Another bar added to the GSM?
Following The Sir John Holmes Independent Medal Review the government has announced that a new clasp has been given approval and qualifying criteria for the Cyprus clasp has been reduced.
Berlin Airlift
Following The Sir John Holmes Independent Medal Review the government has announced that a new clasp has been given approval.
For those servicemen who took part in the Berlin Airlift operation from 25 June 1948 to 6 October 1949 (inclusive) will be awarded the General Service Medal 1918-62 with clasp ‘BERLIN AIRLIFT’. This will be awarded for at least 1 day’s service to all aircrew, RAF and civilian, or to their next of kin.
The Ministry of Defence Medal Office will assess applications for the clasp against the criteria below:
Cyprus 1955-59
Those who participated in the suppression of acts of terrorism in Cyprus between 1 April 1955 and 18 April 1959 will qualify for the General Service Medal 1918-62 with clasp ‘Cyprus’ if they served for 90 days or more. The qualifying period has been reduced from 120 days, bringing it into line with the qualifying period for service during the Kenya anti-terrorism campaign. Applications are being accepted and will be assessed and dealt with in a strict date order.
- aircrew, whether service or civilian, who completed one operational sortie on the Berlin airlift between the western zones of Germany to include bases Schleswigland, Wunstorf and Celle and the city of Berlin to include Templehof airport (American base), RAF Gatow (British base), Tegal airfield (French base) between 25 June 1948 and 6 October 1949 inclusive
- aircrew should be taken to mean ‘constituted crew of the aircraft’; additionally, there should be no medals awarded to those who were passengers on board any of the flight
- exclusions are; Locally Employed Civilians (LEC), visits and ground crew
Applications are being accepted and will be assessed and dealt with in a strict date order.