GraemeR

Judging by the last strike there are a few senior officials in the Fire Brigade Union who may qualify for the Lenin award as well Graeme

Here is a nice long service group. 39-45 Star France/Germany Star Defence Medal War Medal Territorial Efficiency Medal - named BDR J Selbie RA Fire Brigade Long Service Medal - named Sub Officer John Selbie I had never seen a group with a Fire Brigade Medal before. Graeme

The Golden Jubilee medal. I have decided to mount this along with the others to complete the group. Graeme

Here is a modern British Group I just got my hands on. GSM with NI Bar - named K Simpkin RCT 1st Gulf with Jan-Feb 1991 Bar - named K Simpkin RCT UN Bosnia Medal Accumulated Campaign Service Medal - named K Simpkin AGC (SPS) NATO Medal for Kosova The group also came with a bundle of paperwork relating to his service. He was attached to 7th Armoured during the Gulf Campaign. Graeme

I do agree that it should happen I just don't think it will. This Govt's penny pinching attitude means that it's far cheaper to use the OSM and issue a new ribbon than it is to design a new GSM and issue a new bar for each campaign or operation. The official blurb states that it is intended for minor campaigns for which a separate medal is not awarded and ops for which a UN or NATO medal is not merited. The GSM was awarded for campaigns and operations that fell short of a full-scale war. There is not much difference between the blurbs and this makes me believe that the Govt will continue with the OSM rather than a new GSM. That and the fact they like the idea of loads of ribbons on a chest. It could also be argued that we no longer have the capability of mounting an operation or campaign on our own that fell short of a full-scale war. They have issued a bar for Afghanistan but I can't recall seeing one for Seirra Leone. Is it not also true that the Bar was only awarded for service during certain time periods and/or on certain operations. The medal was therefore also awarded without a Bar for service there at other times. In regard to service in Iraq. Again you are right; a new Iraq Bar for the GSM should be issued but again this will not happen. It may be that they decide that from a certain date everyone in Iraq will be on a 'minor' campaign and qualify for an OSM with a new ribbon. Or they may decide that it counts towards accumulated campaign time for a bar to the ACS (which as you stated was supposed to reward further tours in NI). Whatever they decide it will be the cheapest option. Graeme

This group belongs to a friends dad. According to him it actually stopped the Queen Mother when reviewing a parade he was in to ask what a man in the Black Watch was doing with the Atlantic Star. He started off life in the Merchant Navy and was then conscripted to the Black Watch. It's a nice group and story. 39-45 Star Atlantic Star War Medal Defence Medal Africa General Service Medal with Kenya Bar to Black Watch Graeme

I see where you are coming from but do they still award the Gulf medal or the OSM if you are posted to Iraq or Afghanistan just now. If they don't then some form of recognition is required for tours in those 'war' zones and the ACS seems to be a logical step. I agree that we do need a new GSM but it's not going to happen. The current one is still being issued with NI & Air Ops Iraq bars so until that finishes there is no chance. That and the fact that the OSM is the official replacement for the GSM. Instead of bars it will be new ribbons for each action. They seem to be going down the UN route and having the same medal for everything. Bit of a cost cutting exercise. Graeme

Bars wouldn't work very well. Can you imagine someone with 3 or 4 NI Bars on his GSM. It would just look strange. I know that a quite few people think it's a strange medal, as mentioned by the Chairman, but I did actually agree with the reasoning behind it at the time. It was meant to reward subsequent tours in NI at a time when the troubles were still going strong and there was still no end in sight. Presumably subsequent tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone etc will now count towards Campaign Service. Graeme

Christophe, sorry just my poor sense of humour. He has never flown it. Cheers Graeme

It's a fantastic group to pick up. Certainly hours and hours of research in the group. Well done. Graeme

Hi Rick, yes he has 2 medals from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but the UK Govt don't recognise them as Official Awards and so can't be worn on the medal bar. As far as I can tell the ACS medal was instituted in January 1994. All holders of the GSM were awarded the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal on completion of 36 months Campaign Service since 14 August 1969. Over and above the initial qualifying period, further periods of 36 months accumulated campaign service is denoted by a clasp. To indicate the award of 3 clasps a gilt rosette is worn on the ribbon. Service on UN and NATO missions do not count towards the qualifying service. Nor does time off during periods on Campiagn i.e. weekends off don't count towards the qualifying period. Mostly awarded to members of the Irish Regiments it's a fairly scarce award to other branches of the Service. Oops meant to say that this medal is solid silver and is hallmarked. This first British medal like this. Value would be at least ?300. Graeme

Yes, he said it was crap Graeme

Sorry about that, left to right GSM with NI Bar 1st Gulf War with Jan-Feb 1991 Bar Nato medal with Bar Former Yugoslavia and 2 for 2 tours OSM with Afghanistan Bar Golden Jubilee Medal Accumulated Campaign Service Medal LS&GC Medal with Regular Army Bar I'll try to get close ups of the bars in the next couple of days. Graeme

Hi, this group belongs to a very good friend of mine who spent 23 years with the RMP. He recently got them re-mounted to add in his OSM for Afghanistan. Graeme

I recently had the chance to speak to a pilot who has been flying the plane. He raves about it but says that there are still one or two little teething problems to iron out but he believes that once they have been then it will be the best plane of it's type in the world. Graeme

The cards look like they are in lovely condition. Graeme

Hi Paul, He started of in the Infantry (Royal Scots) before moving to The Greys. He was too small to get in the cavalry when he first joined up. Cheers Graeme

Here is another small British Group. The first medal is the GSM with Near East Bar for the Suez Crisis. The 2nd medal had me guessing for a while but the 3rd had me stumped completely. Anyone want to hazard a guess. Cheers Graeme

Unfortunately he is not interested in selling - at present. No, not Navy, just ex-Govt. Although I mostly work with ex-forces people these days. One chap brought his group in to let me see it today. Everyone of us said about his 3rd medal 'what the hell is that'. Even the guys with over 30 years service had never seen one of them. I will get pics next week and we can have a wee quiz to see who can identify it. Graeme

RNLSGC with Bar. This is the first time I have ever seen a LSGC medal with Bar. The medal is awarded for 15 years service with a bar following for each subsequent 15 years - I believe. Graeme

Rear of the BEM Graeme

Front of the BEM. I have never seen one before and it's quite interesting to see the words 'For God and the Empire'. He was awarded this about 17 years ago. I understand that it's the Military equivelant of the OBE. I don't think it would be pc to issue them now? Graeme

A colleague brought me in his medals to photograph. It's quite an interesting group so I thought I would post up a few pics. He spent 42 years in the Royal Navy. BEM GSM with NI Bar RNLSGC with Bar He was three years short of getting a 2nd Bar for his LSGC when he retired. Sorry, but the pics have lost quite a bit of clarity due to re-sizing them to 60kb. Graeme

Must admit they are superb. Graeme

Just back from a couple of jars with my mate and he says that these t-shirts are complete bollocks. The only RMP Teams out there were a CP team with the UK Rep and a 7 man provost detachment. None of those teams had t-shirts like this printed up or for that matter any t-shirts whatsoever. Bit drunk so enough for tonight. Cheers Graeme