WW2 Veteran Junior Officer George A Forbes, British Merchant Navy

[Douglas Cerretti]

I hope the readers of this forum have enjoyed learning about WW2 Veteran George Forbes. I have contacted the British Consulate in Seattle to see if the British government would like to honor this WW2 Veteran on the occasion of his 100th birthday. The consulate said George could apply for a 100th birthday greeting from the King (this is available to any current and former British citizen) but nothing else. Is this expected of the British Government not to honor a WW2 veteran? Also, I would think a British historian would be interested in talking with George as there seems to be no record of his ship the Dutch merchant ship Pieter du Hooch sailed on the Arctic Convoy PQ-17. Does anyone in this forum know a historian who may be interested?

[j.sabourn]

As regards the talk of medals ,has anyone noticed or is it just me…That the majority of wearers are from the allied forces, one does not see German ex forces striding around displaying their Iron Crosses first ,second and third grade or similar with the Japanese or Italians.They too has similar awards and earned them the hard way, or is theirs a Gentleman’s agreement that the losing side does not show off its heroes of years gone by ??? Cheers JS….

[happy daze john in oz]

Funny thing you should mention that but at last years Anzac day march a comment was made on that subject.
Reporter said he thought that only local allied country members would march

[j.sabourn]

Believe even Hitler had an Iron Cross 3rd Class from his time as a messenger corporal to boot , in the trench warfare of 1914 1918. There must have been thousands from the second WW. As said in a much previous post met a German in Oxelosund in the christmas of 1965 and he was all to eager to show me his fathers medals who was an SS officer . Among the artefacts was his ceremonial dagger. Cheers JS