W/C Bransome 'Branse' Burbridge : Sad Story
 

It saddens me that stories like this occur from time to time where the Family seemingly have to resort to selling medals, log books and other artefacts of such brave men to help fund their care in later life :(


W/C Burdridge DSO, DFC

Coff.

PS. Sorry it's a DM article ...

At nearly £1K per week for a good nursing home, it is often the case of having to sell up - although unfortunate, it is handy to have items of value that can fund a good care plan rather than having to sell one's house....

Mark L
 

Sad yes, but it has a silver lining. I would love a society where the old with Altzeimers are adequately cared for, but that's not where we are. At least in this case a hero is able to take the awards he was given - medals - and literally translate them into a lot of money that will mean he at least is properly looked after. In the end the medals are symbols, but the reality of the decorations continues. His son noted, "We thought as he is the person who won these decorations it is only right he should benefit from them in some way while he is still alive." I am speaking as someone who would love to buy back my grandfather's (DSM and MiD) medals. As a detail I note that the estimate for his medals is 120,000, but 'Cat's Eyes' Cunnigham's group went for 384,000 last year, over twice the estimate. They had similar wartime careers although Cunningham, with his post-war careeer, was the more famous so hopefully Burbridge's family can rest secure knowing his final years will be secure.

The story is covered in the Times, too.

The message it sends is that serving your country is a mug's game.

Remember this story (and the thousand other similar acts of betrayal that happen every year) next time you see our glorious leaders at the Cenotaph in November, pretending to honour the sacrifice of our servicemen and women.

How special are service personnel ?
 

Apologies if anybody finds the heading contentious, but it encapsulates the question.

AQ above obviously feels that ex-military are special and deserve special treatment . When I read the article I was left wavering in both directions (I did no military service ) because he is receiving the same treatment as everybody else but did have a very distinguished war-service.

That apart, would someone who served wholly in peace-time or was only administrative in an office also deserve special treatment or only the warriors ? After how many years service and for the rest of your life or only after a certain age ?

Most people who comment on their service careers say how enjoyable they were, which is not something that most people in civilian life would say, but it is rare for comments as bitter as AQ.

AS ... The point being that serving personnel, (including support/non-combatant personnel) like W/C Burbridge, have/do put their life on the line in conflict to protect the freedoms that we all enjoy ... to that end a majority would agree that the Country owes such individuals a considerable amount especially when they are in need.

You may disagree ... But I for one feel that our injured service personnel and their immediate families, past and present, should "want for nothing" in their lifetime if they are disabled or a life is lost.

Kind regards ...

Coff.

A-S, there's nothing wrong with being contentious. I don't think it's a question of whether service personnel are special, but I certainly think what Wg Cdr Burbridge achieved was pretty darn special: the award of a DSO and Bar plus DFC and Bar shows that his superior officers thought so too.

My point about serving one's country being a mug's game has nothing to do with bitterness over my own 19 years in the RAF - very glad I joined and equally glad I left when I did - and it's certainly not special pleading to be given the cherry off the trifle for having done so.

The point I'm trying to make is that our politicians, in their relentless drive to buy votes, end up rewarding the wanty at the expense of the needy. Making a contribution to the common good, whether as a night fighter pilot, as a fireman during the Blitz or as a private soldier on the Falls Road during the Troubles should attract some form of recognition.

Every time a story like this comes to light, the message it sends is, "look after number one, Jack, and sod everybody else." The fact that I'm not happy about the way we treat these brave men and women doesn't imply any bitterness, just disappointment and a large degree of disillusion.

A-S .. I think that most people who feel "aggrieved" enough to comment are mentally comparing the fate of this gentleman, who has to sell his belongings to ensure adequate support to this lady

Why is council building a new home for mother of 11? - AOL Money UK

who seems to be getting everything "on a plate" ....:(

He willingly risked his life for the country, was honoured, and has to sell those honours to live a decent life...

What has she done ??

All seems rather wrong to me, and possibly many others. It's not asking for special treatment .. its asking for FAIR and BALANCED treatment

If anyone has contact with the family please point them in the direction of the Ben Fund. They may be able to help.
CS

Omega

Agree. A good comparison.

.

As someone who has dealt in medals over the last 36 years, and has had many hundreds of very interesting groups pass through my hands (although none quite as special as this one) I have regarded their temporary ownership as they passed through my hands as a privilege, and I am quite sure that in most cases the final buyers think the same. The fact that the original owners have parted with the actual medals, which are, after all, only symbols of the award, detracts not one iota from their courage. In this case he will still be Wg Cdr B. Burbridge, DSO*, DFC* in spite of the fact that the actual medals have moved on.

Coffman

I don't disagree for a moment and I really wouldn't want anyone to think I do and to pick up the point about the woman with eleven kids ( 5 or 6 fathers ), I personally would have stopped all extra allowances when she had 3 or 4 and re-directed the money to something worthwhile like the above.

I was actually thinking about Wg Cdr Burbridge before I saw this thread and it crystalised my questions which was perhaps unfortunate in a way as it has skewed them.

If we leave aside those who have suffered - physically or otherwise - due to their service, is the prevalent view amongst ex-military that they should be treated differently from the rest of the population ?

AS ... With your caveat on health then I believe most wouldn't ... but the armed forces have/are repeatedly shafted by politicians of all shades which they simply do not deserve :mad:

So I take it he cannot get social services funding because these are counted as a monetary value ?...

Decorations shouldn't be judged as funds, fair enough if he sold them voluntarily or had deceased, but to have to sell them to fund his care because funding isn't available while he has them just strikes me as wrong...

Coffman

As I said, I wasn't in the forces, but have some reservations about the second half of your statement, but do not feel that this thread is the appropriate place to raise them.


I hope that the Wg Cdr's remaining years are just as agreeable as possible.

Absolutely not.

HOWEVER, as someone who has an ongoing medical condition as a direct result of my service, I (for one) absolutely resent having to pay for the Meds.

Govt put me in harms way (which caused the problem), ergo Govt should bloody pay to put it right.

Indeed, it is perhaps one of the less attractive facets of the western lifestyle, that the old are more often or not, not cared for within the family...unlike almost every other major culture on Earth. Indeed, caring (which includes nursing) for your parents is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not advocating we all rush out and convert, but is does amaze me that this current very hot topic is always discussed in purely economic terms, without ever glancing round and seeing how three quarters of the Earth's population (including the very poorest) seem to be managing it so much better than we are.

Maybe the fact that people like Duncan Bannatyne made their fortune in care homes might have something to do with it? (ps no dig him intended, I like him...just demonstrating the costs and consequences of opportunism in our market-driven society)