"Let us also not forget that there are many recommendations which bring forth diddly squat"

Couldnt agree more. On his death we were clearing through my grandfathers belongings (Infantry vet WW2, various campaigns under his belt). We came across a medal recommendation for bravery relating to an incident we'd never been told about before in Europe in 44. The citation described an incident involving minefields, explosions and some fairly ballsy activity that judging by todays criteria, would certainly have gotten him something. The write up was for a Military Medal, although it was never staffed further. I sometimes wonder whether this was due to it being lost in the system, or because he'd been a less than perfect soldier at other times, or because such actions were relatively commonplace then.

There are many people out there who did some very brave things, and sadly most of them will never be recognised due to reasons beyond their control.

I agree strongly with Clockwork Mouse on this. The current arrangements seem fair and sensible. Its not like the RBL medals for National Service, Cold War etc etc. Any serviceman or woman who sells his QJM on eBay like those blokes in the Fire Service is a disgrace to the uniform.

My late father served from 1942-78, and was an ADC to HM at the time of the Silver Jubilee. He already had a Coronation Medal, an MVO and the usual row of wartime gongs, and didn't get, expect, want, or worry about a silver Jubilee gong. He did get a couple of bizarre medals from the Russians long after he retired, though, for his part in guarding the convoys in the 'Great Patriotic War'.

Like the bizarre medals I got from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, 20 years ago.. Never worn and never taken out of the hall drawers,,,:E

The difference between these two pairs of "bizarre" medals is that the Soviet medals are authorised for wear with British medals, whereas the Saudi and Kuwaiti medals are not, so you are quite correct in not wearing them Alber! The USSR awarded 40th, and then 50th Anniversary of the Great Patriotic War Medals to survivors of the Russian convoys, many years before their service was recognised by the British authorities by the award of the Pole Star emblem worn on the Atlantic Star ribbon.

Wasn't there a Rhodesian medal also that was a drawer filler and couldn't be worn?

I've got the same photographic evidence. However it appears to show a slim(ish) regiment officer in a No 6 parading with aforementioned "standard" It cant possibly be me, so I'm not going to publish it!

Re The Rhodesia Medal - this was an official medal awarded for service in 1979/1980 during the lead-up to Zimbabwean independence. Definitely authorised for wear, or if you prefer you can always flog it - on the rare occasions they come up for sale they can make around £500!

Seems the QDJ medal including box is going for around £50- £80 on a well known online auction site.

Some veterans want the medal yet some of those who have got it...don't want it and would rather have a few pounds.


OK I know it's most likely that it is the police / fire / prison services who are flogging them off.

I agree that they have the criteria right for the QDJ medal. I'll be happy enough to get mine, even though I'll have to get them all court mounted again, (nothing special, just the campaign ones etc), and apart from one day a year, sit in a drawer all year round.

ChugaLug,

If I could only crack how to get the d7*n thing to upload, I would be delighted to publish it but having subscribed to a site that was supposed to allow me to do just that - it don't happen!

TTH,

Strictly speaking, the gong the man at the secret base in Hampshire got in GWI is oval - not round. I often said that the then prime minister, who agreed the changes in circa 1994, was only interested in making the non-commissioned ranks equal to the commissioned ones - not the other way round. I also know that there were a fairly large body of non-commissioned members of the Gallantry Medalists League who were furious at the changes which they saw as just social engineering.

Perhaps my most embarrassing moment in the medal 'scandal' was when I took precedence - still serving - over a retired officer at an event. He had more gallantry medals/crosses at the start of an impressive array than I had from raiding the cornflakes packet to collect the tokens for my little lot.

Old Duffer

Nutloose & Tankertrashnav...........
 

I believe there were two medals from the Rhodesian elections. One was the Ceasefire Monitoring Force medal which I believe is worth a few bob and the other one dubbed the 'deckchair' medal which was a Rhodesia national medal which one wasn't allowed to wear unless in the Rhodesian Embassy or in the presence of someone important from Rhodesia or some such restriction.

Outstanding, wonder what my other baubles are worth to the needy folk :ok:

I picked up my QDJM last week. I note it doesn't come with the enamelled ribbon or a ribbon for No.1s. Cutbacks I guess. I got mine for Police service and the previous for combined RAF and Police service. They'll sit beside my GW1 medal and I'll happily wear both, they show I've done more than sit on my a**e watching TV every day.

Tashengurt.

:D

Well...as a guide, and depending on your view, if you can put a value on your medals....

GSM 62
£60-85 NI Clasp
£170-0225 Dhofar Clasp
£400-450 Kuwait Clasp
£350-450 N Iraq & S Turkey Clasp
£350-450 Air Ops Iraq

OSM
£400-500 RAF

ACSM
£300-400

Rhodesia Medal
£350-450

South Atlantic
£500-600 RAF (with rosette)
£350-450 RAF (without)

Gulf Medal
£250-350 (with clasp)
£175-250(without)

Saudi Arabian
£20

Kuwaiti
£20-30 (third and fourth class)

Iraq Medal
£300-350 (With clasp)
£125-175 (without)

NATO service medals
£12-15

RAF LS&GC
£50-60

Silver Jubilee
£160-185

Golden
£70-80

(Prices from the Medal Yearbook 2011)

Using this guide, many servicemen on parade have well over a £1000 on their chest.

And some - a bit like intelligence, greater than the sum of the parts. A tanker nav I know - still serving - has practically everything from the Falklands Medal until OSM for AFG (oh, and now the QDJM). I suspect his rack is probably worth about GBP 15K.

And don't forget campaign medals named to officers attract a premium of at least 50% on top of the prices quoted by November4

And quite right too ;)

And RAF GSM's attract a premium over the Army version as they are rarer. I suppose the RN GSM NI attracts a premium over the RAF one as well.

The Medal Year book makes no mention of a difference in price for the GSMs due to RAF/Army/RN.

For the OSM though:
£600-800 Cavalry
£400-500 Line Regts
£300-400 Corps
£400-500 RM
£400-500 RAF

South Atlantic
£700-850 Army (7,000 issued)
£1000-1350 Scots and Welsh Guards
£1750-2500 Para
£650-750 RN (13,000 issued)
£1100-1400 RM (3,700)
£450-550 RFA (2,000)
£500-650 Merchant Navy and Civilians (2,000)
£650-800 Ghurkha
£500-650 RAF (2,000)

So what do you think the Rhodesia Ceasefire Monitoring Force Medal is worth? Bearing in mind there were only 1000 issued?