Africa Star, The MOD get the colours right
After Peter made representations, the MOD have finally got the colours right but continue to show three clasps being worn.
posted by Ron Goldstein at 11:52 am
Saturday, March 24, 2007
After Peter made representations, the MOD have finally got the colours right but continue to show three clasps being worn.
Previous Posts
- Derek Merton....another of WW2's unsung heros
- The Africa Star that wasn't !
- Propaganda in Conflicts - from WW2 to the present day
- The Carlisle NAAFI in WW2
- Peppo Coppula - 4317
- Save one life, Save the world
- Giuseppe Bastianini
- Blogging
- Misfires on the Sherman Mark IV 75mm
- The 78th Div just won't lie down !
Contributors
3 Comments:
It would appear that they have no intention of changing that. Here is the email reply I received when I first raised the matter:
Mr Ghiringhelli,
Thank you for your interest in the MOD Medal Office internet pages and your comments regarding the World War Two campaign stars.
Your comments regarding the ribbon of the Africa Star are correct – the ribbon is shown the ‘wrong way round’ and this is something that we will rectify.
You are correct to say that no-one person would wear all the Clasps on the Africa Star. The pictures are intended to show which Star you would wear a Clasp on, had you been awarded that particular Clasp.
In light of your comments we will review the information on these pages and make any amendments where we feel it would help.
Many thanks,
John Ryder
Unit Liaison Desk
MOD Medal Office
The MOD seem to think that showing all three clasps on the medal helps people to realise where clasps go (it can't be to show the clasps, for they are illegible). To me this is misleading. In any event it is quite impossible for anyone, from the lowest private to the highest ranking officer, to qualify for all three. They themselves say:
Service with either the 1st or 8th Army in North Africa during certain specified dates will qualify for award of the ‘1st Army’ or ‘8th Army’ Clasp to be worn on the ribbon of the Africa Star. Provided neither the 1st or 8th Army Clasps have been qualified for, staff of the 18 Army Group Headquarters who served between certain specified dates under a specified General will qualify for award of the Clasp ‘North Africa 1942-43’.
There is also a glaring omission regarding the silver rose awarded to the Royal Navy Inshore Squadrons and Merchant Navy personnel who worked inshore between 23 October 1942 and 12 May 1943.
Good grief chaps - the MOD acted with undue haste to rectify the colours... now must come a period of recuperation for the thinking process to start up once more and these rectification will-no doubt be made all in the due course of business - it's early days....
I would say you are quite correct with what you say, Peter. However, it is not easy getting a large organisation, particularly if it is Government!
Keep plugging away at it.
Post a Comment
<< Home