Wearing of medals

[Ivan Cloherty]

I also wear my Suez Medal, MN Blazer and silver badge on Armed Forces Day and MN Day so that people 'will' ask what they are, so then I can explain about the sacrifices made by MN personnel during WWII and other conflicts around the world, I do not wear them for me, I wear them for those who should have had them. If I can only educate but a few about the forgotten service then I consider it worthwhile.

[Fouro]

I sincerely hope when wearing your well deserved medals, one doesn't forget to wear the Merchant Navy Veteran Lapel Badge, which was a British government cheapy issued instead of a medal, to British Merchant Navy seamen who were qualified to claim it.

FOURO.

[Captain Kong]

Here is a couple of photos with me wearing the Merchant Navy Veterans badge with our Kenneth Kenny in Liverpool MN Day. and one at a formal dinner on a World Cruise, the Americans are educated every time I wear it.
Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

I sincerely hope when wearing your well deserved medals, one doesn't forget to wear the Merchant Navy Veteran Lapel Badge, which was a British government cheapy issued instead of a medal, to British Merchant Navy seamen who were qualified to claim it.

FOURO.

As far as I understand it, cheapy or not, the MN Veterans badge is only issued to those who have served in a war zone (it may have changed, I don't know) however the Services Vet badge is issued to all servicemen regardless whether or not they served in a war zone, I realise that some have to remain in the UK to keep things running, but I am not ashamed to wear my 'cheapy' which was presented to me in the House of Commons on 16th January 2008 with a welcome by the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Admiral West was very complimentary about the service provided by the MN in both peace and war saying they deserved medals and more recognition.

[Les Woodard]

I to received a HM veterans merchant navy badge when I served in the RFA rescue tug Warden. I was a bloody galley boy at the time to show how long ago it was. The letter that came with it said it was not to be worn in parades or official functions. As said elsewhere here it was certainly a cheap one. Sits in a drawer somewhere. Only reason for accepting it was just in case something was more forthcoming that would require one to have it. No to many well deserving men and women need the recognition for services rendered not someone who was peeling spuds at the time.

[j.sabourn]

Today July 6th. 1988 at 2200 BST, was the start of the worlds worse offshore disaster. During a period of 3 hours 167 men lost their lives in some terrific and horrible circumstances, too hard to impart to those not involved. There were approximately 11 awards giving out to the rescuers. I would imagine every one of those recipients would gladly hand them back and have the occurrence not happen in the first place. The two seamen who were lost, their wives received their awards, and are probably the one thing they have left of their previous lives together, I mentioned this in a previous post in case I wasn't here on the anniversary of this terrible event. The 167 men who died the only way we can honour them is by remembering them, as no one can really imagine their last few thoughts before they died in uncontrollable circumstances. There is no medal that can take the place of a life. A medal is a piece of metal and nothing more, it can never replace a life but only honour it. It is 28 years today since the disaster and I would imagine there are many of the successors of those lost will today be thinking back, to them I give my sympathy. At the time and for years after much was made of the event by the media and fantasy makers in the form of books and documentarys etc. it is to the dead that our thoughts should be, and also the long aftermath with the subsequent early deaths of others which the disaster contributed to. I trust Aberdeen will today be remembering in mourning that eventful time and have some reconciliation that time takes away some of the massive change in their lives at the time. Medals as say are no substitute for loss of life, no matter what others say. JWS

[j.sabourn]

Sir Winston Churchill..."The object of presenting medals, stars, and ribbons is to give pride and pleasure to those who have deserved them". Sir Winston Churchill, in a speech to the House of Commons , March 1944. To those who receive honours and are invited to take part in an Investiture ceremony the occasion implies recognition by the Queen or State of personal accomplishment. There are a bewildering number of Awards and the British honours system is complex to say the least. Basically the honours system has three elements. The Peerage is (Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.) JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

Like most of you I have no medasl of my own. I do however have two from my grandfather, a ships engineer in WW, who spent 4 days on a life raft when his ship was hit be enemy fire and sunk. I wear them with pride when I march on Anzac Day or attend the Rememberance day service.

[Ivan Cloherty]

I to received a HM veterans merchant navy badge when I served in the RFA rescue tug Warden. I was a bloody galley boy at the time to show how long ago it was. The letter that came with it said it was not to be worn in parades or official functions. As said elsewhere here it was certainly a cheap one. Sits in a drawer somewhere. Only reason for accepting it was just in case something was more forthcoming that would require one to have it. No to many well deserving men and women need the recognition for services rendered not someone who was peeling spuds at the time.

Les, you were there, so you deserve it, whether just peeling spuds or not, someone has to, to keep those fed who are further up the line have to take decisions that you may know nothing about, some of those killed in action in the Falklands were in your simile 'just laundrymen' they probably thought they didn't have an important job, but they did, they were on the front line, as were the firemen and galley boys who sacrificed their lives in WWII etc etc, so don't consider it as worthless, it represents just more than your own service, it recognises a service as a whole.

One thing I don't agree with, and never have, is someone wearing medals of any description that they themselves have not earned, be they wife, sister, brother, nephew, niece, grandchild etc etc, and no matter how well their intentions. You can be proud of what your forbears/relatives did, that does not give you the right to wear them, you didn't earn them, sorry if I've offended some, but that is my opinion as I think it demeans the person who did earn them.

[Captain Kong]

I think people can wear the medals of a late Father or Husband or son, on a parade but they are worn on the Right hand side. NOT the left.
Brian

from google.........
The Wearing of Medals and Decorations

War medals may only be worn on the left breast by the persons upon whom they were conferred. The honour afforded remains with the individual and does not pass to a widow, parent, son or relative when the recipient is dead. Similarly, the same rules apply in cases where a posthumous award is made.

The policy as it stands is that on the death of a recipient, technically, any honours and awards revert to the commonwealth in the first instance. The reality of course is that family members have an ambient claim and the commonwealth would not seek to intervene in medals being passed on directly within the family.

Family members may wear their forebears medals on the right breast which indicates that they are not their own. There is no limitation or formal policy on what occasions they should be worn. In essence, the wearing of forebear's medals on the right breast is a convention passed down over the years that is largely dictated by the occasion and (ideally) a measure of decorum fitting the event. They should not be worn lightly or where it would be inappropriate to do so.

For uniformed personnel, on ANZAC and Remembrance days only, modification of normal service dress code is allowed whereby they wear their own medals on the left breast accompanied (if they wish) by their ancestor's on the right.

War Medals (with certain exceptions) are worn on the left breast of the coat, or in a corresponding place on the dress, as the case may be. They will be worn in a horizontal line, suspended from a single bar, of which no part is to be seen, or stitched to the garment. When worn on the coat, the coat should be buttoned up.

The length of the drop between the top of the ribbon and the bottom of each medal should measure 9.5cm for full size medals and 5cm for miniatures. War medals are worn to show the Sovereign's head.

War medals (or Campaign medals) are worn in the order of the dates of Campaigns for which they have been conferred, the first obtained being farthest from the left shoulder.