RTJ

Hi Hugh, sort, but no idea. My grandparents both found the Russian embassy to be really helpful with queries, so perhaps you could contact yours?

meanwhile, pic of miniatures as requested. Mounting done by Worcestershire Medal Service (who also did the display frame, and all my dads medal mounting too):

Hi Paul,

yes, it is now awarded to all survivors: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-31539852

Last medal on lower row is the Arctic Campaign Medal produced by Award Medals with some profits going to the Arctic Convoy Club: http://www.awardmedals.com/arctic-campaign-medal-p-633.html?cPath=282_21_33 

unofficial medal of course but my grandad loved it and valued it more than his other medals (apart from maybe the Russian ones). It's a shame he died before  he could receive the Medal of Ushakov!

picture of miniature medals to follow...

Hi all,

I don't know if threadomancy is a term this forum is familiar with, but you're looking at it now!

Thank you for the various responses my query had, and for the PMs.

Attached is a picture of my taid's medals post-Arctic Star. The first line of medals are those he would have been entitled to wear on uniform today, the bottom row are those not approved for wear, along with the commemorative medal he valued so much in the absence of an Arctic Star. The convoys really defined his entire war and the PTSD he suffered afterwards. 

If there is interest I can share pictures of his miniature medals, which are court mounted for wear?

On 2 March 2013 at 16:41, redeagleorder said:

Although they undoubtedly deserved it, I don't think it is very fair to other soldiers who served in specialist roles. Why no star for SAS, secret agents, resistance members and the like? They also went through great hardships. I do not disagree with the award as a whole, just think it is too little too late. A clasp to the 1939-45 star (like the Bomber Command personell Megan mentions) would have been better IMHO.

 

Matthew

On 2 March 2013 at 18:47, Alex K said:

With regards to the SAS, those deserving of specific military recognition most probably received them, the point with the SAS it was and still is a very covert operation, and subject to nil publicity, that's what makes them so unique, I'm sure that many serving and ex-members have a high degree of awards. a specific bar would not prove anything.

Bomber command, yes a deliberate and political act by the then ruling government and subsequent administrations, It became politically incorrect in subsequent years to associate the mass carpet bombings and loss of life over many major German cities, "Bomber Harris" was virtually forgotten or ostricised after the war because he was "Bad news", that's why the many bomber crews who fought and 50 000 who died were refused recognition, A memorial to them has since been erected in London, a medal bar is small but tangible recognition eventually

With regard to the 'SAS question' I would have thought that many of them would, alongside the 'normal awards' be able to wear wings (special wings others don't get) regimental ties that no one else has access to, and so on. 

I take the point about the 8th Army, but the difficulty, I think, is where to stop? Should SAS troops have a bar, what about the LRDG? What about the Chindits? PARAs in Market Garden, etc? It would be difficult to decide where to start and stop. We would end up with US-style unit citations...

This may be a good place for me to post my query!

My Grandad served on the convoys, and we have applied for the Arctic Star now.

However he has received 4 Russian commemoratives. One is a bit tatty now, and we've been trying to find out how we can have the ribbon replaced - can anyone point in the right direction?

We're also hoping to remount his medals once Arctic Star sorted - does anyone know a specialist who can mount Russian medals? Both as a group and theone authorised to wear to be added to the UK medal group.....

Thanking you in anticipation!

p.s. in payment more than happy to upload picture of medal group & Russian individuals