Medal
The Naval GSM is silver and circular in shape. The obverse of the medal shows the crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, while the reverse (shown here) bears the image of Britannia on two sea horses travelling through the sea, her left hand resting on the Union Shield and her right holding a trident.
Clasp
17 different Clasps have been awarded with the GSM 1915. Award of Clasps to the GSM are not denoted by the wearing of an emblem when the ribbon alone is worn.
Ribbon
A wide central white stripe divided by two narrow crimson stripes and flanked by crimson edges.
Qualifying criteria
Awarded for 30 days continuous service during the above-mentioned dates within the territorial waters of Egypt and the Canal.
About the Naval General Service Medal (GSM) 1915
The Naval GSM 1915 was awarded to Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel (Army and RAF personnel were awarded the separate GSM 1918). It was awarded for a total of 17 campaigns and operations that fell short of full-scale war.
These were 'Persian Gulf 1909-14', 'Iraq 1919-20', 'N. W. Persia 1919-20', 'Palestine 1936-39', 'S. E. Asia 1945-46', 'Minesweeping 1945-51', 'Palestine 1945-48', 'Malaya', 'Yangtze 1949', 'Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945-53', 'Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945-56', 'Bomb and Mine Clearance Mediterranean', 'Cyprus', 'Near East', 'Arabian Peninsula', 'Brunei' and 'Canal Zone'. A separate Clasp signified each of these campaigns and operations. Only one GSM was awarded to each service person, no matter how many GSM qualifying areas they served in.
On the first occasion that a service person qualified for a GSM, the medal was awarded with the relevant Clasp. Should the service person subsequently have been deployed to another GSM qualifying area, then the relevant Clasp only was awarded, to be added to the ribbon and worn above the first Clasp.
The image on the obverse of the medal changed as the reigning monarchs (George V, George VI and Elizabeth II) and their titles changed over the years.
Although the reigning monarch changed during the Suez campaign, Queen Elizabeth II appears on all the GSMs issued for the Canal Zone because it was Queen Elizabeth that approved award of the Clasp to the GSM 'Canal Zone'.
The Naval GSM 1915 and the GSM 1918 were discontinued in 1962 when a new GSM was introduced to be issued to personnel of all services. The GSM 1962 had a new design on the reverse and a new ribbon.