O Great Roman one - I did not mean to upset your Sunday - methinks you may misunderstand my point - in the modern war, fewer actions by fewer persons yield greater results [ignore the generalisation for the benefit of this].
My understanding is that it is harder for the horthorities to award the same medal load proportionally [as say the 1940's or 1950's] unless they appropriately modify the qualifying criteria. [methinks VC's, and other individual medals of valour and bravery, the origination of this thread, would be unlikely to be affected greatly]
My concern is that despite a few persons 'winning the war' very few medals of theatre recognition will result.
Only a dumpkopf would argue for 'more wars', and I assume you are not one.
SS - You are correct - Flt Lt Martin Withers was awarded the DFC; the rest of the crew were all MID, including the AAR instructor in the jump seat, a certain Flt Lt Dick Russell. A midnight take off of 11 Victors and 2 Vulcans in a 1 min stream, no nav lights; one crisis was aparently when Withers' Vulcan met the tanker, and fuel leaked over the windscreen, resulting in the Nav Radar having to do a 'talk down' to re-engage the basket through a 2" area at the base of the screen! Heady days! Oh for a range worthy tanker fleet at that time. The incident SS refers to may well be the one where Sqn Ldr Tuxford [Victor] tried to refuel Flt Lt Bigland [Victor] - Biglands' AAR probe snapped in heavy turbulence over CBs etc, the a/c swapped places, Tuxford took back all his fuel, and sent Biglands back to Wideawake. Tuxford refulled the returning Vulcan for the last time [remember this was not his primary brief!] some 3000nm from WAW, but the Victor's fuel useage had been greater than expected so the transfer was cut short, and Tuxford planned a ditching 400nm from WAW, but waited until the completion of the bombing raid signal was heard before calling assistance, at which point further Victors were scrambled to carry him home. Tuxford received the AFC and the crew QCVSAs. Biglands' sortie time was 12hrs 15, while Tuxfords was just over 14 hours.
By and large the tanker captains were recognised, but not their crews.
[Falklands - The Air WarISBN 0 85368 842 7 1986 Arms and Armour Press, London]
[ 20 January 2002: Message edited by: Reheat On ]</p>