Cleaning/polishing of medals

[A2QFI]

As a retired military person with a very few medals which I need to wear at a social function (Black tie and miniatures) what is the protocol for cleaning or polishing them, please? One is silver and the others are some sort of bronze and look pretty tatty. Are they worn with corroded pride or polished and, if so, with what?

[Two's in]

Polished. HP Brown Sauce works (seriously) if you don't have metal polish - don't get it on the ribbons.

[John Purdey]

On no account use metal or other polish. Wipe them carefully with soap and water. John Purdey

[OX-27]

A pencil eraser gently rubbed accross the medal brings them up a treat.

[Sloppy Link]

Leave the bronze ones alone, just a duster will do those, the silver ones, use a silver cloth available from any good supermarket, just buff them up with that before wearing. Main advantage is the ribbons do not get marked.

[BEagle]

Doesn't one have a gentleman's gentleman for such things?

What are people's views on having a set made up which include the miniature Saudi and Kuwaiti medals for GW1? For wearing with black tie, not mess kit, of course?

[Wwyvern]

Medals with black tie? Surely not?!!

Not done at Cranwell, but OK for the TPs annual dinner. Then again, Boscombe folks have medals that didn't come up with the rations!

[BEagle]

Some social functions specify 'black tie with miniatures'......

The relevance of your TP comment is what, precisely?

[FJJP]

I had a discussion with a cranky admin wg cdr at a D-i-N about the Saudi/Kuwaiti miniatures. I got a lecture on protocol and the fact that the Queen [advised by faceless, desk-bound civil servants] had not approved the wearing of said baubles [his words]. I advised him that I would therefore write to the King of Saudi Arabia and the Emir of Kuwait, thanking them for their kind recognition of my efforts on their behalf, but that I would not wear them since my Queen did not think it appropriate that I should.

Said wg cdr went slightly apoplectic at that suggestion, fell for the bait hook, line and sinker and warned of the wrath of God if I ever did such a thing and embarass Her Majesty.

I then pointed out that refusal of permission to wear them could be construed as an affront to their Royal Arab Personnages, but he did not see the point. He then started on the arguments about not needing campaign medals - waste of time, defence funds, etc, when I noticed that his chest was bare of all except the LS&GC gong.

I gave up at that point. But to comment as requested by Beags, why not? If anyone challenges you, tell them to get a life. If 2 countries wish to show their appreciation, I would be proud to wear the honour.

And yes, I do have a set with both attached...

[Pontius Navigator]

To wear minatures with a DJ used to be a definite no-no but in those days we used to wear white waistcoats with mess kit and guests would wear tails with medals. Now that we do not wear white waistcoats and most people do not have tails then medals are wron with DJs.

Try telling the diminishing number of real Vets who attend our dining-in nights to take 'em off.

[Blacksheep]

I thought the protocol was British medals on the left breast and foreign medals on the right FJJP?

In any case, whenever medals are to be worn my father wears his British WW2 medals on the left and his Russian medal on the right and woe betide anyone who dares to suggest that he shouldn't wear the Russian one!

[Bof]

This medal business can get quite complicated. Just because country 'X' decides to award you a medal doesn't mean you can immediately wear it on your uniform. It is discussed at high level and you might be allowed. At the end of my exchange tour with the USAF, I was to be awarded an Air Medal, (nearly all the "you alls" had one). The RAF were approached and the reply given, thank you very much, but details of your recommendation will be kept with Bloggs' confidential reports and history.

The RAF Officers Club always specify " black tie with miniatures" for their Dinner nights.

[henry crun]

I am still trying to figure out how someone discovered that HP sauce cleans medals.

Perhaps shaking the bottle too hard at a formal dinner night and the cap flew off ? :confused:

[The Swinging Monkey]

A2QFI,

I have had a chat with my man Caruthers, who said that on his day off this week, he would be honoured to come over and polish your medals for you Sir!

He is quite a descent old boy actually, and shouldn't be any trouble, and I should be grateful if you would just give him a rarther small glass of beer for his troubles (nothing else you understand?)

Kind regards to all
The Swinging Monkey

'Caruthers, get your polish and hot foot it over to A2QFI'

[A2QFI]

When I left the RAF to join SOAF (now RAFO) I was required to resign my commission as I could not bear allegiance to two heads of state at once. This led to 2 fairly surreal experiences. In the first I got a letter from Innsworth saying that my resignation had been accepted and that, among other grisly results, I was no longer to use "the Rank or Style" of Flt Lt, retired or otherwise. This came in an envelope addressed to A2QFI (Flt Lt Retired). A few years later the Sultan was kind enough to give me his equivalent of an AFC and I got a letter from the Palace saying that the Queen had been kind enough to grant me her gracious permission to wear the medal. I wrote back to Sir Humphrey explaining that, as I had resigned my commission, at their express order, I did not need the Queen's permission to wear any medal. I was very distressed not to receive a reply - it could have led to a very enjoyable correspondence!

[brakedwell]

A2QFI
You could always ask Eddie Windsor how he cleans mummy's medals when the flunkey is on his summer hols.

[Low Ball]

Having got your medal nice and shiny using any of the techniques mentioned here ( I use or used Duraglit, carefully avoiding the ribbon) you may find a black deposit (old polish of one sort or another) around the letters.

Try a tooth brush (which you no longer use for the teeth). If you haven't got one ask the Mem Sahib she will have discovered how useful they can be after they are timex for the original designed task. Failing that the non flaming end of a match, sharpened if necessary also works well.

Go out and wear the lot. I earned the GW1 medals and always thought it was small minded not to let us wear them, particularly after the event (GW1) you could be awarded chestfulls of unattractive UN medals for turning up.

LB

[Sloppy Link]

I recall something about you can wear these medals when a dignitary from the issuing nation is visiting/inspecting. The same also applies to other accroutments/emblems, US Army aviators wings being a well known cause of crew room angst amongst the Apache fellas. The true worth of any medal/badge/emblem is only known by the wearer.
The Police and Fire Service are subject to different rules and are allowed to wear the Kuwait and Saudi medals along with the Zimbabwe awarded medal from 1980 (not so certain that is a good thing at the moment).

[gijoe]

After you've cleaned and worn the medals, wrap them in clingfilm and the need to clean them on the next outing is removed.

G

[Proman]

This came up in Afghanistan last year. A group of Commonwealth types were discussing this - as we got the NATO medal as well as the OSM. General opinion was that it was OK for the UK to wear one or other, but not both. So while it can take a couple of years to get the OSM through, in the meantime NATO's brass is fine.

However the Canadians and the Kiwis said they could wear both in perpetuity - their Government took the view that they'd been awarded both, after all. Said it was formalised all the way to Buckingham Palace.

At which point a humourous one star in the group asked: 'Isn't your Queen the same as our Queen?'. Giggles followed by silence.