Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration

The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration was a long service decoration of the British Empire. Established by Royal Warrant 18 May 1899, the decoration replaced the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for officers of the British Colonial Auxiliary Forces. In 1930, the decoration was replaced by the Efficiency Decoration in an effort to standardise recognition across the Empire.

Criteria
The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration was awarded for twenty years of efficient and capable service as an officer in one or more of the British Colonial Auxiliary Forces. Qualifying service could be had by serving in the colonial forces of more than one colony or protectorate, with service in the Militia and Volunteer Forces of the United Kingdom also eligible to be counted, so long as half of all qualifying service was rendered in the colonies or protectorates. Years of service in West Africa were counted as double, while service in the ranks was counted as half. In 1923, the Royal Warrant was amended to count war time service in World War I as double, so long as the service, on the active list, was outside of the dominion, colonies, dependencies, and protectorates.

Recipients of the decoration were entitled to the post-nominal V.D.

Appearance
The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration is an oval, 1 1/4 inches wide and 1 7/16 inches high. In the center is the Royal Cypher in gilt silver, surrounded by a silver band. Upon the band is the inscription COLONIAL AUXILIARY FORCES. The oval is surmounted by a gilded Imperial Crown. The reverse is plain aside from the recipient's name which is engraved at the top on the back of the crown.

The medal is suspended by a small ring from the back of the top of the crown, which is attached to a thin silver wire suspension bar. The ribbon of the medal is dark green, 1 1/2 inches in width. At the top of the ribbon is a silver broach decorated with a laurel leaf pattern.

Miniature versions of the medal were specified to be of one-half the size of the full-sized decoration.