Description
Physical description
circular medal, 36mm in diameter, in cupro-nickel. The obverse design bears the uncrowned, coinage effigy of King George VI, with the inscription 'GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.' The reverse design bears the Royal crown surmounting a stylised oak tree and supported on either side by an heraldic lion, with the dates '1939' and '1945' and the legend 'THE DEFENCE MEDAL'. The medal is suspended from a ribbon 32mm in width with a central vertical stripe of flame-orange and edge stripes of green and black. T H Paget designed the obverse and H Parker Wilson the reverse. The colours of the ribbon are highly symbolic, the black is said to represent the 'Blackout'; the flame stripe the 'fires of the Blitz' and the green 'the green and pleasant land' of Britain.
History note
Wing Commander Douglas Blackwood (1909-1997) was the last member of his family to edit Blackwood's Magazine. He commanded 310 Czech Fighter Squadron at Duxford during the Battle of Britain. He was called up as a reservist at the beginning of the Second World War. He initially served as an instructor to the Flying Training School in Cheshire, then posted to 213 Squadron at Exeter. Then in June 1940 formed and commanded 310 Czech Squadron. In October 1940 President Benes, President of Czechoslovakia in exile awarded some of the Squadron, including Wing Commander Blackwwod, with the Czech War Cross. He left Duxford in January 1941for 84 Group in Northern Ireland and then 134 Wing near Exeter. His war service ended when the decision was taken to disband 134 Wing due to the lack of Czech replacement pilots. He was presented with the Czech Military Medal for Merit, First Class by Jan Masarik, Foreign Secretary of the Czech Nation in exile, who thanked him personally for all he had done for Czechoslovakia.