History
Australia has never instituted an official prisoner of war medal; captivity has been recognised through campaign medals, ex-service entitlements and memorials rather than a dedicated award. In that gap, ex-prisoner of war associations commissioned their own commemorative medal, with examples produced from the 1990s, including for the Tasmanian Ex Prisoners of War Association. The Australian War Memorial holds the medal in its collection as an unofficial award.
The medal honours Australians of the Navy, the Army, the Air Force and the Merchant Navy who were captured and held in any recognised conflict involving Australian forces, from the Boer War to modern operations. It is presented to surviving prisoners of war or obtained by next of kin in memory of those who have died. As an unofficial medal it is not issued by the Governor-General and does not appear in the Australian Order of Wearing; by custom it is worn on the right breast, separate from official awards.
Design & ribbon
The medal
The medal is a cross shaped design in nickel-silver, bearing the silhouette of Australia and its territories at the centre, surrounded by the emblems of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Merchant Navy. The suspender bar is inscribed PRISONER OF WAR and decorated with a laurel wreath.
The ribbon
Green for the jungle, yellow for the desert, with grey, light blue, red and navy between.
The ribbon has vertical stripes of green, grey, light blue, red, navy blue and yellow. The green is representative of the jungle and the yellow of the desert.
Eligibility
As an unofficial medal there is no awarding authority and no formal instrument. By the conventions used by its producers and the ex-service community:
- It honours Australians who were captured and held as prisoners of war in any recognised conflict involving Australian forces, from the Boer War onwards;
- It is obtained by or for surviving former prisoners of war, or by next of kin in memory of a prisoner of war who has died;
- It is worn on the right breast and is not mounted with official honours and awards.
Order of wear
The medal does not appear in the Australian Order of Wearing. By long standing custom, unofficial and commemorative medals are worn on the right breast and are not mounted with official awards. Wear should be confirmed against current RSL and Defence guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Australian Prisoner of War Medal official?
No. Australia has never instituted an official prisoner of war medal. This is a commemorative medal produced privately, held by the Australian War Memorial in its collection as an unofficial award.
Who is it for?
Australians of the Navy, the Army, the Air Force and the Merchant Navy who were captured and held as prisoners of war in any recognised conflict involving Australian forces, from the Boer War to modern operations, and the families of those who have died.
How should it be worn?
On the right breast, in accordance with the custom for unofficial and commemorative medals, and not mounted with official honours and awards.
Can it be mounted in a rack with official medals?
Not in the same group. The convention is to mount unofficial medals separately for wear on the right breast, and many families mount them as a small separate group or display them in a frame.
What does the design show?
A nickel-silver cross bearing the silhouette of Australia and its territories, surrounded by the emblems of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Merchant Navy, on a suspender inscribed PRISONER OF WAR within a laurel wreath.
What do the ribbon colours mean?
The ribbon has stripes of green, grey, light blue, red, navy blue and yellow. The green represents the jungle and the yellow the desert.