’t provided until after you leave.

He was a Radio Officer, the award was gazetted on 20th March 1975.

 

[Sandy Heath]

About 40 years ago I had some civil servants in my military unit and one (fairly junior grade) had been there for years and was due to retire. I looked up ISM regulations and submitted a commendation. A short while later I was surprised to receive a telephone call from a nice lady in the Medals Office (?) who said that she liked my write-up and would I prefer a BEM as they received fairly few bids for these!

 

[History_Man]

About 40 years ago I had some civil servants in my military unit and one (fairly junior grade) had been there for years and was due to retire. I looked up ISM regulations and submitted a commendation. A short while later I was surprised to receive a telephone call from a nice lady in the Medals Office (?) who said that she liked my write-up and would I prefer a BEM as they received fairly few bids for these!

I shall be recommending two of my AOs for the ISM when they retire in the next couple of years; quite frankly, though, the Department should consider a BEM for them both.

 

[tommikka]

I shall be recommending two of my AOs for the ISM when they retire in the next couple of years; quite frankly, though, the Department should consider a BEM for them both.

For the ISM itself you don’t need to initiate any action.
(As long as their career start date is right on HRMS, if they have been employed in the past, left and came back then it might need to be highlighted)
The system will flag it to DBS after they leave, and DBS will begin the process. They contact ‘senior management’ of your department, minimum of B2, and as long as there isn’t anything raised to flag that their ISMs would bring the Civil Service into dispute then it continues and eventually the medals come down through senior management.

You will want to ensure you have some way of keeping in touch with the retired staff as as soon as they leave you lose access to the managers info for them.

When I had a lot of leavers eligible I made them some framed toilet certificates.
The medal comes with a certificate & Liz’s signature and I took extracts from the gazette online and printed them on fancy paper

If there’s any chance of a BEM then that’s worthwhile pursuing as nothings going to happen unless someone pushes for it

 

[Sandy Heath]

For the ISM itself you don’t need to initiate any action.

When I last did it there was still reference in the regulations to the need for an application but, after submission, I was told that this was no longer required (maybe my copy of the Regs had not been amended). You are correct as to current procedure.