Not a problem, I will call you Tulip from now on, that's got a nice ring to it. :)

:):):):):)Boring old fart is a common phrase in our household, and my conduct has always been questionable.

BoF with a nice ring?

Naughty thoughts.

In my family I fear that I am the FMH.

Answers on a postcard ..............

JJ, tax deductible of course.

​A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon.

--Napoleon Bonaparte

I was scratching my head trying to think of that quote, Rosevidney - thanks!

Uniform upkeep deductions are made at source, so I guess it depends if this is considered to be covered by that.

JJ - be grateful its only going to cost you £50.......

Does climbing the greasy pole count as a fight ;)

Melchett, to a point. I did an exercise some years ago, easily repeatable, based on the whole life cycle cost of replao your working clothing over 5 years. The cost was exactly equal to the annual tax relief at source at 20% tax relief - for simplicity £400 relief = £80 and 5 year cost equalled £400.

If you replaced any #1 items, hat, gloves, shoes, uniform, shirts or #5 these were on top of maintaining your working dress. Keep receipts, claim extra.

The same applies to the difference between PTR mileage alloiwance and 45p/mile. Some people reckon it's not worth the bother but if you have to file a tax return, why not?

True, but I doubt I'll repeat the 5k rebate I got for mileage with my medals, I'm not Kenny Everett or American you know!

Question.

One has a Certificate of Service that shows Decorations = 0

Half a century later HM Government decide to increment that to Decorations = 1

Does one need to have ones Certificate of Service annotated?

If so, by whom?

No need to worry Ian - the GSM (for Cyprus wasn't it?) is not a decoration, merely a medal ;). I have the GSM for South Arabia, but like you I am also in possession of no decorations.

TTN

I bow to your superior knowledge.

Just what are 'decorations' in this context? Gallantry medals and things such as MBE's?

Veterans badge is free!!Just apply.It comes in a neat little box as well!!!

I lost mine :E

Whilst perusing this thread having just viewed 'the unstoppable Derek Oldham' one covering his 50 years of service in the RAF, it occurred to me that as he transferred to the reserves 3 years ago after 'only' 47 years of regular time he probably won't be eligible for a LS medal. Somewhat ironic given that he's likely to be the longest serving RAF officer ever?

The MBE comes in the category of "Orders", ie everything from the Most Noble Order of the Garter to the The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Precedence among orders is basically in chronological order of the founding of the order (lots of "orders" in that sentence, but you get what I mean!).

"Decorations" are what we would understand as gallantry awards, such as the DFC, AFC etc.

Write in, they will send a second free (that valuable). I believe the third etc will cost you.

Thanks PN, i will save up for a stamp.

Nice observation Ken! Seems to me that the LS award should be backdated and effectively mirror the LS&GCM.:ok:

OAP

TTN

Thanks for that.

It really is good to have your expertise available on these things.:ok:

Yes, just as I said in post #67, Derek wouldn't qualify for the LS&GCM or the VRSM. It's absolute crock of **** the qualification period. There will be many stuck between having retired into full-time reserve service but unable to qualify for either medal. Personally, I think the LS&GCM should be for any full-time service, and that the VRSM should be for the part-time volunteer reserve only. So FTRS can then add any full-time reserve service to their full-time regular service with none of this 'half qualifying' carp - surely, you either qualify or you don't!!!

LJ

I've always though that for most Civvy orders we should go back to the practise of James VI & I and auction them off to teh highest bidder

Say 1 Dukedom every 5 years, 1 Earl and a couple of Viscounts a year and maybe just a standing fee for Knighthood - say £ 1 mm....................

rotate the auction between the BBC & ITV and make some cash on the TV rights.

So how much for me to purchase my well-deserved LS&GC and Bar?

£ 9.99- priced to SELL!!!

I'll take one for me, and one for my wife, both with Bar please. Do we get a multi-buy discount? ;)


"But wait! ... order in the next 5 minutes and we will send you not one but TWO of these desirable trinkets. Just pay shipping and handling ... "

You have to register your Bank Account details first.......................

Damn ... your profile says London, not Nigeria :)

LJ,

You are perfectly correct in my case, left Regular service in 2008 after 22.5 years, had an overlapping start date in the Reserves, ready to go. Am still serving, with a continuous commission for over 30 years, ....that gets me......sweet FA! Oh well, one less to get mounted. I shall just have people thinking that I have been a naughty boy and do not deserve any recognition for my advancing years.

BB

Bananaboy.

Just tell them you have not got one. because they were solely brought out to appease the petulant trinket grabbing Chav brigade who would sell their soul for a bit of tacky bling, and those with real service behind them do not need a bit of tin to impress or to massage their own ego's.

Nutloose, nail on head. Isn't it about time we closed this thread?

Hi there 57mm. Are you a mod after 3 months? :ok:

OAP

NutLoose: ok, playing 'devil's advocate', is that what you think all the airmen & reservists are, the 'chav brigade who would sell their soul for a bit of tacky bling'? They all proudly (I assume) receive their LSGCMs without (I presume) thinking that it's only being given to 'massage their egos'. If not, & it's genuinely awarded to recognise their long service (& in their case good conduct) then why should the same not be done for regular officers?

Perhaps all regular officers, irrespective of any artificial cut-off date, should be eligible?

I stress 'regular'. Most FTRS mercenaries probably don't fall into this category - and why should they?

Our esteemed Lt Gov, Sir John McColl, has just had to have his rack rebuilt, having recently been made a Knight of St John. Will he/can he go for the LS&GC as well, or has he got enough to carry around already?

And, having retired as DSACEUR in 2011, is he even eligible? Or does his service as Lt Gov , 2011-date still count?

I fall outside the cut-off date, despite 36+ yrs service, but agree with you re: cut-off date Beagle.:ok:

OAP

Well, it would appear that the LSGCM awards have begun at the top:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/t...conduct-medals

tDoes this mean that airmen only have to do an extra 10 years to get their bar or is it still 15 years for them?


Aaron.

I can't work out whether some of the disparaging comments being made are genuinely held beliefs or individuals simply being deliberately provocative. Are we really such curmudgeons as to begrudge personnel who have served for for the prerequisite period the medallic recognition which is available to their non-commissioned and reservist peers? I accept that there will quite naturally be differences of opinion on qualifying service and start date, but surely the underlying principle of equity is easy to accept?


The LS&GCMs have undergone a number of significant amendments since their inception and this is simple another step in an ongoing medallic evolutionary process. This change was proposed unprompted by Sir John Holmes in his medal report; as an outsider looking in he identified what he considered to be a clear and illogical anomally, which consequently he suggested might be addressed.


Wearing a medal for which I would have qualified had I not taken my commission makes me a chav with a need to massage my own ego, apparently. Having already spent 25 years in the service, undertaken my fair share of op tours and served both in the ranks and as an officer I will wear my LS&GCM (and clasp!) with pride (does that count as ego massaging?) That admission clearly means that I haven't undertaken what NutLoose refers to as "real service", whatever that might be. I await enlightenment.


If it's good enough for HM it's good enough for me.


MB