Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World war 1, Medal Group, 1506 O'REILLY, 16 Battalion and 4 Machine Gun Battalion AIF

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Overview

Medal Group of 4 medals from World War 1 including the Russian Imperial honour, the Cross of St George, 4th Class, awarded to 1506 Lieutenant Bernard O'Reilly, 4 Machine Gun Battalion AIF. The medals are displayed framed and unmounted with replacement ribbons.

Historical information

The Order of St George – the first and only order of the Russian Empire awarded exclusively for military merit – was established by Catherine the Great on 26 November (9 December) 1769. The Order had four classes and was awarded to officers of the army and navy for services in the military field and valour in combat.

Until 1833, the 4th class could be awarded for long service, but later only for extraordinary courage on the battlefield. As a rule, it was necessary to have already been awarded the 4th class of the Order before receiving higher awards, but this rule was not always adhered to. The 1st class was awarded only 25 times. The prestige of the Order was extremely high – as even the Russian tsars were often awarded only the 4th class of the Order.

In 1807, Emperor Alexander I introduced the Cross of Saint George – “soldiers’ St George”, as a reward for lower military ranks for “undaunted courage”, which in 1856 was divided into four classes.

To celebrate the anniversary of the Order many museums organised special exhibitions and conferences.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-347

Inscriptions and markings

As part of a mutual program of respect, Imperial Russia allocated honours and awards to Allied nations for presentation torecognise bravery and service. The Medal Group consists of the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Cross of St George (4th Class)

Contextual Information

This medal group is displayed in the World War 1 Gallery at the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Links to additional resources

Service Summary

Service Records

Cross of St George

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Organisation Details
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