RAF Regiment - champion shot
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: 59°09N 002°38W (IATA: SOY, ICAO: EGER)
Age: 80
Posts: 812
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RAF Regiment - champion shot
Queen's Medal for Champion Shots awarded to RAF Regiment gunner whose arm was ripped apart during a "horror training accident"
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
Well done that man 
From a former Bisley competitor
From a former Bisley competitor
I suspect many of us will never have seen this medal, which is not surprising as it is one of the rarest medals which can be awarded to members of the RAF. It was instituted in 1953, and is awarded annually to the champion shot at the RAF Small Arms Meeting at Bisley, thus if I calculate correctly Cpl Jamieson's is only the 61st medal to have been awarded so far. The medal is worn with other campaign medals, etc, and is mounted after long service and coronation/jubilee medals. The design is reminiscent of the old AFM and shows Hermes astride a falcon, holding a javelin and a caduceus- here's a picture:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafsmallarms/r...D37683919F.jpg
Congratulations Cpl Jamieson
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafsmallarms/r...D37683919F.jpg
Congratulations Cpl Jamieson
I suspect many of us will never have seen this medal, which is not surprising as it is one of the rarest medals which can be awarded to members of the RAF. It was instituted in 1953, and is awarded annually to the champion shot at the RAF Small Arms Meeting at Bisley, thus if I calculate correctly Cpl Jamieson's is only the 61st medal to have been awarded so far.
YS
Yellow Sun - thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of that. I neglected to say that as well as the medal there is a dated bar or clasp which is worn on the ribbon - I assume that these two chaps eventually needed extra long ribbons to accommodate their bars!
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
500n ... Tragically diminished from the 350+ in my day. When I looked at the RAFSSA website last week I got the feeling there were around 40+ competitors. We used to have 50+ officers in tents on the Clubhouse Lawn!!
Sadly, people have other things to do these days ... There's a War on, you know
Oh, and Governments have strangled the sport of target shooting anyway, as both I and the OH know to our personal cost. Still, the taxpayer gave us £5.5k to stop us shooting holes in paper with pistols, so you can all sleep safely in your beds.
Sadly, people have other things to do these days ... There's a War on, you know
Oh, and Governments have strangled the sport of target shooting anyway, as both I and the OH know to our personal cost. Still, the taxpayer gave us £5.5k to stop us shooting holes in paper with pistols, so you can all sleep safely in your beds.
Last edited by MPN11; 30th Jul 2013 at 16:51.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
Once Upon A Real Air Force ... They used to start with 1,500 RAF competitors. Of course, they used to be about 12 Commands/overseas Air Forces then. And probably more Groups than we now have flying stations.
Old Crab weeps gently into glass of wine.
.
Old Crab weeps gently into glass of wine.
.
Great achievement, having competed at Bisley 8 times in the 70s/early 80s, never got near the top ten in the Queens medal competition, but can appreciate what it takes to win that medal, my mate Phil won it twice.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
Last edited by MPN11; 30th Jul 2013 at 18:07.
Thanks for the picture JTO. That's going into my archive, and I'll be asking a question about it at my next medal collector's club meeting!
Last edited by Tankertrashnav; 30th Jul 2013 at 21:57.