Orders, decorations, and medals of Norway

(Redirected from Norwegian orders and medals)

This is a list of Norwegian orders and medals, in order of precedence. This list contains all medals approved for wearing on a Norwegian military uniform in ranked order.

National Service Medal,
army version

Group 1: Awarded by or approved by H.M. The King

edit

Those awards presented by or approved by the King of Norway are worn in an order of precedence established by Royal Decree of 11 June 1943, with subsequent additions.[1]

No. Ribbon Name in English[a] Note
1   War Cross With Sword
2   Medal for Outstanding Civic Service obsolete since 2004
3   Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav all ranks and classes
4   Royal Norwegian Order of Merit all ranks and classes
5   Haakon VII Freedom Cross
6   St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch
7   Medal for Heroism in Gold
8   King's Medal of Merit in Gold
9   St. Olav's Medal
10   War Medal without and with stars
11   King's Medal of Merit
12   Armed Forces Medal for Heroic Deeds
13   King Haakon VII Freedom Medal
14   Medal for Heroism in Silver
15   Medal for Rescue at Sea
16   Nansen Medal for Outstanding Research
17   Norwegian Police Cross of Honor equal in rank, listed by seniority
18   Civil Defence Cross of Honor
19   Norwegian Defence Cross of Honour
20   Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch
21   Police Service Medal with Laurel Branch
22   Civil Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch
23   Defence Medal 1940 – 1945 without and with rosette
24   Home Guard Medal of Merit
24a   Army Medal of Merit
24b   Navy Medal of Merit
24c   Air Force Medal of Merit
24d   Intelligence Service Medal of Merit
25   Norwegian Korea Medal
26   Maudheim Medal
27   Antarctic Medal
28   H. M. The King's Commemorative Medal in Gold
29   Royal House Centennial Medal
30   King Haakon VII's Commemorative Medal in gold and silver
31   King Haakon VII's 1905–1930 Jubilee Medal
32   King Haakon VII's 1905–1955 Jubilee Medal
33   King Haakon VII's 70th Anniversary Medal
34   King Haakon VII's Centennial Medal
35   King Olav V's Commemorative Medal in gold and silver
36   King Olav V's Anniversary Medal 1957-1982
37   King Olav V's 100th Anniversary Medal
38   King Harald V's Jubilee Medal 1991-2016
39   H. M. The King's Commemorative Medal in Silver
40   Defence Service Medal without and with stars
41   Police Service Medal without and with stars
42   Civil Defence Service Medal without and with stars
43   Wounded in Action Medal without and with stars
44   Armed Forces Medal for International Operations without and with stars, laurel branch, golden laurel branch
45   Police Medal for International Service without and with stars, laurel branch
46   Civil Defence Medal for International Service without and with stars, laurel branch
47   Medal for Defence Service Abroad without and with rosette
47a   Medal for Defence Service Abroad - Saudi Arabia without and with rosette
47b   Medal for Defence Service Abroad - Balkans without and with rosette
47c   Medal for Defence Service Abroad with rosette – Afghanistan
48 Medals for Defence Operations Abroad
48a   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Kosovo-Serbia-Montenegro
48b   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Operation Active Endeavour
48c   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Afghanistan
48d   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Iraq
48e   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Operation Baltic Accession
48f   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Bosnia-Herzegovina
48g   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Sudan
48h   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Lebanon
48i   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Chad
48j   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Somalia
48k   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Libya
48l   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad – escorting the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons
48m   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad - Mali
48n   Medal for Defence Operations Abroad – Mediterranean Sea
49 National Service Medal
49a   National Service Medal - Army without and with stars
49b   National Service Medal - Navy without and with stars
49c   National Service Medal - Air Force without and with stars
49d   National Service Medal - National Guard without and with stars
For obvious reasons not worn on uniform:
  Killed in Action Medal
 
Royal Family order of King Haakon VII

These are not worn on military uniform.

Group 2: Foreign state decorations

edit

Decorations that are awarded or approved by foreign heads of state. They are ranked as follows: British, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Swedish, other countries are ranked alphabetically by their name in French.

Group 3: Decorations of UN, NATO, EU, OSCE and similar

edit

Decorations from international operations led by UN, NATO and other international organisations. The Multinational Force and Observers Medal is also placed in this group, so was the formerly approved PLANELM Medal. Medals are ranked by the year a mission started, oldest first.

Group 4: Other Norwegian decorations

edit
No. Ribbon Name in English[a] Note
1   Norwegian Military Journal's Medal for Answering a Prize Thesis
2   Royal Norwegian Society for Development's Medal for Long and Faithful Service
3   Naval Society's Medal for Answering a Prize Thesis
4   Norwegian Civilian Marksmanship Association's Medal of Merit
5   Naval Society's Medal of Merit
6   Norwegian Red Cross' Badge of Honour
7   Norwegian Reserve Officers' Federation's Badge of Honour without or with golden laurel branch
8   Norwegian Shooting Association's Badge of Honour
9   Norwegian Federation of Military Comrade Associations's Badge of Honour
10   The Norwegian Defense Association's Defense Sports Medal
11   Norwegian Civilian Marksmanship Association's Badge of Honour
12   War Participants' Association's Badge of Honour
13   His Majesty The King's Guard's Medal gold, silver, bronze
14   The Norwegian Officers Riding Club's Badge of Honour
15   The Norwegian Defense Association's Badge of Honour, and Honorary membership same ribbon
16   German Brigade Veterans Medal
17   The Norwegian Lotte Association's Badge of Honour
18   UN's Peace Prize Medal 1988
19   Norwegian Veterans' Association for International Operations' Badge of Honour gold, silver, bronze
20   Oslo Military Society's Badge of Honour gold, silver, bronze
21   Air Force Society's Badge of Honour
22   Norwegian Aero Club's Badge of Honour
23   Police Afghanistan Medal
24   Hakon Hansen's Gold Medal
25   The Defense Seniors Association' Badge of Honour
26   Brigade Veterans Association's Badge of Honour

Group 5: Other foreign decorations

edit

Foreign awards that do not fall into any of the groups above can be approved for use on Norwegian military uniform upon application. The order of wear as for group 2.

Group 6: Medals awarded for military skills

edit

Since 2008, the old medals were no longer approved worn on military uniform, and got replaced by the following medals in 2012:

Military medals of skills

edit

These decorations are most often divided in three classes: bronze, silver and gold. They are most often awarded as metal badges, but if the gold requirements are met over several years a medal is awarded:

Since 2008, the above medals are no longer approved worn on military uniform. The requirements for these medals can be a part of earning the current military medals

Civilian medals of skills

edit

These share most of the characteristics of the badges and medals awarded for military skills, but the requirements may vary more:

Since 2008, the above medals are no longer approved worn on military uniform. The requirements for these medals can be a part of earning the current military medals.

Additional civilian skills medal no longer approved worn on military uniform:

Foreign medals of skills

edit

Foreign military and civilian skill medals are generally not permitted to be used on Norwegian military uniforms, unless permission has been applied and granted. Such skill medals then rank very last, after all other awards and skill marks.

The following foreign skill mark is approved:

Unit citations

edit

The Norwegian Armed Forces does not have any unit citations.

Norwegian personnel who have fought in departments that have been honored with a foreign unit citation or unit award and who have received a ribbon as a sign of this, are allowed to wear these on Norwegian military uniform, but then separate from other ribbon stripes and located below these.

Unit citations in the form of ribbons are not worn with medals.

Examples of foreign unit citations given to Norwegian personnel:

No longer awarded

edit
 
Star of the Order of the Norwegian lion

The following obsolete awards are no longer approved on military uniform:

The Military cross, in both versions, are since 2014 no longer approved worn on military uniform. Personnel still serving got it converted to other medals. Similarly has the Medal for International Operations with Golden Laurel Branch been converted for personnel still serving.

Approved worn on military uniform in the years 1961–1981:

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b Original Norwegian name as mouse-over text on the ribbon.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Norwegian Decorations". royalcourt.no. The Royal House of Norway. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
edit