Wearing of Decorations

Discussion in 'General' started by tasker, Nov 8, 2009.

  1. tasker

    tasker Member

    Hello all

    Have just got back from our local rememberance sunday parade, where I noticed quite a few people wearing medals/ribbons that they were not awarded personally (i.e. one fireman in his early thirties, was wearing a row of world war one medals).

    In what circumstances are you allowed to wear medals awarded to a family member?
     
  2. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Just returned from the Air Forces Memorial, Runnymede and noticed the same. As I understand, one is permitted to wear relatives medals, but on the right brest.

    Regards
    Peter
     
  3. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    A bit more info on the subject of wearing of relatives awards.

    War medals and service decorations of any sort may be worn only by the person upon whom they were conferred, and in no case does the right to wear war or service medals, or their ribbons, pass to any relative when the recipient is dead. Modifications of the above rule are permitted in connection with Remembrance Day, when relatives who desire to avail themselves, on those days only, of the distinction of wearing the decoration and medals of deceased relatives, they may do so, wearing them ON THE RIGHT BREAST.
     
  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Got the second service of the day on the village park later this afternoon - always rather charming to see the cubs/scouts wearing Grandad's rack on the right hand side (Great, & great great grandad in most cases I suppose).
     
  5. urqh

    urqh Senior Member

    blimey ..Icould have worn me dads and grandads then... Ilooked quite naked with just one and a vets badge and even me poppy was dwarfed by some gigantic triffids on some...dont yer just hate it when the sea cadets march past and the 12 year olds have more metal dangling than barry sheen.
     
  6. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Wear them with pride, my grandad never
    got the privilege to do so. My son who is 7
    years old stood in Lichfield Cathedral today
    as proud as punch singing the national anthem
    and then in the remembrance gardens for
    the 2 minutes silence shoulder to shoulder
    with veterans more than 10 times his age
    and sitting pride of place on his right chest
    were my grandads medals his great grandads
    medals.
     
  7. Ferahgo

    Ferahgo Senior Member

    Good for him Kieron. I would quite happily wear my Great Great Uncles MM if we actually had it...but then London side have it locked in a safe somewhere. I have only been to a proper Sunday Service once. I should go more often, but my first one last year put me off them-Donnie knows about it but i'd rather keep it to myself. It is also hard for me to get to a service, I don't go want to go by myself, Grans is too inaccessable, mum insists she'll get too emotional and dad doesnt like churches (thats a poor excuse, he's getting nagged about it!). But i'm going to pester mum into going to France and possibly Germany with me so I can show her our relatives graves and the various monuments.
     
  8. Formerjughead

    Formerjughead Senior Member

    blimey ..Icould have worn me dads and grandads then... Ilooked quite naked with just one and a vets badge and even me poppy was dwarfed by some gigantic triffids on some...dont yer just hate it when the sea cadets march past and the 12 year olds have more metal dangling than barry sheen.

    Sounds like ribbon envy to me.
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I did a march past one year with my medals on the left and my grandads WW1 medals on the right to the delight of my father.
     
  10. urqh

    urqh Senior Member

    Sounds like ribbon envy to me.

    Too flippin true mate...I want to know why I cant wear my scouts cooking badge...Cant wait till Ican get into a Scarlet tunic..then me and owen can get drew and donnie to push our chairs past...Anyway jugs..you should have loads?? crossing atlantic ..germany...route 66.. flew in a plane..sailed in a ship...saw a parrot...watched a helo take off..land...fuel..back to america..i make that 10 yankee medals at least..congragulations you can march with our sea cadets.
     
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  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Sorry chaps but I can't see point of wearing relatives gongs, even if it is on the right breast.
    If you haven't got any, you haven't got any.
    Simple.
     
  12. urqh

    urqh Senior Member

    Weve been here before. Agree with Owen. Its no shame not to have em. Relatives medals are just that...Doesnt mean im not impressed though.
     
  13. tasker

    tasker Member

    My thoughts exactly fellas which is why I asked, could have truly loaded myself down with racks of tin that was earned by my relatives, but would have felt a bit of a fraud. My dad never wore his, even on rememberance sunday, I guess that he just wanted to get back on with his life after such a terrible time.

    They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

    In rememberence of Pvt Roger Payne 1st Battalion East Surrey Regt. KIA 14/04/43 Tunisia aged 19.

    And of course the countless multitudes who also laid down their lives.
     
  14. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Wasn't the right breast concession originally intended for the widows or descendants of those killed in action ? I can imagine the relevance of a widow or child at a post-war service wearing the medals of a husband or father who had not returned.

    I can't see the point in wearing the campaign medals of someone who lived to a ripe old age and died with his bedsocks on.

    That said, perhaps anything that keeps what is perhaps now something of a minority interested in remembrance is no bad thing ?

    You wouldn't catch me doing it though.
     
  15. James Daly

    James Daly Senior Member

    I'm not sure what I think about this one. Personally I don't feel comfortable wearing anything that I didnt earn myself, I even feel nervous about wearing a maroon t-shirt. Theres plenty of walts out there and no way do I want to look like one. I only do because my Grandad's not around any more to wear it himself.

    But then again, I think things like medals are more relevant when they're connected to a human being, even if it is a descendant. Its what they represent that is important. They're not just metal and ribbon, its what went in to earning them that matters and if it helps people remember then maybe they have a point.
     
  16. DoctorD

    DoctorD WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    :poppy:I have mixed feelings about wearing gongs. They do seem to be appreciated at times like this by some people as a means of asking what happened, which is no bad thing for remembrance. Perhaps it's time for the press to re-educate the public. Stortly after ww2 everybody was able to recognise a fair range of decorations and campaign medals but now, ashamedly, I personally could not decribe a Korean, Falklands, Kososvo, or Desert Storm campaign medal; and I understand that the MM is no longer awarded, being replaced by the MC. In my day Medals were awarded to OR's and Crosses to Commissioned ranks. So I guess it's another case of PC in the form of "inclusiveness and equality". Like the, to me, strange sight of "miniature" musicians in the Central Military Bands with pony tail hair styles which, on close inspection turn out to be of female gender. I recall that for the Brussels victory parade on VE day 1945 the music was provided by an all-WAAF Military Band! They performed magnificently! Sorry, but the reproduction from 65 years ago from a baby Brownie isn't too good!
     

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  17. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Sorry chaps but I can't see point of wearing relatives gongs, even if it is on the right breast.
    If you haven't got any, you haven't got any.
    Simple.


    Relatives medals are just that

    I am very proud of the sacrifice that my family
    has made during times of war, my Nan not having
    a husband to share her life with and watch their
    children grow up and my Mum not having her Dad
    to walk her down the isle on her wedding day
    and to share the joy at the birth of her children,
    his Grandchildren. I am not just proud of my
    Granddad but of these two women who would
    be there every remembrance Sunday to honour a
    man they loved dearly, they also paid the ultimate
    sacrifice. I guess its each to their own at the end
    of the day and these may not be my medals
    but if by wearing my Granddads medals at
    remembrance services keeps the memory of
    their sacrifice alive then I’ll keep wearing them
    and I will be bloody proud to do so.

    I am sorry but this has got to me, so what are
    your thoughts on Christina Schmid the widow
    of Olaf Schmid the recent bomb disposal expert
    killed in Afghanistan, she proudly wore her husbands
    medals on his return to the UK and rightly so,
    so in your eyes should these medals just
    remain in a draw?


    My brother has just joined the army and my
    son is adimante that he is going to join the army
    when he leaves school in under 2 years and
    I tell if the unthinkable was to happen and prey
    to god it never does, I would proudly display
    my gratitude to their sacrifice.


    "Simple" I think is a flippant remark and I am sure
    the hundreds of widows and relatives that wore
    their loved ones medals this remembrance Sunday
    didn't find it so "Simple"
     
  18. Sheila M

    Sheila M Member

    Interesting topic. I go to the National Memorial Arboretum on several occasions a year. Today, I wore my own medal on my left side and my grandfather's WW1 medals, father's WW2 medals and uncle's Korean medals on the right. My husband wore his parent's medals on his right.

    On Armed Forces Day, I wore my own, my grandfather's and my uncle's medals and my son (who hasn't got a medal of his own, despite 9 years in the Army) wore his grandfather's. On Korean Veteran's Day, I only wore my own medal as my son and I considered that my 83 year old mother was the senior family member present and should wear the family medals.

    Apart from the sense of pride one gets from wearing the medals, we wear them in remembrance. Plus, it gives total strangers an excuse to talk to each other!

    Just spotted Kieron Hill's post and I have to say I agree with every word.
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Kieron, my 'simple' comment about those of us who haven't got any medals of our own.
    Widows have earnt the right to wear their husbands medals.
     
  20. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Owen, I have medals...my Granddads medals, they
    were given to my Nan, my Granddad couldn't receive
    them as he'd died of wounds received in Normandy,
    they were then passed to my Mum, his daughter and
    then after the death of my Mum they were passed
    to me. So not being a widow but a proud grandson
    our family have not earnt the right to display our
    gratitude for the sacrifice that he made?
     

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