Orders, Decoration and Medals

This section provides details on the mounting and wearing of orders, decorations and medals by St. John Ambulance members. It is important that St. John Ambulance members to whom such insignia have been awarded ensure that they are worn correctly at all times. Particular reference is made to the wearing of the insignia of the Order of St. John, including the Service Medal of the Order.

No decorations, medals or badges except those granted or authorized by the sovereign or approved by the Order or Priory Chapter may be worn on the St. John Ambulance uniform. The same policy applies to members at St. John Ambulance events in plain clothes.

The Order of Precedence is based on the Canadian Honours and Awards System. Refer to the "Wearing of Orders, Decoration and Medals" pamphlet that is produced by the Office of Governor General of Canada.

Orders, Decorations and Medals will be worn will normally only be worn with uniform on the following occasions:

Breast Stars (Knight/Dame)
- The Star of an order is worn on the left breast below medals and centred on the vertical pleat of the pocket below the button flap. Female members wearing uniform with no breast pocket will wear the star on the left breast about six inches above the waist;
Neck Badges (Knight/Dame, Commander)
- The neck badge of an order is worn around the neck with the wide not miniature ribbon under the shirt collar and the badge over the tie immediately below the knot. If the wearer is in possession of more than one neck badge, that of the senior order will normally be worn around the neck and that of the next senior order will be worn suspended by its ribbon which will emerge from the top buttonhole of the tunic with ¾ inch of ribbon showing. No more than 2 neck badges will be worn at one time;
Other Decorations and Medals (Officer, Service Medal of the Order)
- Other decorations and medals are worn on the left breast of the tunic so that the top of the medals are centred on and just covering the medal ribbons sewn on the tunic; and
Life Saving Medals of the Order
- Life Saving Medals of the Order are worn on the right breast of the tunic in the same manner as other medals are worn on the left breast of the tunic.

Orders, decorations and medals may be worn either loose or court mounted, but the length of the ribbon and medal together will be exactly four inches from top to bottom iPhone Cases UK . They will be mounted in order of precedence with the senior at the end furthest from the left shoulder. If more than five or six medals are worn, they will be overlapped with the senior showing in full. The width of the medal bar will be determined by the physique of the wearer, but normally will not exceed that of six medals without overlapping. The medal bar must not project beyond the edge of the lap and the arm of the seam of the tunic.

Loose Mounting – the ribbons are sewn over a pin bar with the metal hanging free, their lower edges in a straight line. Loose medals are not normally electroplated, and must be polished before being worn;
Court Mounting – The ribbons and medals are mounted over a stiff panel of appropriate size with the lower edge of the panel in line with the center of the medals. Ribbons and medals are sewn to the panel and do not hang free. Lower edges are in a straight line. Medals which are court mounted are normally electroplated before being mounted, so that polishing is not required; and
Claps or Bars to Decorations and Medals – the first clasp or bar to a decoration or medal is positioned midway between the top and bottom edges of the ribbon. Where two or more clasps or bars have been awarded, they will be evenly spaced on the ribbon with the first one awarded nearest the medal.

On promotion in the Order, the insignia of the junior grade must not longer be worn. For example, on promotion to Commander, the insignia of Officer must no longer be worn on the left breast and will be removed from the other decorations and medals, if any worn there; similarly, the insignia of Serving Member will be replaced by that of an Officer on promotion to that grade.

Ribbon of Orders, Decorations and Medals are worn in order of precedence with the senior furthest from the left shoulder. They are sewn on the left breast of the tunic immediately above the top seam of the breast pocket and centred on the pocket. Female members wearing uniform without pocket will wear ribbons on the left breast with the bottom row 1.5 inches below the lower lapel point and centered between the shoulder seam and the edge of the lapel.

The ribbon of the Lifesaving Medal of the Order is worn on the right breast in the same manner.

Dimensional Characteristics – Medal Ribbons

The height of medal ribbons are 7/16 inches;
normally no more than four ribbons will be worn in a row;
when more than one row is worn, they will not be more than 1/8 inch apart;
no row will be shorter than the row aboe it and no row except the first will consist of a single ribbon;
ribbons must not be concealed by the lapel; and
no covering (ie. plastic or cellophane) will be worn over ribbons.

Table – Medal Ribbons in Rows

The following table illustrated the number of ribbons to be worn in one, two or three rows:

Flying and Hazardous Skills Badge (ie. pilot or radio navigator wings or parachute badge) may be worn on uniform by St. John Ambulance members entitled to them. Only one such badge may be worn. It will be sewn on the tunic above any medal ribbons and centered on the breast pocket.

Wearing of other Person's Decorations and Medals – It is not proper on any occasion to wear decorations and medals which have been awarded to another person.

Miniature Medals will only be worn with Mess Kit uniform described in these dress regulations.