The Medal for the Best Shot in the British Army, Infantry, was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1869 and was awarded annually from 1870 to 1882 to the best shot of the Infantry of the British Army, including the Royal Engineers and the Colonial Corps.
In 1923, the medal was re-introduced by King George V and designated the 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.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - A Concise History of the Queen's/King's Medal (Accessed 7 August 2015)
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.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Home Page (Accessed 7 August 2015)
An Air Force version of the medal, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces, was instituted in 1953. This was followed by the institution of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces in 1958 and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in 1966.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces (Accessed 7 August 2015)The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Naval Awards (Accessed 7 August 2015)
Institution 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. It became the winner's property and could be worn by him during the whole of his service. 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. With only thirteen medals won, award of the medal and the £20 prize ceased after 1882. 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.
After a 41-year lapse, the medal was re-introduced by King George V in 1923 and designated the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces. 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. Early participating countries were Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.
A date clasp was also introduced in 1923, for award with the medal to first recipients as well as, without a medal, to champions who had already been awarded the medal. The clasp is inscribed with the year of the award and is designed to be attached to the medal's suspension bar. The institution of the clasp was followed in 1926 with the provision that a rosette may be worn on the ribbon bar to indicate the award of each subsequent clasp.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Army Medals (Accessed 7 August 2015)The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Revised Rules (Accessed 8 August 2015)New Zealand Defence Force - Other New Zealand Medals and Awards - The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Military Forces (Accessed 2 August 2015)
Award criteria All medal contenders have to be serving members of the Regular Army, Army Emergency Reserve, Territorial Army, or Local Militia and Volunteer Forces in the countries concerned. 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. This regulation had consequences on two occasions.
The 1938 competition in Canada was won by Leading Aircraftman T.W. Gregory, who had won the medal in 1935 as a Sergeant in the Canadian Regular Army. In 1938, since he was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force by then, he was ineligible to be awarded the clasp and the medal was awarded to the runner-up. An Air Force version of the medal, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces, was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. In 1955, Gregory won this new medal and became the only person to have won Queen's Medals in two different Arms of the Service.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Flight Lieutenant Thomas William Gregory CD (Accessed 8 August 2015)The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Royal Canadian Air Force (Accessed 8 August 2015) The 1962 competition in Rhodesia was won by Corporal Technician B.T. Gilpin, a member of the Royal Rhodesian Air Force. Despite protests from the Army commanders, the Minister of Defence presented Gilpin with the Army medal. As a result of the controversy, Rhodesia sought and was granted the Crown's permission to introduce the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces. The first Rhodesian Air Force award was backdated to 1962 and the first two medals were presented in December 1963, one to Gilpin and the other to the Air Force champion for 1963. Gilpin's 1962 Army medal was returned and the 1962 Army runner-up, Inspector D. Hollingworth, was awarded a second clasp to his existing medal.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Southern Rhodesia (Accessed 8 August 2015)The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - Royal Rhodesian Air Force (Accessed 8 August 2015)
The institution of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces was followed by the institution of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces in 1958 and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in 1966.
Order of wear In the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces takes precedence after the King's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces and before the King's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces.
Participating countries In the United Kingdom, the medal is at present awarded annually to the winner of the Regular Army championship - the Army Operational Shooting Competition.
From 1935, a second medal could be awarded annually in the United Kingdom, to the champion shot of the Territorial Army. 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. The competition to determine the annual medal winner for the part-time forces is held during the National Rifle Association's annual Imperial Meeting at the National Shooting Centre, Bisley.
Outside the United Kingdom, the number of British Commonwealth countries which awarded the medal grew to eleven by the mid-20th century. This number decreased over the ensuing years, however, since some countries became republics and stopped awarding the medal, while others replaced the medal with new domestic versions. The tables below list the recipients of the medal in the respective countries.
Australia
The first King's Medal Competition in the Commonwealth of Australia was held in 1924 and the first medal to an Australian was won by Temporary Quartermaster and Honorary Captain W.C.G. Ruddock of the Australian Instructional Corps. In 1988, the Champion Shots Medal was instituted in Australia and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces ceased to be awarded.The Queen's/King's Medal for Champion Shots - The Australian Army - Australian Winners of the King's/Queen's Medal (Accessed 7 August 2015)Australian Government - It's an Honour - Champion Shots Medal (Accessed 9 August 2015) +RecipientsYearRankInitialsSurnameUnit or Formation1924T/QM (Hon Capt)W.C.G.RuddockAustralian Instructional Corps1925WO2A.TaylorAustralian Instructional Corps1926WO1 (Hon Lt)E.F.DaviesAustralian Instructional Corps, 3 MD1927WO1J.D.ShearimAustralian Instructional Corps, Small Arms School1928WO1 (Hon Lt)J.HutchisonAustralian Instructional Corps, 2 MD1929WO1J.D.Shearim (2)Australian Instructional Corps, Small Arms School1930WO1W.H.Hackfath DCMAustralian Instructional Corps, 5 MD1931WO1J.D.Shearim (3)Australian Instructional Corps, Small Arms School1932LtC.W.Potter3rd Light Horse Regiment 4 MD1933WO1J.D.Shearim (4)Australian Instructional Corps, Small Arms School1934BdrJ.C.King2 SRG 3 MD, 2nd Survey Co AGA1935CplA.F.Carson32nd Infantry Battalion, 3MD1936PteE.W.Potter43/48 Infantry Battalion, 4 MD1937PteE.W.Potter (2)43/48 Infantry Battalion, 4 MD1938PteN.W.SavageSydney University Regiment 2 MD1939SgtN.P.W.Hall37/39 Infantry Battalion 3 MD1947LtA.PrestonEDN 1 MD, Northern Command AMF1948CaptE.A.GreenAEME 2 MD1949CaptL.A.J.EaglesonRAAC Eastern Command, 1RNSWL1950WO2R.D.Archer5 Inf Bn Southern Command1951MajG.C.MagenisRAAC AHQ1952MajG.C.Magenis (2)Army Branch Department of Supply, RAAC1953SgtG.L.Loveband16 NS TRG Bn Central Command, RAINF1954SgtP.F.JefferyINT Corps HQ Western Command ARA1955SgtR.K.Beardman16 Petroleum Platoon RAASC (CMF) Western Command1956MajE.A.Green (2)HQ Eastern Command, RAEME1957WO2R.D.Archer (2)RAINF Southern Comd Trg School1958WO1J.A.GuymerCRE Central Command, RAINF1959WO1R.D.Archer (3)RAINF HQ Southern Command1960L CplG.A.DennisRAE Central Command1961WO2P.J.PiniArmy Headquarters.1962WO2G.L.Loveband (2)4 Cadet Battalion. RAINF Central Command.1963CaptG.S.PrattHQ FARELF, 2RAR1964PteE.R.FrenchJTC, RAINF1965CaptM.D.HauberHQ Northern Command, RAINF1966WO2L.F.SteeleNorthern Command Workshops1967CaptM.D.Hauber (2)3 Cadet Bn, Northern Command1968WO2L.F.Steele (2)Northern Command Workshops1969MajK.J.BladenHQ Western Command1970WO2L.F.Steele (3)Northern Command Workshops1971SgtJ.W.GuestRAINF 2 MD1972SgtP.K.OakfordRAINF 3 MD1973SgtP.T.G.Clarke4th Field Force Group Intelligence Unit1974SgtP.K.Oakford (2)Melbourne University Regiment1975SgtJ.W.Guest (2)1 Recruit Training Battalion1976SgtP.K.Oakford (3)Melbourne University Regiment1977S SgtP.T.G.Clarke (2)4th Field Force Group Intelligence Unit1978CaptR.G.SkeltonHQ 2nd Military District. DPR, DOD.1979CaptG.L.MinchamRAEME 3rd Military District, HQ Logistic Command1980SgtJ.W.Dixon8/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment1981S SgtP.K.Oakford (4)2/4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment1982SgtG.J.SawleInfantry Centre, Singleton1983SgtJ.W.Dixon (2)Land Warfare Centre, Canungra1984WO2P.K.Oakford (5)2nd Cadet Group1985WO1A.H.BowdenHQ Training Command1986WO2P.K.Oakford (6)11 Field Force Group1987SgtL.W.NaydaArmy Apprentices School
Canada