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New 'Cyprus 1963-64 clasp on the GSM

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New 'Cyprus 1963-64 clasp on the GSM

Old 2nd Mar 2015, 09:06
  #41 (permalink)  

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Twin Pin was - I believe - the right answer. It had slipped my memory that I had posted about it before - well it was in 2007!

I read the story in the F540 of 78 Sqn when I was a baby Wessex pilot in Sharjah (and the F540 scribe). There was a report of a "trial" of SS11 at the time of the Radfan campaign IIRC, which would put it about '64-'65.

A brace of messieurs from Nord Aviation had arrived in Aden to carry out the trial. While en route for a range sortie, they were diverted to a "contact" up-country; some nasty men in a cave could not be zapped by the Hunters because of the tortuous approach path.

So the 78 Sqn Twin-Pin, complete with French civilians did the deed! The 540 certainly reported it as the first "guided weapon in anger". (Not QUITE the way we'd do business nowadays!!)

78 disbanded last year when its Merlins became 846 NAS, so I guess its F540s will be at AHB, and I imagine that '64/'65 will be declassified by now.

If not - I'm in trouble!
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Old 15th Mar 2016, 10:28
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Dates and Ranks on GSM
I've mentioned this to TTN via a PM.


One area with looming errors for this new clasp/medal, is that the qualifying period, 21 December 1963 to 26 March 1964, ends less than a week before the demise of the ranks of Cpl/Tech, Sen/Tech and Master Tech. This happened on 1st April 1964.

So the chances of anyone that qualifies for the clasp/medal getting demobbed while still holding that rank are quite remote.

I wonder how many wrong 'uns will be returned.
I was dead right about this!

In spite of me pointing out the trap in red ink, that lot at Gloucester fell right into it.

After all these years, I'll live with it.

If I was in the UK I might be bothered to send it back and argue.
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Old 15th Mar 2016, 12:22
  #43 (permalink)  

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Am I being particularly dim???

I was stationed at Akrotiri (on TASF and Strike Wing) but living in town during virtually the whole of the period in question and I don't remember any problems.

Is senility catching up with me??
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Old 15th Mar 2016, 18:12
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Glad to hear you've received your medal Ian. I'd be interested to hear how the quality of the medal itself compares with earlier issues.

Is senility catching up with me?
Probably
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Old 15th Mar 2016, 20:24
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Lukeafb1
Am I being particularly dim???

I was stationed at Akrotiri (on TASF and Strike Wing) but living in town during virtually the whole of the period in question and I don't remember any problems.

Is senility catching up with me??
If you lived out in Limassol, you should have received the Families Evacuation Scheme document, that I posted earlier.

Also when the shooting happened in Limassol in the February, wherever you lived it must have been difficult not to hear it. The Greeks had a Valentine tank with a Bren on it.

The good news was that the Greek & Turks were shooting at each other, not at us.

I never thought that a medal would be issued, and for it to happen half a century later was a great surprise.

TTN

The medal is silver plated and the clasp is difficult to read! So I expect the quality rating is minimal. As I said, my rank is incorrect, but I doubt if anyone in today's RAF knows what Cpl/Tech, Sen/Tech and Master Tech's were.
With the medal qualification period ending within a week of the rank changes, it was an error designed to happen.
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Old 15th Mar 2016, 23:17
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Sorry to hear that Ian. At present bullion prices there is about £12 worth of silver in a typical medal, so that is the maximum amount HMG has saved by the decision to have them plated - all other manufacturing and distribution costs will be around the same, regardless of metal used.

Pathetic!
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Old 16th Mar 2016, 09:17
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Re the post about the Whirlwinds. I was in RAF Nicosia working on the UN Whirlwinds in January 1965, I am sure that we had XP301. I recall changing the engine prior to putting the Whirlwinds on HMS Triumph which was going to Borneo.
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Old 17th Mar 2016, 13:41
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TTN you may or may not know? but, the Hastings flight at Lindholme was unofficially known as 1066 Sqn.

Mr B it was, of course "Jacko" Jackson!

3P
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