Canadian Volunteer Service Medal Order (SI/94-62)

Short Title

1 This Order may be cited as the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal Order.

Interpretation

2 In this Order,

active service

active service means active service during World War II; (service actif)

common-law partner

common-law partner, in relation to an individual, means a person who has been cohabiting with the individual in a conjugal relationship, having so cohabited for a period of at least one year; (conjoint de fait)

Medal

Medal means the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal; (Médaille)

survivor

survivor means any one of the following surviving persons, in the following order of precedence, namely,

• (a) spouse or common-law partner,

• (b) eldest child,

• (c) father,

• (d) mother, and

• (e) brother or sister, whichever is the eldest; (survivant)

World War II

World War II means the period beginning on September 1, 1939 and ending on September 1, 1945. (Seconde Guerre mondiale)

Description

3 The Medal, circular in form and made of silver, shall bear on the obverse marching figures representing the wartime volunteers, with the inscription "CANADA" above and "VOLUNTARY SERVICE VOLONTAIRE" below, and on the reverse the Canadian Coat of Arms.

Ribbon

4 The Medal shall be suspended by a ribbon that is one and one quarter inches in width and divided into five stripes the central stripe of which shall be royal blue and bordered on each side by a scarlet stripe and an outer green stripe, which green and scarlet stripes shall each be three-sixteenths of an inch in width.

Eligibility

• 5 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the Medal may be awarded

  • (a) to a person of any rank in the armed forces of Canada, who voluntarily served on active service

    • (i) for a period of not less than eighteen months, ending on or before March 1, 1947, and was honourably discharged or retired from such active service,

    • (ii) for a period of not less than six months, any part of which was served outside Canada, and was honourably discharged or retired from such active service, or

    • (iii) from which the person was honourably discharged or retired as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation thereof, that was attributable to or was incurred during such active service;

  • (b) posthumously, to the survivor of a person of any rank in the armed forces of Canada who voluntarily served on active service and was killed in action or died as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation thereof, that was attributable to or was incurred during such active service;

  • (c) to a person who was voluntarily serving on active service in the armed forces of Canada on September 2, 1945, but had not attained their nineteenth birthday by that date and was subsequently compulsorily honourably discharged before completing the minimum qualifying period of eighteen months;

  • (d) to a Canadian merchant mariner of World War II within the meaning of subsection 21.1(4) of the Pension Act who voluntarily served as such

    • (i) for a period of not less than eighteen months, ending on or before March 1, 1947, and was honourably discharged or retired from such service, or

    • (ii) from which service the person was honourably discharged or retired as a result of an injury or disease, or the aggravation of an injury or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during such service;

  • (e) to any merchant navy veteran of World War II within the meaning of subsection 37(7.3) of the War Veterans Allowance Act who voluntarily served for a period of not less than six months, any part of which was served outside Canada, and was honourably discharged or retired from such service;

  • (f) to a person who was employed and paid by the Canadian Legion War Services Inc., The National Council of the Young Men's Christian Association of Canada, the Knights of Columbus Canadian Army Huts or the Salvation Army Canadian War Services as an authorized field representative providing services and recreational equipment to any of the Canadian naval, army or air forces, as a helper of an authorized field representative, or as a member of the Overseas Headquarters Staff, who was selected and approved for service by the Chief of Naval Personnel, the Adjutant-General or the Air Member for Personnel, and who served in any of those capacities during World War II

    • (i) for a period of not less than six months, any part of which was outside Canada, and was honourably discharged or retired from such service, or

    • (ii) from which service the person was honourably discharged or retired as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation of an illness or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during such service;

  • (g) to a member of the Corps of (Civilian) Canadian Fire Fighters for Service in the United Kingdom who served during World War II

    • (i) for a period of not less than six months, any part of which was outside Canada, and was honourably discharged or retired from such service, or

    • (ii) from which service the person was honourably discharged or retired as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation of an illness or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during such service;

  • (h) to a person who during World War II served as a member of the Nursing Auxiliary or the Nursing Division of, or otherwise under the auspices of, the Canadian Red Cross Society or the St. John Ambulance Brigade of Canada

    • (i) with the approval of the Adjutant-General, with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps for a period of not less than eighteen months and was honourably discharged or retired from such service,

    • (ii) outside Canada as a welfare worker, nursing aid, orthopaedic surgeon or nurse, ambulance or transport driver, member of the Overseas Headquarters Staff or in any other capacity for a period of not less than six months, and was honourably discharged or retired from such service, or

    • (iii) from which service the person was honourably discharged or retired as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation of an illness or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during such service;

  • (i) a person, other than a member of the forces, who was employed by the Air Ministry of the United Kingdom to make trans-oceanic flights ferrying aircraft from Canada and was domiciled in Canada at the commencement of that employment, and who served during World War II as air crew

    • (i) for a continuous period of not less than six months with Number 45 Wing of the Royal Air Force Transport Command, Number 45 Group of the Royal Air Force Ferry Command or the Atlantic Ferrying Organization, during which period the person made at least one trans-oceanic flight, and was honourably discharged or retired from such service, or

    • (ii) from which service the person was honourably discharged or retired as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation of an illness or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during such service;

  • (j) a person who was employed by or under the auspices of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan to provide air crew instruction and served in that capacity during World War II

    • (i) for a period of not less than eighteen months and was honourably discharged or retired from such service, or

    • (ii) from which service the person was honourably discharged or retired as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation of an illness or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during such service;

  • (j.1) to a member or a reserve constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Force, or a special constable of that Force engaged under the authority of Orders in Council P.C. 2484 of September 1, 1939 and P.C. 3444 of November 2, 1939, who served voluntarily on a full-time basis for a period or periods commencing during World War II and

    • (i) totalling not less than eighteen months, not including any period after March 1, 1947, and who was honourably discharged or retired from such service,

    • (ii) totalling not less than six months, any part of which was served outside Canada, and who was honourably discharged or retired from such service, or

    • (iii) ending on their honourable discharge or retirement by reason of an injury or disease, or an aggravation of an injury or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during such service;

  • (k) posthumously, to the survivor of any person mentioned in paragraphs (d) to (j.1) who was killed in action or died as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation of an injury or disease, that was attributable to or was incurred during the person's service;

  • (l) posthumously, to the survivor of any person who was eligible for the Medal under any of paragraphs (a) and (c) to (j.1) but to whom the Medal was not awarded; and

  • (m) to any person mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (l), where a Medal awarded to that person has been lost, stolen or destroyed, provided that the person pays the cost of replacement.

• (2) A person in receipt of the Newfoundland Second World War Volunteer Service Medal is not eligible for the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.

6 The following periods shall not be considered in calculating a period of service for which the Medal may be awarded under subsection 5(1):

• (a) period of absence without leave;

• (b) period of penal servitude, field punishment, detention or imprisonment, including time spent in arrest awaiting trial;

• (c) period of leave without pay; and

• (d) the period of service of persons appointed or enlisted after September 1, 1945.

7 The Medal shall not be awarded to any person who

• (a) was discharged for misconduct;

• (b) was, at the end of World War II, a deserter or absent without leave; or

• (c) has been convicted of an indictable offence for which no pardon has been granted.

Previous Service in Allied Forces

8 A period of voluntary service during World War II in any of the armed forces of His Majesty other than those raised in Canada, or in the armed forces of the United States, may be added to a subsequent period of voluntary active service in the armed forces of Canada, to be considered as qualifying service for the awarding of the Medal.

Service Counted with Merchant Navy Service

9 The following periods of service may be added to a period of service in the Canadian merchant navy as qualifying service for the awarding of the Medal:

• (a) any analogous voluntary service during World War II in the merchant navy of

  • (i) any of His Majesty's realms and territories other than Canada, or

  • (ii) the United States; and

• (b) any voluntary service during World War II in any of the armed forces of His Majesty raised in or out of Canada, or in the armed forces of the United States, except in any case where the person who served has qualified for the Medal by virtue of such service.

Bars

• 10 (1) A bar for overseas service with a silver maple leaf centred on it shall be awarded in respect of a period of not less than sixty days of voluntary service outside Canada, which days need not be continuous.

• (2) A silver bar, with the word "DIEPPE" in raised letters on a pebbled background, bearing an anchor surmounted by an eagle and a Thompson sub-machine gun, shall be awarded in respect of persons who participated in the Battle of Dieppe on, off or above the shores of Dieppe on August 19, 1942.

• (3) A silver bar, with the words "HONG KONG" in raised letters on a pebbled background, with a monogram "HK" on a circle in its centre, shall be awarded in respect of persons who participated in the Defence of Hong Kong from December 8, 1941 to December 25, 1941.

• (4) A silver bar, showing an ascending World War II heavy bomber, shall be awarded to members of an air crew and non-flying personnel in respect of a period of one day of operational service with a Bomber Command squadron as listed in the United Kingdom Air Ministry Confidential Air Force Lists who were engaged in or supported bombing operations over Continental Europe from September 3, 1939 to May 8, 1945.

11 Time spent on duty outside the boundaries of Canada in transit from one Canadian point to another Canadian point shall not count as qualifying service for the awarding of the bar for overseas service.

12 The bar for overseas service shall be awarded to the survivor of a person mentioned in paragraph 5(1)(b) or (k) if the person was on voluntary service outside Canada, irrespective of the length of that service.

13 [Repealed, SI/2001-40, s. 5]

Wearing of the Medal and Bars

14 The Medal shall be worn on the left breast in the sequence set out in the Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals Directive.

• 15 (1) The bars shall be worn on the ribbon.

• (2) Where more than one bar is worn, the order of wearing, from bottom to top, shall be as follows: bar for overseas service, bar for Dieppe, bar for Hong Kong and bar for Bomber Command, with the bars being evenly spaced on the ribbon.

16 Where the ribbon of the Medal is worn alone and

• (a) the wearer has been awarded the bar for overseas service, a small silver maple leaf shall be attached to the centre of the ribbon; and

• (b) the wearer has also been awarded any of the bars for Dieppe, Hong Kong or Bomber Command, a small silver maple leaf for each of those additional bars shall be worn along with the maple leaf provided with the bar for overseas service so as to indicate the total number of bars awarded and those maple leaves shall be evenly spaced on the ribbon.