Operational Honours and Awards List : October 2013

[CoffmanStarter]

Many congratulations to all 117 recipients :D:D:D:D

A total of 117 members of the Armed Forces have received honours and awards in the latest Operational Honours and Awards List (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/operational-honours-and-awards-list-4-october-2013)

23 Royal Air Force personnel are honoured for their bravery and service including ...

Distinguished Flying Cross

Flight Lieutenant Timothy Edward TROTT - RAF Odiham

Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air

Flight Lieutenant Christopher GENT - RAF Odiham

MOD RAF : Chinook Pilot Commended (http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/chinook-pilot-commended-03102013)

[NutLoose]

Air Force Cross (AFC)

Flight Lieutenant Christian John WILKINS, Royal Air Force

Queen’s Gallantry Medal (QGM)

Sergeant Rachael Louise ROBINSON, Royal Air Force


British army heroes honoured (http://news.uk.msn.com/in-pictures/british-army-heroes-honoured/)

Congratulations all round, I read the Gurkha story a while back and I believe they were pushing for a higher award at the time.

Nice to see a Bar awarded to an MC

Corporal John Matthew WATSON MC, Royal Marines

[Tankertrashnav]

Not many female recipients of the QGM I'd reckon. Congratulations to Sgt Robinson for her award for her part in getting an injured French fisherman off a trawler in very high seas. Here's the link:

RAF Benson - News and Weather (http://www.raf.mod.uk/newsweather/index.cfm?storyid=47219685-5056-A318-A8907912C7F9F264)

I'm ashamed to say I didnt even know we had winchwomen (if that's the correct term) on SAR. Fantastic job!

[MightyGem]

Flight Lieutenant Timothy Edward TROTT - RAF Odiham
Is he an ex AAC chap?

[Trim Stab]

Is he an ex AAC chap?

Yes. Former Apache QHI.

[Cows getting bigger]

Yet again, a winchweight with huge cahoonas.

Well done!

[TheWizard]

Metaphorically speaking of course!!

Well done Rach. :ok:

[Flying Lawyer]

Queen’s Gallantry Medal (QGM)

Sergeant Rachael Louise ROBINSON, Royal Air Force




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Rotorheads/Aviation/GAPANbanner_600.jpg


The Master's Medal 2013

Sergeant Rachael Robinson RAF

Citation:
Winch woman Sergeant Rachael Robinson was a member of the crew of Rescue 169, the duty RAF search and rescue helicopter from A Flight, 22 Squadron, called to rescue a crewman from a 25 metre French fishing vessel, “Alf” in the Irish Sea on Thursday 21st March 2013. The crewman had serious head injuries and his condition was deteriorating.

The Alf was pitching and rolling violently, climbing and descending vertically 40 feet with each swell and rolling violently. The 35 knot wind whipped up spray and the sheeting rain further hampered visibility. The Alf’s captain spoke very little English, so a 3 way translation service was arranged via satellite phone involving English and French Coastguards and the crew of Rescue 169 to brief the French captain about how the RAF helicopter crew intended to get the crewman off the fishing boat.

Winch woman Robinson made 6 separate, hazardous descents on the winch-wire in an attempt to reach the Alf’s tiny deck. So violent were the seas that Rachael was repeatedly snatched from the heaving deck as the boat plunged into wave troughs faster than the winch cable could be paid out.

After three winching attempts, the Sea King was running out of fuel, so a swift refuel was arranged at Haverfordwest to prepare for a second attempt. It took three further attempts before Flight Lieutenant ‘Taff’ Wilkins – the Sea King’s captain – eventually calculated the lift to the optimum second, climbing his Sea King as the Alf reached the top of a swell, plucking Rachael and the casualty clear of the deck. The casualty was treated en-route for head injuries and hypothermia and was taken to Swansea Moriston Hospital. It was entirely due to the actions of the crew of rescue 169 and Rachael Robinson’s incredible fortitude that the injured crewman survived.

Sgt Robinson will receive her Master's Medal at the Guild's annual Trophies and Awards Banquet to be held in the Great Hall of London's historic Guildhall on the 23rd October.
The Banquet will be attended by HRH Prince Andrew Duke of York, Grand Master of the Guild. Official guests include leading figures in aviation from around the world.

The Banquet is open to all Guild members and their guests.
Closing date for applications to attend: Friday 4th October
For more information and a downloadable Application Form click the Guild badge ............... https://www.gapan.org/template/theme/gapan/img/im-guild-crest.gif (https://www.gapan.org/file/1186/application-form-for-the-trophies-and-awards-banquet.pdf)



Tudor Owen

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[500N]

Impressive list. Well done everyone.

Re Bar to MC, anyone know when the last one was ?

[NutLoose]

It does not say, but there are 164 only, mind you might not be upto date

Category:Recipients of the Military Cross and Bar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Recipients_of_the_Military_Cross_and_Bar)

Blimey, some guys had 3 bars on their MC's

During World War I, Acting Captain Francis Victor Wallington of the Royal Field Artillery was the first person to be awarded the MC and three bars when he was invested with his third bar on 10 July 1918 (gazetted 13 September 1918: he had obtained the first three awards as a second lieutenant).[5][6] Three other officers were subsequently awarded a third bar, Percy Bentley, Humphrey Arthur Gilkes and Charles Gordon Timms, all of whose awards were gazetted in a supplement to the London Gazette of 31 January 1919.[5][7]

Military Cross - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Cross)

[500N]

Nutloose

Yes, I looked at that but couldn't clearly see the last.

Just interested that's all.

[Tankertrashnav]

Nutloose - I'm afraid you have misread the Wiki entry on the Military Cross, that number only refers to those holders of the MC and bar for which there is a Wikipedia entry

The numbers taken from British Gallantry Awards by Abbott and Tamplin (1971) are as follows:

World War One :

2,983 1st bars
168 2nd bars
4 3rd bars

Inter war years :

31 1st bars

World War Two :

482 1st bars
24 2nd bars

(Flight Lieutenant, later Wing Commander, F.E.E.Yeo Thomas, GC, MC* is the only RAF recipient of a bar to the Military Cross)

Post-war years up to 1969 :

28, the last one being awarded for Borneo in 1967. I'm not aware of any since then, up to the present award (there were none for the Falklands War), so I'm guessing this is the first one since 1967

Many years ago I had the pleasure of meeting two gentlemen who both held the MC and bar (WW1 awards) I photographed them and their medals - one of them had won his with the Camel Corps!

[Two's in]

Yes. Former Apache QHI.

Tim was also a former Coldstream Guardsman prior to AAC - good to see him recognized.

[MightyGem]

Grenadier, I think.

[jayteeto]

Have you actually read the citation for the Gurkha MC????
Get on the MOD website and read it, it is a good use of your time.
Hit on the helmet by a bullet, dazed and throwing a grenade out of his sangar which exploded and blew him over. Getting up to see a bloke in front of him and drawing his kukri, fighting hand to hand, then to top it all they fell out of the sangar still fighting.
Sounds like a rambo film........ Is an MC enough???

[air pig]

Jayteeto:

Someone forgot the first rule never ever get a Gurkha angry, nicest guys in the world.

[NutLoose]

Congratulations all round, I read the Gurkha story a while back and I believe they were pushing for a higher award at the time.

Which is why I said the above, apologies, mixed him up with this Chap who they only gave the CGC, when a lot thought he deserved the VC

Gurkha who fought off Taliban awarded Gallantry Cross | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1369743/Gurkha-fought-Taliban-awarded-Gallantry-Cross.html)

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-outstanding-examples-of-a-generation-the-op-honours-recipients

[Heliport]

Sergeant Rachael Robinson received a standing ovation from the 670+ people present at the Guild of Air Pilots' Trophies & Awards Banquet held at London's Guildhall on Wednesday evening.

Honourable Company of Air Pilots
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Rotorheads/Sgt_winch.jpg
Rachel received her Master's Medal and Certificate from Captain Jim Lovell
and HH Judge Tudor Owen, Master of the Guild


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Rotorheads/Sgt_winch_DoY.jpg
Rachel being congratulated by HRH The Duke of York, Grand Master


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Rotorheads/Guildhall-1.jpg


:ok:


The Guild became the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in February 2014.

[Wander00]

Well done, her>

[Lima Juliet]

Sergeant Rachael Robinson received a standing ovation from the 670+ people present at the Guild of Air Pilots' Trophies & Awards Banquet held at London's Guildhall on Wednesday evening.

Have the ditched they Navigators already? Although, I do hear that GAPAN are changing their name to Worshipful Company of Air Pilots by Royal Charter - or should it be the Worshipful Company of Royal Air Pilots? (Worshipful CRAP?)

Enough frivolity - well done Sgt Robinson. :D

LJ

[Heliport]

The new name, graciously granted by HM, will be:

The Honourable Company of Air Pilots
incorporating Air Navigators

[Lima Juliet]

How very gracious of Her Majesty. :ok:

[Union Jack]

Considering Rachael Robinson's Master's Medal was in recognition of her award of the Queen's Gallantry Medal, it seems a little less than gallant of The Duke of York not to stand up to congratulate her - unless of course there is some obscure custom which precludes this .....:=

BZ Rachael!:ok:

Jack

[500N]

UnionJack

"it seems a little less than gallant of The Duke of York not to stand up to congratulate her - unless of course there is some obscure custom which precludes this ....."

I was going to comment on that when I saw the photo.

??????

[Flying Lawyer]

Considering Rachael Robinson's Master's Medal was in recognition of her award of the Queen's Gallantry Medal
That's not correct.
The Guild's Awards, including the award of the Master's Medal to Rachael, were announced in August.
The Operational Honours and Awards List wasn't published until October.



FL

[Wander00]

Given the occupation of the well deserving winner of the Master's Medal, does the name of the Guild not need an addition to its new title?

[Heliport]

The members of the Guild are pilots and navigators.
The Guild doesn't restrict its awards to pilots and navigators.

[CoffmanStarter]

incorporating Air Navigators

So we've just sold off the Post Office ... now it's the turn of the Navigators to be "floated" ... how does one apply for shares :}

Hat, coat ... door

PS. Totally agree with the above view ... very bad form for HRH to remain seated :=

[Union Jack]

That's not correct.
The Guild's Awards, including the award of the Master's Medal to Rachael, were announced in August.
The Operational Honours and Awards List wasn't published until October.

Thank you, FL - I am more than happy to be corrected by the Master, and should have guessed that the Honourable Company was able to react more quickly than the Honours and Awards system to Rachael Robinson's major achievement.:ok:

However, I "stand" by the main point of my post, which is more than the Duke did!:)

Jack

[SirToppamHat]

And ISTR that would be Fg Off Rachael Robinson who graduated from Cranwell, had a pretty good go at a different Branch before being allowed to go Airman Aircrew (which was what she'd always wanted to do in the first place but which our recruiting system hadn't allowed her to) ... but I could be mistaken!

Either way, WELL DONE!

STH

[Toadstool]

Perhaps he was seated as she walked by Or perhaps he is royalty and is such is dictated by decorum etc. I personally am delighted by the award and am not bothered by the trivia.

[Tankertrashnav]

Quite so, Toadstool. We all know that a photo (this one was obviously unposed) can create a false impression. Who knows whether HRH wasn't on his feet 2 seconds after the photo was taken? Maybe the photographer took the opportunity to do a bit of "Andy bashing" which appears to be a very popular sport.

Only those who were were at the event will know the truth of it.

More to the point, I reiterate my remarks made in post #3

[Flying Lawyer]

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TROPHIES AND AWARDS - NOMINATIONS



A reminder that nominations for this year’s Trophies and Awards close on 31 May.

If any members (or others) have suitable nominations, please ensure they are received at the office (send by email) by this date.

Details of the terms of reference for all trophies and awards, and how to nominate: Call for Nominations (https://www.airpilots.org/about-the-company/trophies-and-awards/call-for-nominations/)


Tudor Owen