Instituted in 1923 this was issued
to both the Army and the Royal Air Force.
The medal was never issued without a bar and a Mention
in Despatches is indicated by an oak leaf emblem on the ribbon.
The
General Service
Medal
General Sir Harold Pyman was awarded this medal
(pictured left) for serving before, during and after WWII.
Pyman had joined the R.T.R. in 1930 and in WWII
he commanded the 3rd R.T.R. at the decisive battle
of El Alamein in North Africa. The German defeat at
El Alamein shattered any hopes Rommel's Afrika Korps had
of victory in Africa.
General Pyman
after the War
A British Grant in North Africa
[Tank Museum Photo Number: 2773/F4]
After the war as a Lieutenant General he commanded
the 1st.(British) Corps in Germany, and became
Colonel Commandant of the RTR in 1959.
His final appointment was as Commander in Chief,
Allied Forces, Northern Europe.
Pyman died on October 9th 1971.
A British Matilda captured and re-used
by the hard pressed Germans
[Tank Museum Photo Number:2773/D3]
Numbered photos can be
bought from the Tank Museum
Shop
(please note down the number of the photos you are interested
in)
To view previous article(s)
in this series, click
here
![[image]The General Service Medal](images/new-images/generalservicemedal.jpg)
![[image] General Pyman after the war](images/new-images/generalpyman.jpg)
![[image] Tank Museum Photo Number:2773/D3](images/new-images/2773_d_3.jpg)
