The British Empire Medal is granted by the monarch of the United Kingdom in recognition of meritorious civil or military service.

Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "BEM" with special privileges to use St Paul's Cathedral for funerals, baptisms and weddings.

[5] From 1940, the war led to an increasing number of BEMs awarded to service personnel and civilians, including the merchant marine, police and civil defence, for acts of gallantry that did not reach the standard of the George Medal (GM).

[6] The first recipients of this newly designated award were two Board of Customs officers, George Elrick Thomson and John Rees Thomas, who ventured into a burning steamship hold in an attempt to rescue a colleague.

[10] Following the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the BEM would once again be awarded in the United Kingdom; this would start beginning in 2012, to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

[11] Although those awarded the honour do not receive it from the monarch in person, but from the Lord Lieutenant of their county, recipients are invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party to celebrate their achievement.

The medal had a ring suspender for the 27 millimetres (1.1 in) wide ribbon of plain purple, the military division having a red central stripe.