<P> In 1922, the original medal was discontinued and split into two separate honours, which still formed part of the Order of the British Empire . These two honours were known as the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service (usually referred to as British Empire Medal, BEM) and the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (usually referred to as Empire Gallantry Medal, EGM). Of these medals, the EGM was awarded for acts of bravery, until it was replaced by the George Cross in 1940 . The BEM was awarded in similar circumstances as the lower classes of the Order of the British Empire, but usually to people below management or professional level . In the uniformed services, it was awarded to non-commissioned officers of the armed forces, officers below superintendent rank in the police, and personnel below divisional officer level in the fire services . </P> <P> On 24 September 1940, the George Cross was established and the EGM was revoked by Royal Warrant from the same day . All living recipients, other than honorary recipients, and the next - of - kin of recipients who had been posthumously awarded the EGM after 3 September 1939, the start of the Second World War, were to exchange their insignia for the George Cross . Recipients of the BEM were not affected by these changes . </P> <P> The BEM was instituted in 1917 was for meritorious service but from the beginning some awards were for acts of gallantry . There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant marine, police and emergency services and civil defence . From 1940, the BEM was awarded for acts of gallantry that did not reach the standard of the George Medal . Such awards often had citations, some detailed and graphic while awards for meritorious service usually appeared without a citation . </P> <P> From 14 January 1958, awards of the BEM made for acts of gallantry were formally designated the British Empire Medal for Gallantry and consisted of the BEM with a silver oak leaf emblem worn on the ribbon . The first recipients of this newly designated award were two Board of Customs officers, George Elrick Thomson and John Rees Thomas - whom ventured into a dangerous steamship hold in an attempt to rescue a colleague . Like the GM, the BEM for Gallantry could not be awarded posthumously and was eventually replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). Again, recipients of the BEM for services other than acts of bravery were not affected by these changes . </P>

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