The medal itself silver and very similar to the Long Service Good Conduct medal from the front depicts the head of the monarchy at the time it was awarded, however it is easy to identify from the back with the words "For Bravery In The Field" & raised from the medal itself. It also features a blue white and red ribbon.

Awards of this medal were announced in the London Gazette but unlike the D.C.M. no citation for the action in which they were awarded were ever printed. It always worthwhile to search battalion war diaries and personal papers held at the National Archives, Kew, London to try and ascertain the action in which the medal was awarded, or why the medal was awarded. Although there is no guarantee that any records will exist.

In some cases a soldier could be awarded a second or third Military Medal in this case a laurelled bar would be attached to the ribbon of the medal for each extra award after the original Military Medal.     

Approximately 115,600 MM were awarded during the Great War with 5,976-second award bars, 180 third award bars and 1 fourth award bar being issued.

     
As with all other medals awarded during the First World War abbreviations were used for different words such as Pte. (Private) and R. Dub. Fus. (Royal Dublin Fusiliers), however the Military Medal will also usually contain the battalion in which the man was serving when he was awarded the medal i.e. 8/R. Dub. Fus.(Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers).