Ulsterman

I heard that Spinks has been asked to design an Afghani campaign medal for the "Taliban campaign". Also, isn't htere a UN medal for service in Afghanastan now?

RE: #6, I thought that the Defense Medal could only be awarded for service within the UK proper. I supposed that the India Service Medal replaced the Defense medal. Am I wrong?

The "Stickie"/ provo split also had a lot to do with age and Marxist ideology. The older Sticks were all hard core leftists. The Provos were/are socialists, but most didn't believe in "fostering class revolution and 'class interest would lead to uniting with the Prods" . The Provos just wanted to fight-hit back-and they did. I remember one guy telling me that in 1971 just after the split the average provo was 19 years old and the average Stick was 45+.

No. No museum. There's a guy in Nova Scotia who specializes in Singapore groups. The Cambridgeshire regt. was captured there in 1942. He may be able to help you. By the way, I believe the regiment was a regular one and eventually amalgamated into the Anglians.

Good mint engraving. Until 1942 a number of Purple Hearts were also awarded as "merit" decoratons to both soldiers and civillians; one was awarded to a Pacific island native who captured a Japanese pilot. Recently the criteria were changed so as to NOT allow civillians to be awarded the medal (see link above). Some civillians were given the award in Viet Nam as well as WW2. This change is because award of a Purple Heart is now all that is necessary to obtain entrance and full care at a V.A. (Veterans' Adminstration) hospital.