Understanding the WWI Medal Trio: Pip, Squeak & Wilfred

Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred

No set of medals better represents the scale and sacrifice of the First World War than the iconic trio: the 1914 Star (or 1914–15 Star), the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. Nicknamed “Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred” after a popular 1920s comic strip, these three medals were awarded in various combinations to the millions of men and women who served in the Great War. Understanding the trio — its variations, naming conventions, and research potential — is fundamental to any WWI medal collector.

The Three Medals

The 1914 Star (“Mons Star”)

The 1914 Star was authorised in April 1917 for officers and men who served in a theatre of war between 5 August and 22 November 1914 — essentially the Old Contemptibles and the very first contingents of the BEF. A scroll clasp bearing the dates “5th AUG.–22nd NOV. 1914” (known as the “Mons clasp”) was awarded to those who actually served under fire during that period.

• Design: A four-pointed bronze star with crossed swords, a wreath, the royal cipher of George V, and a central scroll inscribed “1914.” The reverse is plain, with the recipient’s details engraved or impressed.
• Ribbon: Red, white, and blue watered silk (shaded).
• Naming: Impressed in capitals on the reverse — rank, name, number, and unit.
• Numbers issued: Approximately 378,000.

The 1914–15 Star

For those who served in a theatre of war between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 — but who did not qualify for the 1914 Star. This is the much more common variant, covering the vast Kitchener’s Army reinforcements, the Gallipoli landings, and the expansion of the war to multiple fronts.

• Design: Almost identical to the 1914 Star, but the central scroll reads “1914–15.”
• Naming: Same format as the 1914 Star — impressed on the reverse.
• Numbers issued: Approximately 2.35 million.

The British War Medal 1914–20

Awarded for service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918 (extended to 1920 for service in post-armistice operations including Russia, mine-clearance, and occupation duties).

• Design: A silver medal (36mm) showing St George (as the embodiment of Britain) on horseback, trampling the eagle shield of the Central Powers. The reverse shows the dates 1914 and 1918 within a wreath.
• Ribbon: Orange with white and black side stripes — representing the fire of war against a background of mourning.
• Naming: Impressed on the rim in capitals — number, rank, name, regiment/corps.
• Numbers issued: Approximately 6.4 million (including dominions). About 110,000 were issued as a bronze version to non-European labourers and others in auxiliary roles.

The Victory Medal (Inter-Allied)

An inter-allied medal awarded by all the Allied and Associated Powers of WWI, each issuing their own version with a common design theme. The British version:

• Design: A bronze medal (36mm) showing a winged figure of Victory on the obverse. The reverse carries the inscription “THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION 1914–1919.”
• Ribbon: A double rainbow of colours, symbolising the dawn of peace — the famous “rainbow ribbon.”
• Naming: Impressed on the rim, same format as the BWM.
• Numbers issued: Approximately 5.7 million (British issues).
• MiD emblem: Recipients who were Mentioned in Despatches wear a bronze oak-leaf spray on the Victory Medal ribbon. A trio with a MiD leaf on the VM is worth significantly more.

Combinations

The three medals were awarded in specific permitted combinations:

The 1914 Star and 1914–15 Star were never awarded together — a recipient qualified for one or the other. The Victory Medal was never issued alone — always paired with the BWM at minimum.

Researching the Trio

Medal Index Cards (MICs)

The primary research tool for WWI medals is the Medal Index Card (MIC) system, held at The National Archives (WO 372) and digitised on Ancestry.co.uk. Every individual who qualified for the trio has a MIC listing:

• Name, rank, number, regiment/corps
• Theatre of war entry date
• Medals entitled to
• Roll references (for cross-referencing with WO 329 medal rolls)

MICs are the essential starting point for verifying any WWI medal’s authenticity and building a biographical picture of its recipient.

Service Records

• Soldiers’ documents (WO 363/WO 364): The “burnt records” — about 60% of WWI soldiers’ records were destroyed by a fire at Arnside Street, London, during the Blitz (1940). Surviving records (approximately 2.8 million) are on Ancestry.
• Officers’ records (WO 339/WO 374): Largely complete and held at TNA.
• Casualty records: Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW) database lists all British and Empire soldiers who died 1914–21.

War Diaries

Unit war diaries (WO 95) record daily activities — where a battalion was, what happened, who was killed or wounded. Cross-referencing a soldier’s unit against the war diary places him in context at a specific time and place. Was he at the Somme on 1 July 1916? At Passchendaele in October 1917? The war diary answers these questions.

Collecting the Trio

Price Guide

What to Look For

• Unit premiums: Guards, Gurkhas, Cavalry, Tanks (newly formed Tank Corps), RFC/RAF, and Pals Battalions command higher prices than standard line infantry.
• Casualty verification: Always check SDGW and the CWGC database. A trio to a man killed at the Somme, with a confirmed grave or memorial, is inherently more desirable.
• Theatre diversity: Some recipients served in multiple theatres — Gallipoli then France, or Egypt then Palestine. The MIC will show theatre entry dates.
• Women’s services: Trios to women (QMAAC, WAAC, VAD, nursing sisters) are scarced and increasingly collected. Nursing sister trios: £150–£400.

Authentication

• Naming style: WWI medals have distinctive impressed naming styles. The BWM and VM are typically impressed in serif capitals with specific spacing. Renamed or erased-and-renamed medals can be detected under magnification or UV light.
• Star naming: 1914 and 1914–15 Stars have naming impressed into the soft bronze reverse. The style should match known examples for the recipient’s corps.
• Replacement medals: Official replacements were issued by the Army Medal Office and are stamped with a distinctive font. These are legitimate but are worth less than first-issue medals.

Sources and References

[1] Williamson, H., The Collector and Researcher’s Guide to the Great War — essential for understanding the medal system and research methods.

[2] British Medal Forum (www.britishmedalforum.com) — outstanding community resource for identification and research help.

[3] The National Archives, Kew — MICs, medal rolls, service records, war diaries.