RAF KHORMAKSAR
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Location: Just over the road from Bicester airfield
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Plus a BOAC VC10 with a probe ! can remember (1963 ?) when the BOAC VC10 came out to then go on to Nairobi to do "hot and high", got a ride K/Sar to coast near Karachi and return, luxurious after flogging around by Argosy and Bev, Paul H.
8 Squadron (Hunters) was THE resident fighter outfit at Khormaksar. The Lightnings might be real as there were several in South Africa which were flying until relatively recently. I suspect the VC10 could be a museum piece with the BOAC blue faded by the African sun.
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Pretty sure they're CGI.
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Another point of accuracy, two of the medal ribbons worn by the incoming and outgoing Captains do not seem to match the period. In the scene of the farewell party they seem to be wearing the same medal ribbons but in reverse order. The left hand ribbon is possibly a GSM (1918) i.e. pre 1962 GSM and could indicate service in Malaya or Cyprus which does match. The right hand ribbon looks to be the UN Korea Medal (1950-1954). However the middle ribbon looks like the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal? Surely not.
Another point of accuracy, two of the medal ribbons worn by the incoming and outgoing Captains do not seem to match the period. In the scene of the farewell party they seem to be wearing the same medal ribbons but in reverse order. The left hand ribbon is possibly a GSM (1918) i.e. pre 1962 GSM and could indicate service in Malaya or Cyprus which does match. The right hand ribbon looks to be the UN Korea Medal (1950-1954). However the middle ribbon looks like the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal? Surely not.
The pre 1962 equal width purple green purple GSM looks a strange colour, service in the Arabian Penninsular would also tie in with his age. He would also be entitled to the thin green wide purple thin green post 1962 South Arabia GSM, although I can't remember when they started dishing them out
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The "Easy Three" as they were known for service in Korea would have been the pre 62 GSM, the Queen's Korea medal and the U.N. Korea medal as sported by Prison Officer McKay in porridge. The Radfan or South Arabia bars were on the post 62 CSM and tankertrashnav will probably affirm or correct this statement.
The "Easy Three" as they were known for service in Korea would have been the pre 62 GSM, the Queen's Korea medal and the U.N. Korea medal as sported by Prison Officer McKay in porridge. The Radfan or South Arabia bars were on the post 62 CSM and tankertrashnav will probably affirm or correct this statement.
The ribbons are GSM 1918-62, Coronation Medal 1953 (the QDJM ribbon is based on this) and the UN Korea.
The 1953 Coronation medal should be at the end as it comes after campaign medals. In spite of the UN Korea Medal being a UN medal, it counts with British campaign medals for the purpose of order of wear. In fact my son wears his UN Bosnia at the front of his group of seven.
BTW Oberon it was quite possible to receive the UN Korea Medal without the Queen's Korea Medal, and indeed this was quite common among naval recipients, although less so for the army.
Quite correct Dougie, those clasps belong to the 1962 GSM. To answer brakedwell's question, the 'South Arabia' clasp was authorised in mid 1966 as I was at Khormaksar at the time. We were allowed to put the ribbon up straight away, and as a 19 year old pilot officer I was chuffed to death to have a medal! Never thought that 51 years later my medal count would still remain at one.
The 1953 Coronation medal should be at the end as it comes after campaign medals. In spite of the UN Korea Medal being a UN medal, it counts with British campaign medals for the purpose of order of wear. In fact my son wears his UN Bosnia at the front of his group of seven.
BTW Oberon it was quite possible to receive the UN Korea Medal without the Queen's Korea Medal, and indeed this was quite common among naval recipients, although less so for the army.
Quite correct Dougie, those clasps belong to the 1962 GSM. To answer brakedwell's question, the 'South Arabia' clasp was authorised in mid 1966 as I was at Khormaksar at the time. We were allowed to put the ribbon up straight away, and as a 19 year old pilot officer I was chuffed to death to have a medal! Never thought that 51 years later my medal count would still remain at one.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
TTN.
I think it reflects the fact that we were serving in a more peaceful time. I did two tours on Wessex, and ended up with the GSM (two bars, Northern Ireland and South Arabia), and a UN medal (Cyprus). When I joined a Hercules squadron as a co-pilot, my two ribbons were unusual, not just among the young lads, but in the squadron generally. I gather now that the mess at Odiham (?) is full of DFCs, several with bars. Different world.
I think it reflects the fact that we were serving in a more peaceful time. I did two tours on Wessex, and ended up with the GSM (two bars, Northern Ireland and South Arabia), and a UN medal (Cyprus). When I joined a Hercules squadron as a co-pilot, my two ribbons were unusual, not just among the young lads, but in the squadron generally. I gather now that the mess at Odiham (?) is full of DFCs, several with bars. Different world.
Absolutely Herod. On the squadron in the 70s we wore woolly pulleys most of the time, so that on the rare occasions we donned number ones I would get asked where I had got my medal. Even my squadron boss had nothing, and that was not unusual. But then we were just Cold War Warriors as some of our younger members disparagingly call us!
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but is I believe the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
They possibly meant it to be the Coronation medal.
Last edited by MReyn24050; 4th Oct 2017 at 08:48.
Mreyn - looking at your enlargement you are correct, with my eyesight I didnt pick that up from the original photo. It is probably the closest they could get to the 53 Coronation medal, but considering you can get this from any number of sources for a quid or so a length its pretty slack not to have got it right.
Just another erk
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I remember a friend of mine was supposed to be tour-ex early in 67, he was a sprayer, but they kept him there to spray a Bev, so duty done he returned to UK, but on one side of the aircraft he had sprayed "Royal Air Farce Muddle East" it was quite a while before one of the zobs spotted it.
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Mreyn - looking at your enlargement you are correct, with my eyesight I didnt pick that up from the original photo. It is probably the closest they could get to the 53 Coronation medal, but considering you can get this from any number of sources for a quid or so a length its pretty slack not to have got it right.
