Golden Jubilee Medals

[nigeljp]

Has anyone heard any news on the awarding of Jubilee medals? I did some exploring and found out that the Brits are going to award it everyone with over five years service as of Feb 2002. Supposedly the current plan in Canada is to only give out a few per unit at the C.O.‘s discretion, as per Silver Jubilee and 125 medals, but there is also talk of following the Brit example to avoid the problems of picking and choosing who gets it and who does not. I am for either giving to everyone or a very select list of C.O.s and RSMs, but if the general‘s driver or the CDS‘s batman get them I will be very unimpressed.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Why should the medal go only to COs and RSMs? That makes no sense.

 

[Gunner]

http://www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk/content/serve.pcgi/gj/faqs?t=s&l=e#1

Will there be a Golden Jubilee medal?
There will be a commemorative medal for members of the uniformed armed forces
and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary who have completed a minimum of five years‘
reckonable service at the time of the 50th anniversary of The Queen‘s Accession
on 6 February 2002.

Why is it that only the military are to receive a Golden Jubilee medal?
Royal commemorative medals have been issued to the military to mark all Jubilees
and Coronations since Queen Victoria‘s Golden Jubilee in 1887. The medal will
recognise the unique and close relationship of the uniformed armed forces with
the Crown.

 

[Gunner]

You either give it to everyone serving in the uniform of Her Majesty the Queen on 12 February 2002 (exact date escapes me) or give it to no one.

The idea of presenting 3 per unit was stupid for the 125 Medal and it is a stupid idea now.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Seems to me some of the 125 medals in one of the Calgary land units went to at least one navy person (??) and to a retired CO who has not even attended a mess dinner in something like 20 years...

I wouldn‘t give it to every soldier, either; those with 5 years of service seems like a good cutoff. With the high turnover rate in the forces, it would be a guarantee that not everyone got one, and many that did receive one would be out and gone in a year or two anyway.

 

[towhey]

Unfortunately, most such Jubilee, Canada 125 and other "historic day" medals are not awarded to all in service on that day.

Traditionally, they are awarded on a per capita basis -- for example: 1 per 100 or 1 per 1000 soldiers, etc. Often, commands/formations/units have been given the opportunity to decide who gets the 3, 40, or 200 medals it will be allocated. Some choose to award them to top-performers, others to long service, others to newest in each rank, others by lottery.

Personally, I‘ve never liked the system. Give it to everyone or give it to no one. There are already ample systems in place to recognize long service (CD) or exemplary service (promotion, unit/command/CDS commendations, OMM, MSM, etc.)

To portcullisguy who suggests that medals are "quite easy to come by in the CF" I say... really? When I joined the CF in 1983... and until about 1993, the only medal most soldiers ever saw was the CD... and that after 12 years of service. A minority were lucky enough to get a Cyprus gong or an even rarer other UN medal. The only people who could even tell you what an bravery medal looked like were SAR Techs or admin clerks who saved kids from house fires on their time off.

I remember attending US Army parades and mess dinners. Our CO had a CD with bar ... the RSM a CD1 and MMM. The average US Army private fresh out of recruit school had 3 or 4 gongs: 2 for passing, 1 for shooting well and 1 for being posted to a unit in Germany. The American CO (half the age of our CO) had 4 rows of ribbons and a "continued on reverse" clasp!

Even in 1994, when I joined the Base Commander‘s staff in Toronto, I was a freak: a just-turned 30 year old Captain with 5 medals (3 x UN tours).

These days, however, many soldiers have that many and more -- representing multiple UN tours. This is not an indication that it‘s any easier to get medals -- just that the op tempo has increased phenomenally for combat arms types. And with this increased op tempo have come more opportunities for bravery and conspicuous behaviour decorations for hardy souls.

If I got back in, today, I‘d likely be the "least decorated" guy on parade!

Personally, I don‘t begrudge Canadians the medals they wear.

 

[portcullisguy]

When I say Canada gives out medals frequently, it is only because in my family‘s _lengthy_ combined service in the Royal Navy, spanning 5 generations, only 6 medals have been awarded that I am aware of...

My uncle served over 20 years as an officer, including combat service in a declared war (the South Atlantic War, 1982), and only earned the South Atlantic Medal with rosette (for service south of Ascension Island) and oak leaf (m-i-d for shooting down an Argentine aircraft). Much of his other service was undistinguished, but nevertheless would have earned at least a CD had he been in the CF.

Prior to him, my great grandfather earned "Pip, Squeak and Wilfred" (1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal) for WWI service as a Paymaster-Captain, as well as the China Medal, 1901, for service during the Boxer Revolt, and the Sudan Medal (a foreign award). His grandfather had received the Arctic Medal, 1855, for being 2/i/c during an Arctic voyage in 1818. Both of them, and the interceding generation, all saw service in combat/war conditions in far flung colonies, and in most cases, were not otherwise recognized with medals.

Yes, the American system is silly... a medal for nearly everything.

Yes, it would be nice not to have to award medals at all.

Both are unrealistic propositions.

IMO, medals commemorating service at an important date - if awarded to everyone, or at least not on whim - are just as valid and legitimate as those earned through valour, long service, etc. After all, they are commemorative medals, and nothing more. They are recognized as such.

Silly to disregard decades of heritage, really.

 

[Gunner]

Most recent I have heard is Government House will strike approximately 60,000 medals commemorating the event. Approximately 10,000 will go to DND. DHH has proposed that distribution be based on rules similar to the Canada 125 rules ("deserving" members). Note that the medals go to "DND" not just to the "CF" hence, the department civilian members will be eligible as well (good old defence team!).

I do have it on good authority that the Chief of Maritime Staff is very much against this and I also know several senior air force members are also against this distribution. I‘m not sure what the army‘s position is, but I‘m sure its similar to the other environments.

 

[portcullisguy]

I have just picked up the November 2001 issue of "Soldier", the magazine of the British Army.

This issue features an article on the Golden Jubilee medal.

I have scanned the photograph of the medal, and posted it on the web for your convenience:
http://members.attcanada.ca/~wzombie/queen.htm

The article basically reiterates that the medal, the fifth of its kind struck in the United Kingdom, will have a minimum qualifying time of 5 years as at February 7 (2002?).

They are minting 181,000 of these medals in the UK, and roughly 100,000 will be given to the armed forces. Priority will be given to units taking part in Golden Jubilee events.

The first official day on which the medal may be worn is June 4.

The medal is 25 g in weight, will cost the army about GBP 21.00, and is 75% copper, 25% nickel, and finished in two microns of gold (in other words, gold electroplated).

Miniatures can also be requested directly from the Royal Mint: [email protected]

Cheers.


Portcullisguy

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Portcullisguy,
Can‘t get the links to work, anybody else get them? <img src="confused.gif" border="0" alt="" />

 

[portcullisguy]

The second link, the email address, doesn‘t want to work, because it automatically adds "http://" in front of it, and it‘s not a hyper-text document, it‘s an email link.

The first link worked fine for me. However, if you find it still doesn‘t work, simply cut & paste the address and put it in your address line of your browser.

Cheers.

 

[bossi]

Hmmm ... I‘m having difficulty, too (and, yes - I even cut and pasted the URL into my browser - all that came up was one of those boxes with a little "x" in the corner, and even when I "right clicked" on it in order to "show picture" nothing showed up ... ?)

Since I‘m too lazy to look it up myself, is there a link to Soldier (or was it hard copy only)?

Dileas Gu Brath,
MB

 

[portcullisguy]

Ok, I see what happened. FrontPage is a buggy program and didn‘t save the image, just the page (I wish someone had said the PAGE loaded, just not the image).

The problem has been rectified, and the link will work.

 

[Recce41]

Medals
The Jubilee Medal is not just a Medal. Its something that shows that you served duing that time. Many Soldiers got it when the Centenial Medal, 125 and the last Cornation Medal was given. My father was in when the Centenial and Cornation medal was issued. Only a few received one. The Brits have 3 just that you served medals.
Also there are many Honouray Medals that every Soldier is can wear. But cannot due they are not reconized, IE. The St Georges, The Commanweath servce, and more. The Soldiers cannot even wear the Kiwati medal issued by the people of Kiwat. The Military says you cannot wear two medals for the samething , but what about the PKM. So if there is one issue to all or none.
Sgt J. CD, CDS com

 

[Chairborne]

Medals can be a touchy subject but let me offer my two cents worth. I like to look at medals in terms of what a civilian might think when he looks at my chest and asks "what‘s that one for?" Consequently I‘ve never thought much of souvenir medals, the ones handed out to commemorate jubilees, centennials, etc.

During my army service it was normal to see senior naval and air force members with very few medals. So what? That‘s because their service normally didn‘t require them to be in places where additional medals would be awarded. My UN medals for UNEF II, UNDOF, and Cyprus mean something to me, but even my CD with it‘s two clasps is largely meaningless. Again, when Mr Public asks "what‘s that for?", he‘s probably thinking in terms of some act of bravery, or at least service in a UN theatre of operations, and I reply "It‘s for 12 years service in the Canadian Forces". I just don‘t see why an employer should feel obliged to award a medal (or more correctly a decoration in this case) to attest to a number of years of service. They have certificates that do that very nicely.

Since my retirement I‘ve received a notice and application form with my pension statement for a "Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal". As best I can make out it‘s just a duplication medal for those I‘ve already received for specific UN tours, and therefore is of no interest to me.

 

[Spr Earl]

Where do I begin?
Yes the 125 was a scam when a Gegeral gave one to his secratery and no name wog‘s are strutting around like peacock‘s with it.

As to dishing out medal‘s with in the force‘s all I have seen is ( with in the Enginner‘s )those people have earned them and did deserve them i.e. Hollywood going into the mine field to Mark Isfeld after the Carrier struck the mine.

I think the reason for the negitive comment‘s is because of the way the Government hand‘s out the Order Of Canada Medal which is a farse!

Before in the Force‘s we had Hash mark‘s on the sleave to show your service,and not to long ago it was debated wheather we should go back to this .

I see nothing wrong with the issue of the C.D. at least the you know some one in the Puzzle Palace has recognised your service.

Over all we are like the Brit.‘s you have to earn it to wear it not like the Yank‘s and just eat the food or serve 72hrs. in a Foreign country and get a gong ,LOL.

 

[Spr Earl]

I have a photo of the Brit medal can anyone help me on how to post here?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

CANADIANS HAVE NEVER WORN HASH MARKS.

The Good Conduct Chevron was a regular 1-bar rank chevron, worn inverted on the lower left sleeve, from before World War One to Unification. It recognized, by 1939, two years of good conduct, and was only worn by soldiers holding the rank of Private (this included Lance Corporals, since that was an appointment held by a Private, not a rank).

NCOs have never worn Good conduct Chevrons, but Acting Corporals in Rifle Regiments did wear the Good Conduct chevron along with the 2-bar chevron of their appointment. (Rifle Regiments did not have Lance Corporals - their equivalent wore 2-bar chevrons and were called Acting Corporal instead).

Service beyond 2 years was rewarded by the replacement of the 1-bar chevron to a 2-bar chevron after 5 years, with more chevrons being added to a theoretical maximum of, I believe, six.

The chevrons were awarded to those soldiers holding the rank of Private who kept their name out of the regimental conduct book.

The CD now recognizes 12 years service and makes the good conduct chevron a bit redundant - it would make a nice reward for those Corporals-For-Life if you really want to encourage that sort of thing.

Service Chevrons were worn in World War One to signify years of service, these were reintroduced in 1939 for WW II, and again introduced after the Korean War for a couple of years.

For details, see my site http://www.canadiansoldiers.com and click on UNIFORM INSIGNIA, then on the link describing service chevrons.

The Wound Stripe was awareded in cloth or metal during the wars for each serious wound inflicted by enemy action. They were reintroduced in the 1990s and are currently worn on CF clothing by personnel entitled to them.

 

[portcullisguy]

More news on the Golden Jubilee Medal.

The official regulations were published May 4, 2002, in the Canada Gazette.

There will be at least 46,000 medals minted and distributed as per the schedule annexed to the regs.

Only 8,000 medals are going to the Canadian Forces (with 90,000 members, according to the schedule, that doesn‘t make for very good chances of getting one).

However, all living VC‘s, GC‘s and CV‘s will automatically receive one. There are 15 such holders.

There are 1,500 persons on a "table of precedence" who will automatically get one each. I am assuming they are the PM, GG, LG‘s, various ministers, etc., etc.

The PM and the GG also get 170 medals to give to whomever they like, they must submit a list of the intended recipients.

Each cabinet minister gets 10 each, and eachsenator gets 20 for the same purpose. Each MP also gets 20. Hope you paid up your Liberal Party donations this year.

If you already have an Order of Canada, you are in luck. 2,900 jubilee medals will be awarded to Order of Canada holders -- one for each -- automatically.

Among 300,000 federal gov‘t employees, only 4,000 medals are being awarded. Even worse odds than the military.

The largest allocation will be 10,000 medals to 200-300 "non-governmental organizations" which have not been specified. One presumes they must be community/volunteer organizations (Red Cross, St. John‘s Ambulance, Liberal Party Riding Associations... etc., etc.) and those organizations will be able to allocate medals as they wish.

The Canadian version of the medal will bear the Queen‘s current effigy, as is normal, but without the Latin inscription one would expect, such as on our coinage. Instead of "Elizabeth II D.G. Regina" we will have "La Reine du Canada - Queen of Canada". The reverse will bear a maple leaf with a crown and the Royal Cipher (E II R).

Other details are on the GG‘s website, or on the DND website.

 

[Coniar]

Im (as always) confused. I dont know what you all think of the Monarchy but I personaly see it as a part of our History not to be forgotten and If some one where to hand me a metal hounoring the Queen I certainly would wear it with pride. I think having a medal for doing well on the firing range or an obstacle course is stupid but for courage and campaigns they are deserved. Think about it, any member of the armed forces that has served for any lengthe of time during that lengthe of time has in a way been part of a campaign and helped to keep the peace during all those years thus deserving a medal to recognise there service.

Makes sense to me...

Coniar