RAF Regiment Special Forces Medal
 

I've never come across this medal before and am a bit suspicious

Looks like a DIY job, stand by for November 11th. see how many are 'on parade'.

I would like one, but I'm afraid I can't give you any information, 'cos it's Secret, innit!

Oh, how sad :(

All very considerate of them, that's exactly how classified information works - if you're not sure, leave it blank.

[QUOTE=ricardian;9734413]I've never come across this medal before and am a bit suspicious[/QUOT

Bear Grylls gets a special mention in the write up, so it must require staying in five star hotels for a week.

You're only a bit suspicious?

Don't tell Baron Castleshortt!!

>Don't tell Baron Castleshortt!!<

Or Wesley Tierney :ugh:

Must get one for my son in law, he did a tour near a park in London, not Green Park.

I love the clasps. Can they give you blank ones all the places you can't mention?

What about the V-Force and SAC? We were special, elite and sworn to secrecy too? Or 51, a number to conjure with? Or the Silent Service?

That moustache device pin is upside down!

No it's not. It is for female operatives

I'm an ex-Rock and would love one of these to go with my solitary GSM, but I'm a bit skint at the moment. I'm thinking of doing a bit of crowd funding on here to pay for one - anyone want to chip in? ;)

These vanity things seem to be getting dearer, £30 - £35 used to be the usual price. Maybe the price of cupro-nickel has gone up!

GSM? I haven't even got one of them, or a Jubilee or anything else. Then again, only thing I ever had fired at me was a mess bazooka - so I'm not complaining.

It was almost unusual to see anyone except the Regiment and SH force walking around in RAF blue and wearing medals in the 1980s, I would imagine the opposite is now true.

I think the Walter Mitty team might ask a few embarrassing questions if that "commemorative" gong were to get mixed up with real medals round Nov 11th.

If a person is able to suspend the obvious knowledge that he or she is simply not entitled to it, then I feel for them. It's sad. I'm a proud Welsh rugby fan, but I cannot bring myself to wear a 'Welsh rugby shirt' for matches. (Im now picturing me in a red shirt with SF medal on it. Sweet!)

CG

Come on, CG... you were always "a bit special"..... :E
:p

Ah, you must be the one with the daffodil "halo" round your face.

Sprung!

CG

Face usually like this :-( these days too!

You promised that would just be between us!:ok:

CG

I'm sure the fine folk over on ARRSE won't have anything to say about this at all...

Very true. When I returned to the mainland in 1976 after a two year tour at Ulster Radar, and sporting the GSM (NI), more than once was I challenged and asked "Are you entitled to wear that?"

OBLIQUE ???
Now, UBIQUE I've heard of. (B gunners! ;))

Ah - Ubique (everywhere)

Some say it's the Gunners' motto, some Gunners say it's their Battle Honour (geddit)....

...... others say it is best translated as: "All over the place!"

[Edited to add:]

On reading the link there's a tie to match - oh joy! Although one doesn't often see "100% polyester" and "tasteful" in the same sentence ............

Why, why why? <shakes head> - I can understand a market for a lapel badge or even a tie, but surely no ex-Serviceman would wear a pretendy medal?

Davef68
 

I have seen many pretend medals alongside proper ones. Especially in November!

Aaron.

Only this back in the early 70s....


https://vads.ac.uk/images/DCSC/medium/7895.jpg

Fascinated by the complimentary 'Mounting Service' though..

RAF Regiment and Special Forces in the same sentence, brilliant!

S_D

As an aside, I wonder just how many 'legitimate' Walt medals could be reasonably collected. I don't mean an indiscriminate collect everyone, but a set actually related to service where legitimate medals were never awarded.

I have in mind such as National Service, Cold War, and now this. To 'qualify' such a collection should not be mounted with genuine medals such as GSM, LSGM or MSM.

I acknowledge this would be pure Walt territory but legitimate if not mixed with authorized medals and limited to real service.

PS, discovered they do an RAF Squadron Medal. They missed a trick here as they could have marketed a bar for each squadron.
http://www.awardmedals.com/raf-squad...l-p-17834.html
They also do a Bomber Command one.

This is priceless!

PN ... I did consider a personal set of commemoratives as you suggested, to at least have some to pass on to my son (and for home display only, in the cabinet with 3 generations of my antecedents real medals). Having discovered the potential cost, I moved swiftly on :)

Perhaps I should get one.
What's Latin for "To avoid getting a proper degree or working in a power station."
Wait! Just done it on G00g:
Ad vitare questus a propriis operantes gradus seu in potentia statione
Have to be a big medal! :}

gunners... Gunners...? Did someone say GUNNERS....! :=

Gentlemen, I humbly remind you of the Corp Of Royal Engineers... need I say anymore? :E

I've lost my GSM (TTN might recall me bothering him about it) and the powers that be will only provide a replacement if proof of theft or insurance loss can be shown. I'm getting nostalgic for such stuff in my dotage- so this outfit might not be such a laughing stock in my case. TTN, do they look like respectable copies?

CG

Don't be too harsh on the Rocks, they are part of the SFSG...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specia..._Support_Group

MPN, my thoughts too.

CG, open market replacements come in two flavours. The genuine one will someone else's name and number. The replica certainly will look go but probably cast in pewter. I had a replica set of my grandfather's medals. The cost was around £300 for 6 replica and 4 genuine which I will have mounted in a frame. They look every bit as good as the real ones but are apparently too soft for swing mounting.

Two's in, don't feed the troll.

Its not just Sqdn it is Sqdn and Station!

A pity that they all seem to have the same plain blue ribbon.
A row of 12 or so would be boring.

I wonder if they do a Tech Training Command one?

Ian, that is why I said they missed a trick with bars.

The ribbon would be too short! Especially if one used courses and Commands.

I could get; Yatesbury, Cosford and Locking with Tech Training Command.
Lindholme, Coningsby and Marham with Bomber Command
Uphaven and Dishforth with Transport Command then top it all off with Akrotiri and MEAF.

Maybe a compromise is a medal per Command with clasps for Stations/Sqdns

But the Command Medals would need different coloured ribbons, to look pretty.:rolleyes: