Territorial Decoration

Recipients of this award are entitled to use the letters "TD" after their name (post-nominal).

• Name — Territorial Decoration • Presenter — the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India • Type — Military long service decoration • Eligibility — Territorial Force, and later the Territorial Army - Commissioned Officers • Awarded For — Granted for a minimum of 20 years commissioned service, with service in the ranks counting half and war service counting double. • Status — This award: • Superseded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration in the United Kingdom. • Was superseded by the Efficiency Decoration • Description — as follows: • Ribbons • Regular: 38mm dark green with a central yellow stripe. • Honourable Artillery Company: Half blue, half scarlet with yellow edges. • Metal = Silver and silver-gilt • Size = Height 46mm; max.width 35mm • Shape = Skeletal with crowned monogram of sovereign, surrounded by oak wreath with a ring suspension. • Established — 1908 (29 September) • Total Recipients — 4,783 • Image2 — * Illustration — x29px • Illustration — x29px • Caption2 — Regular and HAC ribbon bars

The original criterion was for a minimum of 20 years service (subsequently reduced to 12 years service) in the Territorial Force and Territorial Army, with war service counting double and service in the ranks counting half. In 1930 the new Efficiency Decoration or ‘ED’ was introduced to be awarded to all three services. When the ED was awarded to a Territorial Army officer it was officially known as Efficiency Decoration (Territorial), but it continued to be known informally as the Territorial Decoration and the recipient officially used the letters TD after their name. The Efficiency Decoration was itself replaced in 1999 by the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal, awarded to all ranks in all services.

Note that this medal is separate from the Territorial Force Imperial Service Badge. The equivalent award for the ranks was the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal (1908–1921), the Territorial Efficiency Medal (1921–1930), and the Efficiency Medal (1930–1999).