able ▁five - year ▁or ▁seven - year ▁engag ements , ▁while ▁all ▁other ▁ratings ▁were ▁cas ually ▁en list ed . ▁ ▁A ▁rating , ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁se aman ' s ▁rate ▁or ▁task ▁on ▁the ▁ship , ▁was ▁en list ed ▁onto ▁a ▁ship ' s ▁complement ▁when ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁commission ed . ▁The ▁medal ▁was ▁awarded ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁qu ota ▁system ▁to ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁selected ▁and ▁qualified ▁ratings ▁of ▁a ▁ship ' s ▁company , ▁with ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁awards ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁total ▁complement ▁of ▁the ▁ship , ▁and ▁only ▁when ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁de comm ission ed ▁and ▁its ▁ratings ▁paid ▁off ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁time , ▁usually ▁a ▁minimum ▁of ▁three ▁years . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁medal , ▁a ▁recip ient ▁was ▁paid ▁a ▁gr atu ity ▁of ▁£ 1 5 ▁for ▁pet ty ▁officers ▁or ▁ser ge ants ▁Royal ▁Mar ines , ▁and ▁£ 5 ▁for ▁se amen ▁and ▁mar ines . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁qu ota ▁system ▁for ▁award , ▁only ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁med als ▁could ▁be ▁awarded ▁each ▁time ▁a ▁ship ▁was ▁de comm ission ed . ▁In ▁general , ▁about ▁one ▁in ▁one ▁hundred ▁ratings ▁of ▁a ▁ship ' s ▁complement , ▁upon ▁recommendation ▁by ▁the ▁Captain , ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁medal ▁upon ▁de comm ission ing . ▁Many ▁el ig ible ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁the ▁time ▁qual ification ▁did ▁not ▁receive ▁the ▁medal ▁if ▁the ▁ship ▁they ▁had