721276 Bombardier John Gracie, Royal Field Artillery

John Gracie, Royal Field Artillery

From left to right, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Territorial Force War Medal, Territorial Force Efficiency Medal and Efficiency Medal.

The Territorial Force War Medal is the least common of the Great War campaign medals. Instituted in 1920, some 33,944 TFWMs were awarded to members of the Territorial Force and Territorial Force Nursing Service. To qualify, servicemen and women had to either be members of the Territorial Force when war was declared on 4th August 1914 or members who had completed four years' service or more prior to August 4th 1914 and who had rejoined before September 30th 1914. In addition, they had to have a) volunteered to serve overseas before September 30th 1914 b) actually served overseas between 4th August 1914 and 11th November 1918 c) did not qualify for the 1914 Star or 1914-15 Star.

John Gracie's medals are impressed as follows:

British War Medal and Victory Medal (3050 GNR. J. GRACIE. R.A.), Territorial Force Medal (3050 DVR. J. GRACIE. R.A.), GVR Territorial Force Efficiency Medal (721276 BMBR. J. GRACIE. R.A.), GVR Efficiency Medal (721276 B.Q.M.SJT. J. GRACIE. R.A.).

John Gracie also served during the Second World War with the 74th Field Regiment. He was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, served in North Africa in 1942 and was captured in June of that year. He spent the rest of the war as a PoW and was entitled to the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with 8th Army clasp, and War Medal 1939-45. He retired from the army in 1954, latterly working as a policeman. He died in 1963.