General Chat

I've read that they were issued to next of kin and came automatically soon after the telegram. They were issued for every fatality of the Great War throughout the Empire, there were some issued for women too, Edith Cavell? probably!

I remember there being one at home once but I don't know if it is still here.

I can't think who it would have been in honour of apart from the cousin of my dad who died in France but I would have thought his family would have had that one.

Has anyone on here got a 'Dead Man's Penny'? These were issued to the family's of men killed in WW1. My OH has the one issued to commemorate his grandfather who was killed in France in the closing days of the war in October 1918

I suggest you read up about the attitude to Bomber Command, post WW2, both by successive governments and the public at large right up to the last ten or so years, when, after years of campaigning those brave young men finally got the recognition they deserved, sadly about 50 years too late as most of them and their spouses were now dead. But there we are, better late than never.. It's all there on Google. You will then be better informed in your comments.

"My son will inherit this small, and as he put it, dismal award, with the pride we feel it deserves."

So perhaps you should apply for his full set of medals? The ribbon is intended to go with them. As regards Bomber Command being shunned that may well apply to an ignorant minority but certainly has never appied to the British public as a whole.

Magpie, I think my greatgrandfather was in the Ox and Bucks , he came back with shrapnel lodged in his head which caused constant headaches. He died in agony when the shrapnel moved, he was only 60. I never knew him, sadly

Lizx

I have my maternal G.Father's medals, he was wounded on the Somme, but patched up and sent back to the trenches. He was in the London Rifles. He lived to be 87. I also have my father's medals from WW11, and I intend to frame them all, along with mine, and probably hand them down to my grandson. My cousin has also kindly given me her father's WW11 medals, as I appear to have become the family archivist.

Bomber Command was shunned at the end of the war because of Dresden. Churchill failed to mention their contribution to the war or made any mention of them in his victory speech. There was no particular medal for any of them, only a campaign medal which everyone got. No memorial for them till 2012. Survivors simply could believe at the way they were treated. In the 1970's they were known as murder boys and their wicked deeds were discussed in this vein in the media to the very acute distress of my mother and the fury of me. The ribbon I refer to is ' the recognition' that was finally awarded to the surviving families of those brave young men, most of them and their spouses are now dead, so the award went to surviving offspring, grandchildren etc. It's better than nothing, but not particularly inspiring. Your right, my mother didn't apply for the campaign medal after the war, she was a widow with a two year old, things were very difficult for us and many like us, and I guess had more important things like survival on her mind

According to my mother you had to claim your medals at the end of WW2 and she didn't. Magpie your mother should have claimed them, perhaps she didn't realise she could get them. Your father would not have been treated differently to all others serving during the war because he was Bomber Command.

The lack of understanding about Bomber Command was from modern eyes not at the end of the war. Remember the Dam Buster film was made to great acclaim in the 50s. The men of Bomber Command were among the heroes of WW2 so those who lived through it knew what great work the command had done.

Bomber Command of WW2 has never been forgotten by the RAF or RAFA please remember that.

This is the RAFA dedication said at every meeting.

In friendship and in service one to another, we are pledged to keep alive the memory of those of all Nations who died in the Royal Air Force and in the Air Forces of the Commonwealth.

In their name we give ourselves to this noble cause. Proudly and thankfully we will remember them.

RAFA is Royal Air Force Association

We Will Remember

Magpie - I'm not sure what you mean by a ribbon. Who has your father's medals, or were they not claimed?

Denis

My Grandfather served in the Ox and Bucks in WW1 from 1915-1919. He too was mildly gassed and suffered from shell shock. His medals went to his son (my uncle) who served in WW2 in the Northumberland Fuisiliers and was among the first landing at D-day, having been seconded to another regiment. These two lots of medals are with uncles son, my cousin. Another maternal cousin was killed in North Africa, his medals went?! What an awful business it all was.

Before he died my Dad made two albums of photos - one of his pre-war naval days and the other of war-time naval photos. He had three grandsons so two of them got the albums and one got his medals - just as Dad had planned. Grandson who carried the surname on got the medals, eldest grandson got first choice of albums.

I thought that was very fair.

My stepfather was a POW in the Far East, and he had the Burma Star. After he died I gave all his medals to my son, who has enormous pride in them. They will eventually be handed down to my grandson, who will, we hope, feel the same pride.
My own father was killed five weeks before I was born. All we have is a ribbon issued about two years ago, as of course as aircrew of a Lancaster he along with the rest of Bomber Command were airbrushed out of wartime memories. My son will inherit this small, and as he put it, dismal award, with the pride we feel it deserves.

Thank you for that Denis and I apologise for late reply.

My mother as ATS during WW2 could have had medals but never claimed them. She was trained to be an electrician by the army to rewire damaged tanks. Dad was busy making Spitfires.

OH's uncle was in Burma and captured never fully fit afterwards. His medals must be with his family.

Look at my picture, paternal grandmother and her 6 children, granddad born in 1874 volunteered for WW1 and was looking after the war horses. Don't know where his medals went.

Maternal granddad was gassed and always had chest problems after that. His medals have disappeared as my mum would have been given them. He could have sold them for a drink though. He did however show bravery in WW2 when he travelled to London in the Blitz to help, he was a builder. After his experience in London he wouldn't go in a church again. Part of St Paul's fell onto him, reckons he was such a bad person God showed his wrath with him. My uncle had to give all his 3 sisters away when they married.

My OH has his Good Conduct Medal (or as often referred to as the not found out medal) :-D

LaGooner -if you father was in the AFS then he was almost certainly entitled to the Defence Medal. However, WW2 medals had to be claimed so perhaps he didn't bother? It would still be available now if you wanted to claim it.

To so many I think it was a case of doing it because it was there needing to be done.

I have great admiration for my fil who died a few years ago. He refused to accept his medals. As a patriot he was prepared to fight for his country and do what had to be done but he wasn't prepared to find any glory in it.

It is a shame that we have them but very little opportunity to show them off.

All we can do is attend Rememberance Day services wearing them on the right, not that Fred ever attended anything wearing them on the left!

Most of them just wanted to get on with life and not dwell upon what they had experienced and those medals are more fo us than for them.

I am sure my Uncle Jack would rather have had his fingers than the medal he had for losing them in Burma.

My grandfather was officially stationed in Ceylon and India with the 19th Daggers. He was awarded a Burma Star. My father has all his dad's medals.