I agree with the health insurance suggestion.
As for the medals, I believe he was "Awd [Awarded the]
Defence Medal" (see
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/defence.htm). I can't read the stuff under clasps for this, apart from where it seems to say RRofA - Royal Regiment of Artillery???? It may say which part of the RA just before this, but you'd need an RA expert to decipher that. I normally associate the Defence Medal with service in the UK - i.e. Home defence, but it seems that defending places like
India also counted.
He was also awarded the
War Medal 1939/45. See
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/war_1939_1945.htmAlso the
1939/45 Star see
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/19391945star.htmand the
Burma Star see
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/burma_star.htmI think the rest of the stuff under
Clasps is about when the medals were issued. Best I can do - if anyone knows the Commands(?) of the RA in WW2, we'd be grateful if you recognise anything on that line for the Defence Medal.
Thanks to North East Medals for their pages.