Waterloo Medal

Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal was awarded to any soldier of the British Army who took part in one or more of the following battles: Battle of Ligny (16 June 1815), Battle of Quatre Bras (16 June 1815), and the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815).

The medal was issued in 1816–17 to every soldier present at one or more of these battles. They were also credited with two years extra service and pay, to count for all purposes. The soldier was known and described as a 'Waterloo Man'. The obverse of this medal bears the effigy of the Prince Regent with the inscription 'GEORGE P. REGENT', while the reverse depicts the seated figure of Victory with the words 'WELLINGTON' and 'WATERLOO' below and the date 'JUNE 15 1815'. The ribbon passes through a large iron ring on top of the medal. The medal is made of silver and is 37mm wide. A total of 39,000 were awarded.

This is the first medal issued by the British Government to all soldiers present at an action. The Military General Service Medal (MGSM) commemorates earlier battles, but was not issued until 1848. The Waterloo Medal was also the first campaign medal awarded to the next-of-kin of men killed in action.

It was also the first medal on which the recipient's name was impressed around the edge by machine.