It would appear here that some people are unclear as to what it is they are opposing in being against issue of a "Defense" medal available to who served on the grounds that that service should have limits on qualification, and yet they are quite happy with a Veterans Badge issue precisely on the same conditions of service?
The criteria for issue of a Defence Medal are precisely those for issue of the Veterans badge! "To promote recognition of veterans by the wider British public the unique and unifying symbol of the HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge is available to all those who have served in HM Armed Forces".
Given that the criteria is the same for both, if you have a Veterans Badge, then, it is not necessary to have a Defence Medal.
I personally believe that Medals should only be issued to those that have truely made sacrifices for the country, and of course, there are many, I have no doubt, on this site.
I would also not purchase or display the FR Scroll, as the wording indicates sacrifice’s which I, in my own opinion, have never made, but again, I am sure there are many on the site, who justifiably deserve this citation.
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Quoting: Michael Potter
Given that the criteria is the same for both, if you have a Veterans Badge, then, it is not necessary to have a Defence Medal.
I personally believe that Medals should only be issued to those that have truely made sacrifices for the country, and of course, there are many, I have no doubt, on this site.
If the criteria are the same Michael, and I agree with you that they are, [or would be], don’t you see the contradiction on issue in that there are bound to many who served who have the Veterans Badge who would surely fit the criteria for both, and some,who would not but qualify anyway?
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I do have a Veterans badge, the only medal I qualified for was the GSM, with Northern Ireland Clasp.( Which I have not claimed)
This clasp was instituted for award to personnel involved in varying operations in Northern Ireland. The general qualifying period is a minimum of 30 days’ service between 14 August 1969 and 31 July 2007. The 30 days’ service does not have to be composed of consecutive days. Should the qualifying period be cut short due to injury or death, then the completed days are counted as sufficient for the award of this clasp.
My involvement was three Granada Patrols in 1982 and 1983, a Naval task which the RAF did to release RN Frigates for other duties, we used RAF Long Range Recovery & Support Craft Vessels (LRRSC), these patrols lasted 14 days not including transit time. So I had 42 days qualifying time.
I never claimed the medal as I felt that, sailing from Carlingford Lough to Portrush for two weeks considering what army personnel went through in a six month deployment, did not compare. But that is just a personal opinion.
The greatest danger I was in was running aground in Carlingford Lough, weathering a storm in the lea of Rathlin Island and the most dangerous, losing a rudder off Belfast.
needed to be done for British Vets & Service Personnel
I am glad everyone is debating the issue and it should be aloud without any ridicule or rudeness.
Colin Davies that’s you right mate you earned it and I only collected my grandfather medals 65 years later which he never bothered due to seeing all the horror.
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some people have the o[pinion you shouldn’t bother with medals.
Let me add a different perspective.
When I retired [at age 57], I worked for six years in my local Returned Services Association [the NZ equivalent of the British Legion] on welfare of WW2 veterans.
I recall one elderly gentleman, British, who came to see me one day and asked for help in getting his WW2 medals. He’d served in the Royal Engineers in the 8th Army in the Libyan desert, and, after Rommel, had been sent to Italy. He didn’t get home until late 1945.
He had no gallantry medals, just the usual campaign lot, yet he’d never applied for them because, as he told me, "there was queue and he’d had enough of queues".
I wrote his letter to the UK and when the medals I had them mounted, for which I paid, and then gave him the full set.
He’d earned them and the look on his face when I gave them to him will stay with me for a very long time!
