Chinook pilot's DFC
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chasing Dreams
Posts: 221
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On the medal side of things, my old man never collected any of his. Absolutely hated the method of selecting who won the award. A lot of the time many more deserving people never awarded anything purely because they didn't get their name pulled out of a hat.
Made one exception, under duress of the family, the recent Malaysian award for service. Mainly as he has some artwork from the conflict and the medal would complete it.
Great story on the Chinook crew.
Made one exception, under duress of the family, the recent Malaysian award for service. Mainly as he has some artwork from the conflict and the medal would complete it.
Great story on the Chinook crew.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks LOTA. Re praise for others, just quoting from Matt's piece here (I'll email it to anyone who wants to see it and sends me a PM, save you buying the book):
'Personally I was a bit embarrassed (to get a medal)...I was just doing my job. Medals are a bit of a lottery...they're only awarded to people who are lucky enough to have been written up. Your 3 Para Tom, whose mate has just been shot, but he still goes out the next day and patrols the streets of Sangin, knowing that the chances are very high that he will be in contact again...that's horrendous. So brave. An 18-year-old lad who's seen his mate shot the day before. Yet he might receive no award and, for that reason, I felt a bit embarrassed. Of course, it was also a huge, huge honour...it's lovely to have things you've done recognised, and great for the RAF Regiment too.
'It's a cliche but I couldn't have done any of what I did without my signallers. SAC 'Sausage' Lucas was my sig on the Chinook incident (a different one to the one this thread started with)...he's just left the forces to become a tree surgeon. And SAC 'Rusty' Whitehouse was my sig for the majority of the time. Rusty was firing back at the Taliban constantly, enabling me to call in the fire, so any praise I got is for them too.'
'Personally I was a bit embarrassed (to get a medal)...I was just doing my job. Medals are a bit of a lottery...they're only awarded to people who are lucky enough to have been written up. Your 3 Para Tom, whose mate has just been shot, but he still goes out the next day and patrols the streets of Sangin, knowing that the chances are very high that he will be in contact again...that's horrendous. So brave. An 18-year-old lad who's seen his mate shot the day before. Yet he might receive no award and, for that reason, I felt a bit embarrassed. Of course, it was also a huge, huge honour...it's lovely to have things you've done recognised, and great for the RAF Regiment too.
'It's a cliche but I couldn't have done any of what I did without my signallers. SAC 'Sausage' Lucas was my sig on the Chinook incident (a different one to the one this thread started with)...he's just left the forces to become a tree surgeon. And SAC 'Rusty' Whitehouse was my sig for the majority of the time. Rusty was firing back at the Taliban constantly, enabling me to call in the fire, so any praise I got is for them too.'
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had the pleasure of working with Maj Hammond, Spence, Sam Hannant, and Dan Baxter when they were all on 18(B).. This kinda thing doesnt suprise me... The Chinook guys are some of the hardest working people ive ever come across, im proud of ya fellas 
Still love hearing the old chinook stories, keep em coming!
Theyre shooting has improved no end with all this desert stuff though! I remember the old night shoots down off the coast, and the jokes were that they couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo!!
Still love hearing the old chinook stories, keep em coming!
Theyre shooting has improved no end with all this desert stuff though! I remember the old night shoots down off the coast, and the jokes were that they couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo!!
