The Great Western Railway (GWR) was originally a British Railway Company founded in 1833 connecting London with the West Country, South West England and South Wales. The GWR kept it's identity through the 1923 grouping and became the Western Region of British Railways in 1948. World War II took certainly took it's toll on the GWR mostly through heavy wear and tear and of course the bombing of London by Hitler's Luftwaffe.

Since my greater interest is in all orders and medals issued during the World War II era somewhere along the line I added two GWR First Aid Efficiency medals to my collection.



























The first example is struck in 0.375 fine gold and was awarded for 15 years. The central shield is for the GWR surmounted on a cross of the Order of St. John. It measures 25.82 mm in diameter and weighs 6.86 grams. The reverse is engraved 3363/ JOHN SNELL / 1939 at center with the usual jeweler's hallmarks below just above the raised rim -  "J. T & Co."




























The second example is much more elaborate having the GWR shield in colored enamels with the cross of St. John in white against a field of black and was awarded for 25 years. I would assume it might also be struck in 0.375 gold but it isn't marked as such on the rim as the first example is. It measures 25.96 mm with a weight of 8.51 grams. The reverse is engraved 1584 / WILLIAM J. ROBERTS / 1944 and has the same jeweler's initials but this time in a small shield below just above the raised rim.