POLAR MEDAL

Evening Star, Issue 21714, 8 May 1934, Page 11

POLAR MEDAL

A PRIZED DECORATION The King's approval of the grant ol the Polar Medal to two New Zealanders, Messrs IL A. Falla and R. G. Simmers. who served in the Antarctic with Sir Douglas iMawson, is of unusual interest. The Polar Medal is a unique distinction, entirely British in origin, and, by reason of the very limited'number of its recipients, is one of the most prized of British decorations. Its origin may he traced back to the year 1857, when Queen Victoria instituted a medal, “ For Arctic Discoveries.’’ which was given to all who had participated in Arctic expeditions between ISIS and 1855. She issued a second modal in 1876 for those who had served on H.M.S; Discovery and Alert during their Arctic expedition, and to the crew of tho yacht Pandora, which had voyaged into the A retie in that year.

It was not until the rijign of King F.dward VII. that ‘another medal for polar exploration became , necessary, and in tho meantime British explorers had transferred their attention to the Antarctic. it was then decided to break away from the precedent established by Queen Victoria, of issuing special medals for each expedition, and to institute one decoration which would he standard, for either Arctic or Antarctic discovery. Dated bars would be given to signify the expedition in which the award had been earned.

Consequently, in 1904,. King Edward issued a medal bearing a portrait of himself, in naval uniform, to he known as the .Polar Medal. The Discovery, which had’ been used by Captain Scott, was portrayed as wintering, with a skishod sledge'party in 'the foreground; on tho reverse of the award.

The shape was octagonal, after the first Arctic medal, .and the ribbon was the plain white riband of the second, thus linking it with the previous awards.

Those who were on board the Discovery and who formed the landing party in Scott’s first expedition received it in silver, with the clasp “ Antarctic 1901-1904,” while those aboard the relief ships Morning and Terra Nova gained it in bronze, without the bar.

Members of Sir Ernest Slmckleton’s first expedition who wintered in the polar regions were awarded the decoration with the bar “ Antarctic 19071909,”. but as the Nimrod did not spend the winter in the icy regions her crew were given bronze medals. The only bars provided were lor anybody Vsdio might have been aboard one of Scott's relief ships. King George’s picture adorned the medals given for Captain Scott’s last expedition, and the bars in'-this case were lettered Antarctic 1910-1913.” A bronze specimen was granted to four men who made a solitary summer voyage, and' sixty silver ones wove handed to the officers and men of the Terra Nova and to the landing party. Sir Douglas Mawsou and his men received it with the bar “ Antarctic 1912” on their return from that expedition, and those who went, with Sir Ernest Shackleton two years later and who landed were the recipients of medals with bars reading “ Antarctic 1914-1910,” with the exception of five who had already held the decoration. Those who did not laud gained a bronze award , . ' '

The last awards made, prior to the present case,' were medals in silver to fourteen members of the Arctic Air Route Expedition, which bad the bar “Arctic, 1930-1931.” > The silver and bronze medals rank as distinct decorations, and may be worn together on the left breast and after any war medals that the wearer might have been given. Rear-admiral F. R. G. R. Evans, who served on a relief ship in Scott’s first expedition, received the’ bronze medal from lying Edward, and when he returned at the Close of the later ill-fated voyage, as ■commander of the expedition, received the silver award with King George’s head and the 1910-1913 bar. Sir Ernest Sbackletou used to wear a silver specimen of tho Edwardian type, with bars for service in Scott’s first expedition and for his own 1907 and 1014 ventures.