Quick Delivery
My Veteran's Badge arrived this morning, much quicker than I expected. It is in a choice presentation case with this fine certificate:
posted by Peter G at 12:38 pm
Saturday, April 29, 2006
My Veteran's Badge arrived this morning, much quicker than I expected. It is in a choice presentation case with this fine certificate:
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11 Comments:
Thanks for showing this.
I've just completed a form for one of my uncles applying for this badge. Some of the WW2 Veterans I know who were in contact with the Veterans Agency last year have got them last year (like Ron). However, few people seem to know about it.
Even fewer people have heard what is going to happen for the National Veterans Day in June. There has been little publicity so far.
Peter -
Looks good enough to wear on some sccasions - I sent off my application yesterday but Veronica declined to apply, saying she doesn't need a badge to remember the war. !
Tom
Do tell Veronica to apply. She is legally entitled to it and it is an offence for anyone to wear it who does not qualify. I think it is a worthy (and well earned) badge to have. It is made by Toye, Kenning and Spencer, medal makers to the Crown since 1685.
Many didn't apply for the Defence Medal to which they were entitled, on the grounds that just about everyone qualified for it. I hope that isn't repeated with this badge.
You can't lick a stamp, Frank! But then again, they say you can't beat an egg either. :)
Peter -
you don't know how obstinate my wife can be - when she says she won't bother - that is the lesson endeth. I would apply for her but I don't know her service number and other details.Most of her records were lost in a fire at one of the record offices.
She also never applied for the defence medal either so she only has the 1939-and the victory.
Last year at the township's memorial service on Nov 11th - all WW2 veterans were asked to stand and be acknowledged by the crowd - she refused ! So I stood there like a sore finger with about four others.
You should be more assertive, Tom. I am Second-in-Command in our household, whch my wife tells me is a very high position indeed.
I'm trying to persuade my Dad to apply for his badge. He did his National Service and narrowly avoided being sent to Malay. I'll keep working on him.
Hello Steve, Tom, Frank and others,
If you (or a relative) qualify for the badge you should really send for it. If nothing else, it is a small token of appreciation for your efforts during service to your country.
Few of my relatives who lived through WW2 and received Campaign medals would ever wear them. One of my Dad's brothers, with whom I spent a lot of time going through his wartime notes, letters, photographs etc never once showed me any of his Campaign medals from WW2. I only saw them for the frst time after he had died. My cousin, who has his father's and mother's medals, showed me them only last year. He was really surprised I had never seen them as Uncle used to tell me about his experiences, when he would hardly ever mention much about the war to anybody else in the family.
My father and his eldest brother were in the Home Guard (being in a Reserved Occupation) and they would never apply for the Defence Medal ("... a waste of time"). That was their personal choice, which I can understand. A lot of it I feel goes back to what happened to their older relatives during WW1.
Anyhow, I've passed on details about applying for the badge. I was shown a short article about the badge in the British Legion magazine. All it does is refer the reader to the Veterans Agency website. Some of the Veterans I know got this badge last year, but there some who have not received it, and would really appreciate it.
However, thanks to Peter, I've printed off the form for another of my uncles (who did post-war National Service) and one of his pals who did likewise. Steve, keep encouraging your Dad to fill the form in!
Good to see your badge and certificate have arrived Frank. My uncle, who sent his application form only a week ago, also received his badge on Saturday 6 May.
I was very impressed. It only took a week from posting off the form until uncle received the badge, and there was a Bank Holiday in between! So, well done to the Veterans Agency!
Do wear your badges at appropriate venues: it shows you have been valued for doing something for 'King and Country'.
Sorry Frank,
I did realise about the change of badges etc with the change from King to Queen! Of course, I've only ever known Queen Elizabeth II and 'God Save The Queen' as the National Anthem.
My uncle who has just got the Veterans Badge did National Service just after WW2, when it was still King George VI. He almost served under the Queen as well, but the Fates decided otherwise.
Firstly, he joined the TA. Hoewever, when the authorities found out he was working in a coal mine they said that was more important so he had to leave. Secondly, a short while later uncle got the call up for what turned out to be the Korean conflict. Again, when the authorities found out he was working in a coal mine he was sent back home. So, my uncle had to serve Queen and Country working down a coal mine! You didn't get any medals for working there, and not much in the way of thanks either.
I suppose the reason for this was to avoid the potential problems the country had experienced in WW2 (ie manpower and fuel shortages). I notice those who were called up to the mines in WW2 as Bevin Boys don't qualify for this 'Veterans Badge' (unless they were in something like the Home Guard). Once again, the Bevin Boys have missed out, although they had no choice in the matter. They had to serve King and Country in a different way. Such is life.
I have to-day had delivered one Veterans badge from Blackpool Office of the Army Pensions dept.
This is most gratefully received as a sign that HMG really does care !
It obviously doesn't care too much about the GPO as this package reached me via Brussels Airport.
Now and again we have our pensions from that same area although it has been known to travel first to Norway - then the Phillipines before landing in Canada - it is also been known to arrive via Schipol which I understand is in the Netherlands - and Geneva, Switzerland anywhere in fact except Mount Pleasant London !
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