Other than the medal itself, the major thing that distinguished the AE and the TD (not sure about the RNR one) was that the AE / TD entitled the recipient to the postnominal AE / TD ....
..... whilst RNVR officers received the post nominal Volunteer Reserve Decoration (VRD) and RNR officers received the RD, as did officers in the "new" RNR when the RNR and RNVR combined in 1966 as RNR List 1 and List 3 respectively. All in all, a vast improvement from the days before 1947 when RNVR officers were awarded the post nominal Volunteer Decoration, the abbreviation for which I have conveniently forgotten! Sailors received the RNR and RNVR LS&GC medal.
Jack