If the UK awarded similar medals as the USA does for service that didn’t qualify for a campaign medal, it would cancel the need for unauthorised Walty commemorative medals: those US medals being the National Defence and Armed Forces Expeditionary medals.
That would mean that those who served in West Germany, the Cypriot SBAs, Belize the Falkland Islands (in my day alone) and many other theatres would receive an acknowledgement of that service.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands allows their citizens to wear the Vierdaagse or Marsvardigheid medal, which has been awarded to many Air Cadets: indeed it is worn on the cadet brassard.
I’ve never been impressed by the various Jubilee and Coronation medals: much of the ground is covered by various government service long service medals, and one doesn’t even get one’s service details stamped around the edge of it. I once heard someone call the 2002 QJM ‘the Queen’s Chocolate Coin,’ but seeing as I can’t remember who it was or where that was said, I don’t think I’d be much use in an investigation into that historic (possible) crime of treason or sedition.
I think it was John Major’s government who binned all the gallantry and meritorious service gongs for the Other Ranks, in his effort to make the UK a ‘classless society.’ They have been awarded the same medals as commissioned officers since those days.
I think it might have taken a bit more than that: if we were a truly egalitarian society thirty years down the line, then I and other RAFAC CFAV SNCOs, in addition to commissioned RAFAC officers, would be issued RAF No1 uniforms upon which we could wear medals.
Blimey! I stand corrected, once again.
Myself, I should have just not handed back my No1s when I left the RAF, and been billed for them instead.
The RAF dumped loads of No1 uniforms on the surplus market after the massive drawdowns in personnel started kicking in during the 2010s: my old set are somewhere out there. I’d recognise the jacket by a set of medal ribbons which are probably unique to me only.
I wouldn’t buy anyone else’s jacket - even though the stated size might be the same as you are, it won’t have been tailored to you, so might be too tight fitting. There’s nothing one could do to make it fit in that case.
When they tailor them, do they actually cut off surplus material or just change the position of the seams and fold it back? (In which case it could be let out again although I appreciate hard to remove the creases.)
No idea there, TM. When I was in the RAF I wore my No1 uniform only about a dozen times in all. It wasn’t obvious how any alterations to the jacket were done, being hidden by the lining material.
We should have a battledress style jacket in No2 uniform material which could be used for parades and as a barracks dress. That would replace the GPJ and look smarter than that or the old Thunderbirds jacket. One could wear medal ribbons on the latter garment: when I was a cadet, both my Sqn AWOs wore the ribbons of WWII medals.
At least when I was in the RAF we didn’t do formal and public parades wearing combat dress, like the Army do. The RAF seemed to go through a phase in copying them in that, but have come through it. They obviously were mistaken by the public for the Army one too many times.
Plus the attempt to look more military or ‘ally’ by wearing combats on parades looks less military than wearing Service Dress for such occasions.
The problem with the idea of a battledress no. 2 jacket as a smart option is the quality of the current no. 2 dress trousers. If they were still of the quality I was issued on joining the ACO in 2003 then that would work fine - shirt with or without jumper for everyday wear, battledress jacket for best - that would be fine (and IIRC is basically what we did before the Thunderbirds jacket, although everyone would also have had no. 1s) but if you made a jacket out of the thin, too dark material the current trousers are made of it would look awful in short order.
I called our parent station the other day to book one of our new pilots in for initial kitting and whilst on I asked about initial issue No1s for 2 of our chaps that have been waiting 2 years (and counting) for their No1s. The Storesperson said that they are on the list (currently 30) but if a regular comes in and needs them then they get the allocation. They get 6 sets a month.
It has become so bad and they’ve become so fed up of waiting, the 2 pilots went out and bought their own, part worn, from a surplus store.
It used to vary from tailor to tailor, & of course if it was feasible to retain surplus material without affecting the overall fit / look.
Most tailors would try & leave some surplus as the well known “shrink in the wardrobe” effect was prevalent for most, so some gentle letting-out would invariably be needed in subsequent years.
I’m trying to think of which armies wear medal ribbons on combat uniforms as official parade dress…
… it’s often seen when the latest military coup in Africa is announced by the Colonel leading it on the BBC News, but one would need sunglasses and a bodyguard of soldiers with Kalashnikovs to carry it off.
The WWII German forces seemed to wear all their decorations in combat, judging by contemporary photographs. Much of the photography and film of WWII soldiers is re-enactment for documentary and propaganda purposes, but they seemed to wear them for the real thing as well. I always thought you’d have to get some spares made and keep the original at home in its presentation box.
This doesn’t mean I think that the ACF’s medal wearing policy will lead them to overthrow the Democratic Government of the UK and then try and create some Lebensraum in Eurasia, tho.’ I’m sure it’s just for Remembrance Day parades.
