The Fenian Raids II: Canadian General Service Medal
- Rachel Leah
- Apr 30, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: May 1, 2019
The Fenian raids did very little for Irish independence but it did help change the tides of public opinion regarding Canadian Confederation, especially in the Maritime provinces. This conflict, along with the Red River Rebellion, created the beginnings of a Canadian Army that would eventually gain admiration in places such as Ypres and Passchendaele 44 years later. 29 years after the events of the raid and rebellion, under the General Orders of 1899*, the Canadian General Service Medal was created for those who saw active duty during the campaign. This also included anyone given specific duty or service orders and anyone posted to a possible incoming raid. It also included Imperial Military members present for either conflict.
Any person still alive in 1899 and met the above criteria could apply to receive it. It does appears that family of any member that had past between the Raids and the Medal authorization could not apply.
Each medal was engraved with the militia members name, rank and unit along the rim. For those who served in the raids the name of the conflict and date were found on the medal’s bar.
In total 16,668 were awarded, 15,300 of them to Canadians.
It is one of these medals, awarded to a Canadian Militia member, that lead me to a puzzle with more than a few pieces missing.**
*You can read the General orders here: https://archive.org/details/cihm_55587/page/n5
**The General Service Medal is still awarded to any member of the Canadian Forces that fit its criteria, rather than creating a new honour for each conflict Canada is involved in. You can read about it here: https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours/directory-honours/general-service-medal-gsm
Resources used:
Read The Previous Blog to learn about the Fenian's: https://bit.ly/2Lgimh0
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