Long Service Medal for Officers
 

Guys. i remember about a year ago reading that the LSGC medal or at least some form of LS medal was to be awarded to officers with 15yrs or more service.

Did anything come of this or was it quietly dropped.

This is all I could find.

Personally I think it's a bad idea; if everyone gets a medal then it carries no weight or significance with those that receive them i.e. jubilee medals.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/n...litary-service

Almost agree, but the LS&GC medal carries significance as it depicts that the wearer has completed 15 years service without being caught for doing anything wrong. It is not just a token medal (Jubilee Medal) for being "in" for five years, and the majority of those who receive it are proud to wear it; particularly those who get the clasp for 30 years service.

Well it wouldn't be 'everyone' getting the medal - just those who have served for the required time. I'm not sure 15 years would be long enough though - I would think it would need to recognise service some way beyond the IPP to make any sense.

And anyway, I thought officers were expected to show good conduct. :hmm:

Everybody already does get it. That is unless you are in the single cohort of direct entry officer. If you join in the ranks you get it; if you then commission from the ranks with sufficient time under your belt but less than you need to get it purely in the ranks, you then get it as an officer. If you're a Reservist, of whatever rank, you apparently get it. It seems the only people not to get it are officers coming straight in off the street.

It's always struck me that we have gone too far in the opposite direction to the US, and it seems any medal these days should only be awarded having sacrificed at least 2 internal organs whilst living face down in a muddy ditch for at least a year whilst being force fed rat packs and being made to listen to the speeches of Gordon Brown on endless loops. Even then some would complain it was still too easy.

Whilst my experience of medals is limited, from what I have seen, critics seem to be divided between those who already have medals and don't want to mount another (pull the ladder up Jack as it were), those who don't have any medals and are envious, and collectors who seem to think that medals exist solely to give them a hobby.

Dont forget dealers - medals made up a fair proportion of my income for 30 years! I remember reading a letter from some retired colonel or other who was complaining about "this trafficking in medals!" The fact is that a fair proportion of servicemen and women couldn't give a rats about their medals once they leave, and see no reason why they shouldn't raise some money on them. British medals are more valuable to the collector than almost all countries' medals because they are relatively scarcely awarded, and also for the most part they are named, and thus have potential for research.

Re officers' LS&GC, I tend to agree with Background Noise's second point.

An automatic 20% discount on their bar bill.

FED, only because they drink more?

Or because they have learnt the hard truth that their livers can't take it so they don't drink?

edit

Of course stopping drinking =100% discount.

Jubilee Medals
 

heights good,

Not all Jubilee medals were given to everyone as the Golden medal was.

In 1977, the Silver Jubilee medal was allocated on a limited basis to unit commanders to distribute amongst the unit personnel. I was in command of a Flight of about 120 men and women and I was allocated one medal to hand out for the whole flight.

I recommended a Jnr Tech, who was probably the most talented propulsion fitter I ever came across in my career. But he had a phobia about promotion exams. He had taken the Cpl's exam about 4 or 5 times and barely got beyond writing his name on the answer paper before he froze.

Recommendation accepted; he was the only one on the flight who wore the medal and the girls and guys respected him for it.

Rgds SOS

Re the initial post by Welcome1;

This officer appears to have LS&GCM and clasp and then got to at least AVM (going by the bit of scrambled egg visible). Who is he btw?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/n...ures-mmgrk83kb

Air Officer Scotland, AVM Ross Paterson perhaps? Can't find another picture that matches his medals though.

Avtur (#2) et al,

"When Everbody is Somebody, then Nobody is Anybody" (W.S.Gilbert).

I've got two year's airman service, 26 year's commissioned service (no detected crime) plus 45 years on retired list (67 years seniority as a Flt.Lt.)

What's in it for me ?

Danny.

Nothing new for you, Danny. But then you already have a collection of significnt medals, so you mustn't be greedy. And think of the cost of having everything remounted!! :)

So all of those with a commission who have never gone on ops, hid under their desks, dodged the redundancy bullets etc get a LS&GC - the GC for commissioned is a given as said above. There are plenty around still.

Yet those who are repeatedly doing LITTENs, KIPION, SHADERs, etc are told 'it is all too difficult to work out and don't expect a decision soon and you might not like it.

See the other thread. WTF?

gijoe

What exactly is your beef? Is it against Officers or against people who don't deploy? Or is it a general whinge about the lack of medal for Ops such as Shader?

I'm not arguing just struggling to see what your point is.

BV

If I had had forced to have Air Force life like that I would deserve a medal.

It certainly looks like AVM Paterson, wrathmonk. However I've googled him and found a few pics where his medal ribbons are visible and they appear not to include the RAF LS & GC. Very odd, because this chap is quite definitely wearing the RAF LS & GC and clasp, which must be a first for a 2 star I'd have thought, whoever he is.

Saw AM Sir Baz North in uniform recently, complete with pilots wings, RAF Reg't mudguards and LS gong plus bar.

One assumes there is a "not before" date to save strain (spelled m-o-n-e-y) on production, and to avoid giving the odd bauble to old farts comme moi.;) [seem to remember reading that somewhere but can't find it - but then there's an increasing number of things I can't find these days .........:8]

So my 37 yrs regular commissioned service (presumably 35 as under 21 won't count!) and nearly another 10 as a Reservist will give me nothing more to pin on my shabby blazer in November ...... :ugh:

Ah well, make do with the current 5, and won't need the cost of another miniature and remounting! :ok:

We're getting more like the Yanks every day.