Post by Admin on Jul 11, 2013 21:07:50 GMT -5
'There were 56,000 who were killed in Bomber Command and when we finished operations we thought we would get medals'
- Wing Commander Ken Wallis
The airmen of Bomber Command learned just last year that their would finally be rewarded, nearly 70 years after the end of the war.
The announcement was made as Prime Minister David Cameron also revealed, in December, that the veterans of the Arctic Convoys would be given campaign medals.
In a linked announcement, Mr Cameron said the airmen of Bomber Command would get a campaign clasp to match the Battle of Britain clasp given to Fighter Command personnel.
The Prime Minister told MPs he had accepted the recommendations of a review of military medals carried out by former diplomat Sir John Holmes.
He found that Bomber Command personnel were unfairly treated – in part because the bombing of Germany was criticised after the war.
Mr Cameron told MPs he agreed ‘the heroic aircrews should be awarded a Bomber Command Clasp’ and said: ‘I am very pleased that some of the brave men of the Arctic Convoys will get the recognition they so richly deserve for the very dangerous work they did.’
ALSO:
Two war veterans who undertook the WWII Arctic Convoys honoured with the new Arctic Star after 70-year wait:
Arctic Star medal:
The Arctic Star medal which recognises veterans of the Arctic convoys.
It is a retrospective award and was formally approved by The Queen last year.
No presentation ceremony comes with the medal, so both men received their honours from the postman.
'THE WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD': THE ARCTIC CONVOYS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR:
The Arctic convoys of the Second World War were described by Winston Churchill as 'the toughest journey, the worst journey in the world'.
The convoys sailed from the UK, Iceland, and North America to ports in the Soviet Union - modern day Russia. There were a total of 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945 sailing via several seas of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
About 1,400 merchant ships delivered vital supplies to the Soviet Union, escorted by ships of the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and the US Navy.
Eighty-five merchant vessels and 16 Royal Navy warships were lost. The Nazi German Kriegsmarine lost a number of vessels including one battleship, three destroyers and at least 30 U-boats as well as a large number of aircraft.
The gruelling journeys endured by British servicemen involved had never been formally recognised until last year when the Arctic Star medal was introduced.
LINK: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2360189/Wellington-bomber-pilot-Ken-Wallis-starred-Bond-movie-finally-awarded-campaign-medal.html
- Wing Commander Ken Wallis
The airmen of Bomber Command learned just last year that their would finally be rewarded, nearly 70 years after the end of the war.
The announcement was made as Prime Minister David Cameron also revealed, in December, that the veterans of the Arctic Convoys would be given campaign medals.
In a linked announcement, Mr Cameron said the airmen of Bomber Command would get a campaign clasp to match the Battle of Britain clasp given to Fighter Command personnel.
The Prime Minister told MPs he had accepted the recommendations of a review of military medals carried out by former diplomat Sir John Holmes.
He found that Bomber Command personnel were unfairly treated – in part because the bombing of Germany was criticised after the war.
Mr Cameron told MPs he agreed ‘the heroic aircrews should be awarded a Bomber Command Clasp’ and said: ‘I am very pleased that some of the brave men of the Arctic Convoys will get the recognition they so richly deserve for the very dangerous work they did.’
ALSO:
Two war veterans who undertook the WWII Arctic Convoys honoured with the new Arctic Star after 70-year wait:
Arctic Star medal:
The Arctic Star medal which recognises veterans of the Arctic convoys.
It is a retrospective award and was formally approved by The Queen last year.
No presentation ceremony comes with the medal, so both men received their honours from the postman.
'THE WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD': THE ARCTIC CONVOYS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR:
The Arctic convoys of the Second World War were described by Winston Churchill as 'the toughest journey, the worst journey in the world'.
The convoys sailed from the UK, Iceland, and North America to ports in the Soviet Union - modern day Russia. There were a total of 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945 sailing via several seas of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
About 1,400 merchant ships delivered vital supplies to the Soviet Union, escorted by ships of the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and the US Navy.
Eighty-five merchant vessels and 16 Royal Navy warships were lost. The Nazi German Kriegsmarine lost a number of vessels including one battleship, three destroyers and at least 30 U-boats as well as a large number of aircraft.
The gruelling journeys endured by British servicemen involved had never been formally recognised until last year when the Arctic Star medal was introduced.
LINK: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2360189/Wellington-bomber-pilot-Ken-Wallis-starred-Bond-movie-finally-awarded-campaign-medal.html