Operational Awards and other stuf!

[Ken Hannah]

Dear all.

Not wishing to be controversial or demean the efforts/service of our current serving Corps members but….. Yesterday I tuned into Forces TV and watched a medal parade of members of 5 Fld Amb being presented with their operational medals for service during the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone.

Question: “Since when have ‘we as a nation’ been awarding Operational medals for what can only be described (in my time) as a Hearts & Minds deployment (humanitarian operation if you wish)”….Where was the incoming????

I don’t recall an Op medal being awarded to members of 2 Fld Hosp for service in Jordan in the 70s - the Nepal earthquake etc, etc is there a difference??

I hate to be an old pain in the ‘out of touch’ A but does anyone else feel uncomfortable (if that is the right word) about seeing ‘guys’ wearing QA cap badges/colours - aka the CO of 5 Fld Amb for instance plus other ‘male nurses’. Maybe 30 years service in the RAMC has clouded my judgement!

Also noted in the programme that ‘We’ have gone back to wearing ‘trade’ bands on the right arm cuffs of No 2 dress - since when - answers on a post card!

PS – if anyone is interested in old Corps articles and photos, have a look at: http://wellcomelibrary.org/collections/b...digramc... great photos. As an ex Adjt of 16 Fld Amb in the late 1980s it was amazing to see photos of my unit in 1917 - we have a lot to be thankful for!

Regards - an old fogy.......................