An Anomaly not Corrected
The anomaly that existed for many years was that Regular Service (RS) officers in the UK Armed Services had not had their long, voluntary service recognised by the award of a Long Service medal as had almost every other branch in these Services, Voluntary Reserves, Cadet Forces, Fire and Police Services, etc. Then, quite recently, the Government announced that this anomaly would be addressed in that every RS officer who had completed 15 years service, without blemish, would be awarded that Service Arm's Long Service & Good Conduct Medal.
However, any RS officer who had retired before July 2014 would not so qualify, which thereby created a new anomaly whereby those who had served earlier and retired before this date would not have their service recognised in medallic form.
I am one who served between 1959 and 1979, in which more than 15 years were as an RS officer, and I would really like my time in the RAF to be recognised by means of a medal, for this would then be the only medal I would have received from my Country. I was proud to have served, and I would like to be able to display this fact on occasions when medals can be worn, most usually on Remembrance Sunday but on a few other occasions also. Without such a visible token I appear no different from those who have never served in HM Armed Forces, which irks me because I have pride in what I did when in uniform and what I achieved.
In the 1960s and 1970s there were few opportunities for earning medals, generally only those who served overseas on campaigns where risk and rigour existed could qualify, so there was quite a dearth of medals at that time amongst such servicemen and women. At the time of HM's Silver Jubilee word went around that a medal was being stuck to commemorate this event, but the severely restricted number that could be awarded meant that there was huge disappointment as we learnt that most of us would not get one. Fortunately, the qualification rules changed for the subsequent Jubilees and so - remembering that the UK does not have a Defence Medal or anything similar - many who had served for at least five years by and on the appropriate dates actually received a medal, something to wear.
For those of you who read this and already have a medal - campaign or Jubilee - it may not seem quite so important as it does to me, but I do ask how it can be that someone who today holds the same rank as I when I retired and has served for as long as I can deserve a medal whilst I do not. I would be surprised if there are not others who feel as I do and would like this anomaly to be corrected.
A Petition was started to widen the scope to include those of us who served in former years but this has now been brought to a halt due to the dissolution of Parliament. Whether it will start up again I have no way of knowing: we shall see.