Air Force Medal
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The Air Force Medal was (until 1993) a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy".
The medal was established on June 3, 1918. It was the other ranks' equivalent to the Air Force Cross, which was awarded to commissioned officers and Warrant Officers (although WOs could also be awarded the AFM), but ranked below it in order of precedence, between the Distinguished Flying Medal and the Queen's Gallantry Medal.
The AFM was awarded 259 times during WW2.
Recipients of the Air Force Medal were entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AFM". In 1993, the AFM was discontinued, and since then the Air Force Cross has been awarded to personnel of all ranks.
The ribbon was originally white with red narrow horizontal stripes, but changed in 1919 to the current white with red narrow diagonal stripes.
