Dave Wilkinson

As jermil has not responded, I will. The photo was taken circa. 1952/53. The badge being worn in the photo is the one which he actually shows in his post. It features the voided arms of Jersey in the centre. Dave. Yes, States of Jersey Police do have separate headdress badges for the two lower ranks and a different pattern enamelled cap badge for Inspectors up to Superintendent. The Chief and Deputy wear a bullion wire wreath. Dave.

No, I believe that they were awarded the Colonial Police Long Service medal. Dave.

I think I've mentioned this previously, but the Commissioner of Met., Sir Mark Rowley was awarded his PLSM whilst in post as Chief Constable of Surrey and his medal is named accordingly with the prefix. "Ch. Const.". Dave.

Yes, I'll gladly do that. Dave.

My apologies, it was not intended as such. I was trying to be helpful. Dave.👍

An interesting locally issued example of a 20 year Long Service Medal for the South East Coast Ambulance Service. This presumably dates from before the issue of the national medal. Unnamed on the reverse. Dave.

Yes, he is. He's said that on more than one occasion previously. Dave.

I don't have a picture, but I can tell you that the reverse features the badge of the Scottish Ambulance Service. This can easily be viewed on the internet. Dave.

Several media outlets are to-day reporting that the St. Edward's (Queen's) Crown has been removed from the Tower of London to be "re-sized" for wear by King Charles III at his Coronation in June. If true, this announcement will no doubt cause a degree of confusion, it being the Imperial State Crown (not the St. Edward's) which appears above the Monarch's newly introduced cipher. Readers will be aware that the Queen's Crown currently appears on the majority of current police (and military) badges. The College of Heralds have already indicated that there is no need for the Crown to be changed on any currently worn insignia. It will be interesting to see what pattern of Crown is used on any "Crowned" images of the King which appear on medals etc. Talk about sending mixed messages! Dave.

I would have thought that there must be several more Ch.Insps. in NWP who have had their LS medals issued with their rank in Welsh. But perhaps not. But I do appreciate the "unique" point you make. I still find it really odd that the other Welsh forces don't seem to have embraced the concept of giving staff the option of having their medals named with their rank in Welsh. They are obviously not interested, or else the possibility has not occurred to them. Dave.

I suppose that to a certain extent his "appointment" as Chief Special is something of an anomaly. Normally such positions are filled by "career" members of the SC who have climbed the SC rank ladder and have long service. I see that he does not have an SC LS medal. Presumably he will not become eligible until he completes the required period of voluntary service. Also, I'm assuming that he's not being paid to fill the position. If he is he will be ineligible under the current terms of the Royal Warrant, unless it's been amended. I don't think the grouping is unique as such. The Staffs. SC I quoted in the previous post has all those medals (except Kosovo) plus, the SC LS medal and bar. If your man serves long enough to achieve this, I'd agree, probably unique. Dave.

I have uploaded images of the full-sized medal under the heading "Jersey Honorary Police Long Service Medal - Images" Dave.

These images have been kindly provided by the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey and are used with permission. Dave.

This group awarded to Douglas Fleuret shows the Colonial Police LS medal. It was gazetted on the 11th January 1956, so is I suspect the first version. The wording on the rim reads "Const. Douglas Fleuret Falkland Islands Police". During the period that this medal was awarded the Falkland Islands Police consisted of a Chief Constable, a Sergeant and three Constables. Fleuret's force number was 2. Probably the smallest of the Colonial Police Forces. Long service medals to this force are exceptionally rare. The men seldom stayed long enough to earn a medal. Dave.

Regular bobbies who have the PLSM and an SC medal are not unusual. There was a Det. Con. in my last force (Dover Port Police) who prior to joining was in receipt of an SC medal with bar (South Wales Police). In the fullness of time, he received his PLSM and a compliment of jubilee medals. He recently retired. I know of a regular bobby in Staffs., who immediately after retiring (with PLSM) joined the SC. He now has the SC LS medal and bar plus jubilee medals and an MBE for his continued contribution to policing and the community. He's still serving in the SC and has said he will retire after the Coronation. I wonder why he's hanging on?? Dave.

Strange that you should mention the 40th Anniversary parade. I watched it this afternoon on Falkland Islands TV. I can't say that I noticed an unusually large number of RAF guys wearing the SAM. That said, I wasn't taking particular notice. I suppose that there was a largely unseen RAF support and logistics operation taking place both before, during and immediately following occupation/liberation. Also, I suspect that many of the helicopter operations were RAF led/supported in various ways. I seem to recall that the award criteria for the SAM was extended to include quite a period following liberation. The establishment of a temporary airbase (the forerunner of Mount Pleasant) must also have involved large numbers of RAF personnel. Perhaps this would be a possible explanation. Dave.

The abbreviation means "Corps" as in 1st Ambulance Corps or similar. Div. Supt. is an abbreviation for Divisional Superintendent. Dave.

Very nice! Dave.

I've just had a look at the proposed badge graphic for the Hants. & IoW Constabulary and it is a poor effort indeed. The College of Heralds approved arms of the County of Soton (Hampshire) have simply been altered by removing the Victorian shaped crown and replacing it with the Imperial state crown. The scroll at the bottom remaining blank. I personally can't see this as being formally approved by anyone other than the Police & Crime Commissioner. Firstly, it does not contain any Isle of Wight element within the design and secondly it is simply a re-hash of the arms of Hampshire County Council. As an aside, the force (Hampshire Constabulary) website makes no mention of the name change although it took place a week or so ago. The only indication of change is on the Police & Crime Commissioner's website. I get the impression that there is a lack of enthusiasm in certain quarters! Dave.

As a result of concerns that people living on the Isle of Wight feel "disconnected" from their police force (the Hampshire Constabulary), the force is to be re-named the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary. This is effectively a turning back of the clock. The force previously used that name prior to its amalgamation with Portsmouth and Southampton in 1967. The current Police and Crime Commissioner has sought and received permission for the name change. It will be interesting to see if there is a reversion to the crowned "Brunswick" star pattern badge with the Sovereign's cipher centre and the "ditching" of Hampshire's iconic large wreath helmet plates and cap badges. That said, I'd suggest that it's hardly the right time to engage in large scale "rebranding". We certainly live in changing times. Dave.

I don't think that the Royal Warrant would allow the amalgamation of long service criteria between the emergency services. That would create a considerable bit of confusion. For example, if someone did ten years in the fire service and then immediately ten years in the police, the individual, on the basis of your supposition would expect to receive a Police LS&GC medal at the end of his ten years of police service, with his fire service to count. No, I don't think so! As an aside, it won't be long before those bars are available on eBay for purchase by anyone and it follows that they will be added to medals by dealers to make them more desirable. The researching of PLS&GC medals is difficult unless the name is unusual so invariably the award of the "bar/bars" will be equally difficult to verify. Dave.

Available for sale on the website of the "Orders & Medals Research Society". Dave.

I've read that Mountbatten was totally infatuated by badges and medals and if he became aware that a medal was being distributed (anywhere), he fired off a letter asking that he be sent one, whether he was entitled to one or not! Look at the medals he is wearing on the left-hand side of his medal bar, he has them piled up on top of each other he has so many. If he were alive today, he'd be the sort to collect tie tacks and challenge coins. Dave.

I noticed that all the Royal Family in uniform were similarly adorned, including the state trumpeters etc. No change there then! Dave.

Gloucestershire were the first to produce and wear badges featuring the Cipher of the King Edward VIII. Only to find that they had to bin them all following his abdication. They have obviously not learned the lessons of the past. And of course, protecting Highgrove House is a really serious business! Dave.