Protocol for Engraving Medals

[j.sabourn]

Just as an aside . if you Google "Naval Partys " it should come with a list going back to the war years. this may however be irrevelent as they would of been mainly auxilary vessels. Consisting of merchant ships with mixed RN and MN crews. I served on one for 4 years, but still signed ordinary Articles as the rest of the MN crew. The naval Party came under naval working and naval discipline. I still continued to work on other vessels during my leave periods if necessary. I never signed any commitments as regard the OSAs . The vessel was an Aberdeen vessel the Seaforth Clansman and was a diving Support Vessel and mainly to assist HMS Reclaim which was coming to the end of her days . The Clansman was officially known as Naval Party 1007 and is also listed.
Funnily enough a few years after living in Australia I was sent up to Singapore to bring a Russian Survey vessel down onto the Australian coast to do a few survey jobs and then take her back on completion. The Russian crew stayed on board due to the agreement signed by the charterers , as by Australian maritime law at the time all crew had to be Australian. The two crews got on ok. During the course of events I came across a book of RN and US Warships and even had descriptions of individuals on board. There among all the hardware was the Seaforth Clansman classed as a warship . I told the Russian Master who was still onboard this was incorrect he immediately took the book off me and told me it was not for my eyes. So I never did get time to see if I was on the KGBs list or not. JS
PS When I retired in 2002 I got a very nice letter from the Russian Master wishing me all the best and the usual. Makes me think he knew more about me than I knew about him. JS

[j.sabourn]

Changing the wording of this post slightly to Protocol of the wearing of medals , I am of the opinionated group who think it is ontentacious to wear more than 3 medals at any one time. To see some weighed down figure with nearly 50 medals the first thought is how many did he give himself , and then how did he find time to earn . Both answers leaves nothing to admire . Medals were supposed to be awarded to people by their compatriots and should be worn in respect for others be it during war or at any other time. JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

I am of the opinion that only those people who were awarded the medals should wear them, I never wore my father's he earned them, I didn't, I wear my own.

If you are proud of what your forbears did, then mount and display their medals/awards at home, rather than put them in a drawer until the next grand occasion, when you can strut and wear them but never contributed anything to them being earned.

Just my opinion, which will upset some I know, that's life!

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I have both those medals that Jim shows in his post, they are in a drawer, I only look at them about once a year, when I want to remind me of something.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Here in Melbourne we have the Shrine of Remembrance and within a museum of medals.
All have been donated either by the recipient or family members of deceased.
They are on display with all details for all to see.
Very popular with all visitors.

[j.sabourn]

I believe if the rumours prevalent at the time , that the most decorated American soldier from WW2 was Audi Murphy the film star in later life. Doubt if he would ever be weighed down by dozens of medals. Would wear appropriately the correct medals for the correct Occassion. Medals are supposed to be worn in order of seniority of the medal itself . What happens when one falls off one of these mammoth sized dictators strewn with medals and ribbons , does he just pick it up and stick it back anywhere ? One of the worlds most ancient charitable organisations and there are members on site accrue very similar type medals but are called Jewels . 0ne can accrue dozens of such if spend a lifetime in the art.There are many different levels of attainment. I think I have about 15 jewels which I would never contemplate wearing at the same time , and believe it is regulated that no more than 3 should be worn at one time. There is a time and place for everything . Some of my jewels have been passed on from those now dead and are also engraved with their passed names and I feel it more of an honour for having their names there. For Ivan ...this is not wearing somebody else’s medal it is of reaching the same status as him, am carrying it on for the next one to reach that same level. There one could say the Jewel itself has an eternal life cycle. Cheers JS