1914-1920 AD., Great Britain, George V, British War Medal for Pte. G. J. Woodbridge, Silver Medal.

Great Britain, George V, British War Medal for Pte. G. J. Woodbridge (Garnett J. Woodbridge ?), 1/16th Battalion London Regiment (The Queen's Westminster Rifles), 1914-1920 AD.,
Silver Medal (36 mm / 29,09 g), hanger removed,
Obv.: GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP: , (Georgius V Britanniarum Omnium; Rex Et Indiae; Imperator - "George 5th of all the Britons (British people); King of India; Emperor") , head of King George V. facing left, by Sir Bertram Mackennal (signed BM at the neck).
Rev.: 1914 - 1918 , man riding on a rearing horse. The man shown is Saint George, the patron saint of England. He is shown naked, and is holding a short sword. This was supposed to symbolise the mental and physical strength that was needed to win the First World War. The horse is trampling a shield that showns the emblem of Prussia and the Axis Powers, which were the enemies the British and other Allies were fighting during World War One (the First World War). The horse is also trampling on a skull and cross-bones, and the rising sun, known as the Victory Sun can be seen by St. George's head.
Edge: 286 PTE. G. J. WOODBRIDGE, 16. LOND. R.
No. 168 in the Medal Yearbook .

The British War Medal was a medal given to people who had fought in the First World War. The medal was originally meant to be for people who had fought in the war between 5th August1914 and 11th November1918, but this was later changed to the years between 1914 and 1920. This was because a lot of people still lost their lives in the armed forces even after the war had ended, because they were clearing landmines or mines at sea.
The British War Medal (often shortened to BWM) was awarded to both officers and men of the Royal Marines, Royal Navy, the Army and also the Dominion and Colonial Forces. The Dominion and Colonial Forces were the armed forces for the rest of the British Empire. To qualify for (be allowed to have) the medal, a member of the fighting forces had to have left his native country in any part of the British Empire whilst on military duty.
There were over six and a half million British War Medals given out. Most of them are made of silver, but some rarer ones are made of bronze instead. They are all circular, and have different designs on each side.

1/16th (County of London) Battalion (Queen's Westminster Rifles)
August 1914 : at 58 Buckingham Gate. Part of 4th London Brigade, 2nd London Division. Moved on mobilisation to Hemel Hempstead area.
3 November 1914 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre.
12 November 1914 : came under command of 18th Brigade in 6th Division.
In January 1916 the War Office authorised the re-formation of the London Division, now to be known as the 56th, in France. 10 February 1916 : transferred to 169th Brigade in 56th (London) Division.

The Division began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*
The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)*
The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*
The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured Combles
The Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)*
* the battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

1917

The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (14 March - 5 April)

The First Battle of the Scarpe (9 - 14 April)+
The Third Battle of the Scarpe (3 - 4 May)+
+ the battles marked + are phases of the Battles of Arras 1917

The Battle of Langemarck (16 - 17 August)**
** the battles marked ** are phases of the Third Battles of the Ypres

The capture of Tadpole Copse (21 November)^
The capture of Bourlon Wood (23 - 28 November)^
The German counter attacks (30 November - 2 December)^
^ the battles marked ^ are phases of the Cambrai Operations

1918

The First Battle of Arras (28 March)~
~ the battles marked ~ are phases of the First Battles of the Somme 1918

The Battle of Albert (23 August)#
# the battles marked # are phases of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918

The Battle of the Scarpe (26 - 30 August)+
+ the battles marked + are phases of the Second Battles of Arras 1918

The Battle of the Canal du Nord (27 September - 1 October)"
The Battle of the Cambrai (8 - 9 October)"
" the battles marked " are phases of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line

The pursuit to the Selle (9 - 12 October)*
The Battle of the Sambre (4 November)*
The passage of the Grand Honelle ( 5 - 7 November)*
* the battles marked * are phases of the Final Advance in Picardy

By the end of 10 November the Division had been withdrawn for rest, although the artillery was still in action up to the Armistice at 11am on 11 November. The forward infantry was on that date at Harveng.

Tthe Division received orders to join the British force that would advance across Belgium and move into Germany to occupy the Rhine bridgeheads. These orders were cancelled on 21 November, at which time the Division was employed on road and railway repair work in the area of Harveng.

In all, the Division existed as such for 1010 days during the Great War; it spent 330 days at rest, 195 in quiet sectors, 385 in active sectors and 100 days in battle.

Demobilisation began and he final cadres left for home on 18 May 1919. The Division reformed as part of the Territorial Army in April 1920.