teeteringhead, not just replacements...
Many applications are still received from service veterans who did not claim their medals at the time, particularly from World War II. The next of kin of veterans now deceased are also entitled to claim any medals that had not been awarded.
My late grandfather only claimed his war medals about 10 years ago. He didn't bother claiming at the end of the war because he was told "as he wasn't gettting any campaign medals then it wasn't worth it". He served in the UK and Iceland as an RAFP (drafted not volunteered as he always said!) and was awarded the Defence and War medals.