The Defence Medal was awarded to British military and civilian personnel for a range of service in the United Kingdom, and to British, British Commonwealth and British Colonial personnel who served outside their home countries in a non-operational area or in an area subject to threat such as air attack. The length of qualifying service required for the award of the Defence Medal varied depending on where an individual served. For persons normally resident in the United Kingdom, three years' service in the United Kingdom was required (except for those who served in a Mine and Bomb Disposal Unit, for whom 90 days' service was required). Six months' (180 days) service overseas from or outside a person's country of residence in a non-operational area subjected to air attack or closely threatened (for example the United Kingdom, Palestine or Fiji) was required. Or 12 months’ (360 days) service overseas from or outside a person's country of residence in a non-operational area which was not subjected to air attack and which was not closely threatened was required.