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How would a non-Canadian earn a CVSM?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 8:05 am
by Phil
What are the circumstances, if any, in which an Englishmen serving with the R.A.M.C. would earn a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (CVSM)? Attached to a Canadian unit?

In this instance the man served in Italy in WWII.

Re: How would a non-Canadian earn a CVSM?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 8:42 am
by Temujin
Phil wrote:
Mon Nov 11, 2019 8:05 am
What are the circumstances, if any, in which an Englishmen serving with the R.A.M.C. would earn a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (CVSM)? Attached to a Canadian unit?

In this instance the man served in Italy in WWII.
Phil, I’ve never heard of this myself. The rules for the CVSM are on the link below. My suggestion is to contact Veteran’s Affairs and ask them?

Eligibility and Criteria

The CVSM is granted to persons of any rank in the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Canada who voluntarily served on Active Service and honourably completed eighteen months total voluntary service from 3 September 1939 to 1 March 1947.

On 6 June 2003, eligibility to the CVSM was extended to members and reserve constables of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who voluntarily served during the Second World War.

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembra ... details/21

You will note above the “eligibility” says “to persons of any rank in the Navel, Military or Air Forces of Canada”.........so as long as the person VOLUNTEERED, and that they served the prerequisite 18 months.......they probably would be eligible.....but that’s just my opinion, contacting Veteran’s Afffairs may be able to confirm it........OR, see if you can find the medal card for that person, and it would confirm the award???

Re: How would a non-Canadian earn a CVSM?

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 11:10 am
by Phil
This may be it,
On March 14, 2001, the Governor General extended the eligibility to individuals who served, but not as members of the military forces. Those granted eligibility were Canadian World War II (...) Overseas Welfare Workers and the Voluntary Aid Detachments.
He may have worked with the Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD) and gained eligibility in 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_ ... vice_Medal
The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The most important periods of operation for these units were during World War I and World War II. Although VADs were intimately bound up in the war effort, they were not strictly speaking military nurses, as they were not under the control of the military, unlike the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service, and the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service. The VAD nurses worked in both field hospitals, i.e., close to the battlefield, and longer-term places of recuperation back in Britain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_Aid_Detachment