King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces
It could now be awarded to the champions of Army marksmanship competitions, held under battle conditions at annual central meetings in the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, Colonies and India.Early participating countries were Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.[2][3][4] The number of countries which awarded the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces grew to twelve by the mid-20th century, but as some countries gained independence from the United Kingdom or instituted their own equivalent awards, that number dwindled to the present three: the United Kingdom, Jamaica and New Zealand.[6][7][8][9][10] Queen Victoria authorised the creation of the Medal for the Best Shot in the British Army, Infantry, by Royal Warrant dated 30 April 1869.The medal, initially struck in bronze and from 1872 in silver, was inscribed with the year in which won and the winner's name, number and regiment.From 1870, the medal was awarded annually, along with a £20 Prize for Skill at Arms, to the best shot of the Infantry of the British Army, including the Royal Engineers and the Colonial Corps.A £5 prize and a crowned badge of crossed carbines or rifles, worked in gold and worn upon the left arm, was approved to replace it on 10 June 1884.The medal could now be awarded to the champions of Army marksmanship competitions, held under battle firing conditions at annual central meetings in the United Kingdom, India, the British Dominions and the Colony of Southern Rhodesia.Members of independent Naval and Air Forces, while not excluded from the competition, could therefore not be awarded the medal even though they won the championship.In order to also be eligible for the medal, members of the Supplementary Reserve were included in the competition's definition of the Territorial Army from 1936.[2][12] Outside the United Kingdom, the number of British Commonwealth countries which awarded the medal grew to eleven by the mid-20th century.It is a disk, 36 millimetres (1.42 inches) in diameter, with a raised rim on each side and suspended from a straight silver bar, swivelling on some versions.[1][11][24] The reverse shows the winged mythological goddess Pheme, with a trumpet in her left hand and rising from her throne to crown a warrior with a laurel wreath.
King's Medal for Champion ShotsQueen VictoriaUnited KingdomMonarch of the United KingdomClaspsJamaicaNew ZealandKing's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval ForcesKing's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air ForcesKing George VRoyal EngineersRoyal Canadian Air ForceQueen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air ForcesQueen Elizabeth IIRoyal Rhodesian Air ForceQueen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval ForcesQueen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal MarinesCentral Chancery of the Orders of KnighthoodArmy Operational Shooting CompetitionTerritorial ArmyNational Rifle AssociationImperial MeetingNational Shooting CentreAustralian Instructional CorpsChampion Shots MedalRoyal Canadian Army Service CorpsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceVictoria Rifles of CanadaQueen's Medal for Champion ShotFrenchThe Governor General's Foot GuardsSherbrooke Regiment48th Highlanders of Canada14th Armoured Regiment (King's Own Calgary Regiment)Canadian Grenadier GuardsPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryRegiment of Canadian GuardsRoyal 22e RégimentThe Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)Canadian Airborne RegimentRoyal Canadian RegimentLes Voltigeurs de QuebecRoyal Westminster RegimentRoyal Montreal RegimentThe Sherbrooke HussarsRoyal Hamilton Light InfantryLe Regiment du SaguenayCeylon Light Infantry Regiment2nd Battalion Ghana Regiment of Infantry2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)The Jamaica RegimentSouth Waziristan ScoutsBritish South Africa PoliceRhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of IndependencePresident’s_Medal_for_Shooting_(Rhodesia)7th Infantry (Kimberley Regiment)Commandant General's MedalAfrikaans1st Battalion Trinidad and Tobago RegimentL.C. WyonKing George VIEmperor of IndiaSir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronetroller chainThe London GazetteWayback MachineNaval Good Shooting MedalPresident's Medal for ShootingKing's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal MarinesKing's Medal for Champion ShotSADF Champion Shot MedalNational Cadet Bisley Grand Champion MedalSouth African military decorations and medalsVictoria CrossDekoratie voor Trouwe DienstDistinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service CrossMilitary CrossDistinguished Flying CrossAir Force CrossDistinguished Conduct MedalDistinguished Conduct Medal (Natal)Conspicuous Gallantry MedalDistinguished Service MedalMilitary MedalDistinguished Flying MedalAir Force MedalBritish Empire MedalSouth Africa Medal (1853)South Africa Medal (1880)Cape of Good Hope General Service MedalQueen's South Africa MedalMedalje voor de Anglo-Boere OorlogLint voor VerwondingKing's South Africa MedalNatal Native Rebellion Medal1914–15 StarBritish War MedalVictory Medal (South Africa)Mercantile Marine War Medal1939–1945 StarAtlantic StarArctic StarAir Crew Europe StarAfrica StarPacific StarBurma StarItaly StarFrance and Germany StarDefence MedalWar MedalAfrica Service MedalKing George V Coronation MedalKing George V Silver Jubilee MedalKing George VI Coronation MedalMeritorious Service Medal (United Kingdom)Meritorious Service Medal (Cape of Good Hope)Meritorious Service Medal (Natal)Meritorious Service Medal (South Africa)Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Cape of Good Hope)Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal)Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas MedalMedal for Long Service and Good Conduct (South Africa)Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the ColoniesVolunteer Long Service Medal for India and the ColoniesColonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration