Oh goodie! A medal fest!

I have some aready-prepared and offensive remarks I can post about crimson-faced old buffers in their blazers down at the Legion....


Jindabyne...only joking:p

PS - got another one in the post last week, too. Another round one, sadly.

Medals
 

Jindy

The "Gentleman" concerned is on record as stating that 32 Sqn becoming "The Royal Sqn" is (quote) "An Abomination".

He maintains that the current role of the Squadron "denigrates" the history of the Squadron as it has no role on Active service.

Medals are not a good marker for an individual's resolve. If that were so we wouldn't be so reliant on conflicts to provide the opportunity to award them. It was once envisaged that when the last of senior officers who served in World War II and the Korean Conflict retired, we'd see a none stop line of senior officers with no rows of medals. Perhaps because the defence posture of the late 1980s was expected to last.

Instead we have no end of small unwinable conflicts selected by politicians like Blair and Cameron who absurdly dismantle the frontline capability and rent everything they're prepared to allow. Its quite absurd to cut the frontline while wilfully engaging in conflicts with countries that Blair and Cameron mistakenly imagine to be a push over. All home in time for tea and medals, but it hasn't worked that way.

I know which generation of servicemen and women were better served.

FB:)

For Friend Cazatou....

If you wish to deliberately provoke a barney then take your adolescent goading elsewhere.

This is supposed to be a debate about the Prime Minister's comment, 'You do the fighting, I'll do the talking.'

As we've all gone massively off topic, I don't mind sharing with you a memory of red-faced old buffers in blazers to whom Whenurhappy has referred.

Northern Ireland, Aldergrove to be precise. 1993. Once a year the Bomber Association would have a lunch at the Mess in Aldergrove. A large number of small, respectful, white-haired, blazer-wearing old chaps would turn up for lunch. Ulstermen to a man. Many 'How are you?'s were exchanged. They were all bomber mates from the war. They told stories that made us realize that humping and dumping in helicopters was not exactly steely. They were like a bunch of excited 70 year old school kids, devouring the black and white pictures of NI-based Sunderlands on the corridors in the Mess. Once we'd all got chatting, we all realized that these blokes were all serious veterans of the bomber campaign. Hilariously, there was one fighter pilot amongst them, at whom much banter was directed on account of the fact he lacked 'people skills' hence the single seat. It was a pleasure to talk to them. While we were desperate for their war stories (and by golly they had a few), they were always reticent and modest about what they had done.

They are probably all dead now. But I shall never forget the sight of those old guys, delighted to be at the bar again, talking to 20-somethings about flying and ****.

As the Frogs say, plus ca change.

Perhaps if you were a USAF Airman you would have 10 medal ribbons. If you were a USAF/Marine senior officer you would have at least 30 ribbons. The yanks hand out medals like wedding confetti.

My Grandfather managed just one Military Cross & a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) during WW1. My father (Master Pilot with more than 10,000 hours on Lancasters, Shakletons etc.) got just a LSGC.

I got bugger all until I went to Bosnia after I left HM's employment after 16 years. I was employed by the FO, shot at, blown up & abused by both Bosnian Muslims & Serb/Croats. They gave me a (very impressive) silver medal set - but alas, no pension....

I think the Americans AND the Brits have got it wrong when it comes to dishing out gongs. There is such a thing as a happy medium.

Yes indeedy, and here he is....

The Daily Mash - Stars

Different medal culture, one is more inclined to award medals for passing through places and doing stuff - I always used to think "who on Earth would want a unit citation?" Figuring it's a bit like being given a certificate for having the lowest STD rate in theatre or something of equal merit - but to the people concerned it's much more of a big deal, everything is relative, and to be honest I'm not sure that having a chestful of 'best origami sculpture' awards isn't likely to imbue a feeling of pride in people.... would the traditional bag of ***** airman perhaps not be a bit more tidy and presentable (I was that man) given the incentive?

It's when we start to associate medals with bravery that it all goes wrong - like the man said, 'sadly only a round one'.

Medals
 

Look what you get in next years Christmas crackers: LargeImageTemplate

We used to say that in the US armed forces, even the civvy cleaners had stripes and medals.

Marham 69

Its just that I am quite proud of of the 5023 days I served as a VIP Pilot on 32 Squadron.

"My Grandfather managed just one Military Cross & a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) during WW1."


"Just"???? :eek:

Fraid not. He served during the Boer War as a Corporal in the 5th Dragoon Guards. He got 6 further medals, one of them with 5 (Five) bars. Hey Ho...

Nobody gives a poo nowadays. But I do.

He then finished his army career as an instructor at the Cavalry School at Netheravon, Wilts until he retired July 1922 (RSM Harry Croft, MC, DCM, Vth Dragoon Guards).

Doris Stokes was always quite jolly; indeed, she could be described as a 'happy Medium'.........

HB

I got a GSM for NI lol, but that was when having a medal in the RAF was rare, pain in the butt it was, because after leaving Odious every best blue inspection for any parades afterwards they would put you on it, simply to add a bit of shiney tin to the ranks... Often felt embarassed (and still do) to have it, as the Army worked bloody hard in dangerous situations to get theirs..

Pity, because you shouldn't.

Nutloose, bad luck with the blues inspection. I don't know what uniform the RAF have now, but back in the 70/80's we could wear either a wooly pully, or the horrible No.2 jacket. After the little incident in 82, at Kinloss there was a sudden outbreak of wearing the No.2. jacket, as it had the medal ribbon on it. As you say back in those days, a medal was a rare thing in the RAF, and thus almost certainly got you volunteered for AOC's, and any other parade on the go. I was never into the parade thing, so kept a low profile on that front. Due to a fair bit of moving about, I never got to wear my No.1.'s that often, and it wasn't until 3 months before I left the RAF in 1985, that I had my No. 1's inspected, and my WO was surprised that I had a medal. The only time I nearly got caught was in 1982. Because of the war, Kinloss's AOC's parade was put back, and two weeks after that the station was to receive the Wilkinson Sword, or the other way about. My WO decided that myself and my mate had avoided parades for to long and we were doing one each. I had some leave which covered the first parade, so I said I'd do the second one. The CO at Kinloss was so impressed with how the first parade went, that all the same personnel were to do the second one. Bullet dodged on that one.