The Silver War Badge was issued in the United Kingdom and the British Empire to service personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness from military service in World War I.

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The badge, sometimes known as the "Discharge Badge", the "Wound Badge" or "Services Rendered Badge", was first issued in September 1916, along with an official certificate of entitlement. If a person served in an active war zone then a King's Certificate of Discharge stating that they "Served with honour" would accompany the badge.^[1]

The large sterling silver lapel badge was intended to be worn on civilian clothes. The decoration was introduced as an award of "King's silver" for having received wounds or injury during loyal war service to the Crown's authority. A secondary causation for its introduction was that a practice had developed in the early years of the war in the United Kingdom where some women took it upon themselves to confront and publicly embarrass men of fighting age they saw in public places who were not in military uniform, by ostentatiously presenting them with white feathers, as a suggestion of cowardice. As the war had developed substantial numbers of servicemen who had been discharged from His Majesty's Forces with wounds that rendered them unfit for war service, but which were not obvious from their outward appearance, found themselves being harassed in such a manner and the badge, to be worn on the right breast while in civilian dress, was a means of discouraging such incidents being directed at ex-forces' personnel. It was forbidden to wear the badge on a military uniform.^{[citation needed]}

The badge bears the royal cypher "GRI" (for Georgius Rex Imperator; George, King and Emperor) and around the rim "For King and Empire - Services Rendered".^[2]

Those personnel of HM Forces discharged after 31 December 1919 were no longer eligible for the badge.^[3][4]

Each badge was uniquely numbered on the reverse. The War Office maintained registers recording the soldier and each badge number issued in the United Kingdom. The military authorities of Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Rhodesia maintained their own registers of issue (which were copied to the War Office in London to provide it with an Imperial master-record). This Master List was administratively destroyed by the Ministry of Defence later in the 20th Century, only a few pages of it are extant at The National Archives, in Kew, Surrey.^{[citation needed]}

The War Office made it known that it would not replace Silver War Badges if they were lost, however if one was handed into a police station then it would be returned to the War Office, which would seek to return it using its records to its recipient.

A similar award called the King's Badge was issued in World War II. Although each was issued with a certificate, unlike its World War I counterpart it was not individually numbered.

There were 29 different reasons for which a soldier could have been discharged under the King's Regulations. On a Silver War Badge Card, it could say KR (xxi) as it does on the example SWB card. This stands for King's Regulations, section 21. The different regulations were:

• (i) References on enlistment being unsatisfactory.
• (ii) Having been irregularly enlisted.
• (iii) Not likely to become an efficient soldier.
• (iv) Having been claimed as an apprentice.
• (v) Having claimed it on payment of £10 within three months of his attestation.
• (vi) Having made a mis-statement as to age on enlistment.
• (vii) Having been claimed for wife desertion.
• (viii) Having made a false answer on attestation.
• (ix) Unfitted for the duties of the corps.
• (x) Having been convicted by the civil power of_____, or of an offence committed before enlistment.
• (xi) For misconduct.
• (xii) Having been sentenced to penal servitude.
• (xiii) Having been sentenced to be discharged with ignominy.
• (xiv) At his own request, on payment of _____ under Article 1130 (i), Pay Warrant.
• (xv) Free, after ____ years' service under Article 1130 (ii), Pay Warrant.
• (xvi) No longer physically fit for war service.
• (xvii) Surplus to military requirements (having suffered impairment since entry into the service).
• (xviii) At his own request after 18 years' service (with a view to pension under the Pay Warrant).
• (xix) For the benefit of the public service after 18 years' service (with a view to pension under the Pay Warrant).
• (xx) Inefficiency after 18 years' service (with a view to pension under the Pay Warrant).
• (xxi) The termination of his ____ period of engagement.
• (xxii) With less than 21 years' service towards engagement, but with 21 or more years' service towards pension.
• (xxiii) Having claimed discharge after three months' notice.
• (xxiv) Having reached the age for discharge.
• (xxv) His services being no longer required.
• (xxvi) Surplus to military requirements (Not having suffered impairment since entry into the service).
• (xxvii) At his own request after 21 (or more) years' service (with a view to pension under the Pay Warrant).
• (xxviii) After 21 (or more) years' qualifying service for pension, and with 5 (or more) years' service as warrant officer (with a view to pension under the Pay Warrant).
• (xxviv) On demobilization.^[17]

In addition, further conditions of discharge were announced by Army Order 265 dated 10 August 1917.^[18] This, in turn, was superseded by Army Order 291 of October 1918.^[19] That too, in turn, was superseded by Army Order 29 of January 1919, following the cessation of hostilities which permitted the issuance of badges for the rest of 1919.^[20] The Cessation of issue to soldiers was announced by Army Order 43 dated 20 February 1920.

Approximately 1,150,000 badges were issued, which had to be claimed and then approved, generally covered by §(xvi) above.