I just love this kind of thing. Cameron, or rather, his advisors, finally get their act together. But people died waiting for him to act. The poor bastard wasn't born before some of them died. Did the rest sponsor him though Eton and Oxford, engineer him to be party leader, then PM, and then die before he rewarded their efforts. Or did some of them die waiting for Wilson, Callaghan, Heath, Thatcher, Blair and Brown to act?
We have a goverment made up entrely of people who were born in peacetime and never served in the forces during the war. This is good that we have not faced a world war for so long, but its easily forgotton the huge sacrifices made by so many.
We have a goverment made up entrely of people who were born in peacetime and never served in the forces during the war. This is good that we have not faced a world war for so long, but its easily forgotton the huge sacrifices made by so many.
All before Blair would remember WW2. My mum does, and she is younger than thatcher.
When I first came across this thread I wasn't much interested in it, but the treatment of the veterans does seem grossly unfair and so I've also signed the petition.
Sadly, the emnity is not new or unusual. And I very much doubt it was the Royal Navy's decision, or most certainly not those on the spot. The trouble with war is that strategic and political needs tend to trump local tactical requirements every time. Very hard, when you are the man on the sharp end.
It was certainly the Admiralty's decision to scatter the convoy.
As for strategic and political needs - since the USSR directly accused the Allies of lying (as they could not believe that anybody could lose over 20 ships in one convoy) and brought about one of the lowest points in the relationships between the Allies - one might say the Admiralty should have expected or commanded their forces to do exactly what they expected the Merchant Navy to do.
Well to be fair they have already received special permission to receive one medal from the russians. They got one in the 1990's. A second seems excessive, especially when they qualify for the atlantic star medal and now probably an arctic star medal.
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Surely the point about all this is that it was our own Govts that had let down our sailors - having endured the lethal dangers hazards and discomfort of those icy Artic waters in failing to recognise appreciate or show a glimmer of appreciation of their valient efforts by denying them the honours they well and truly deserved.
Also bearing in mind the grey sullen and unappreciative receptions often awaiting our sailors in the Russian ports
then there could well be an element of mischief making
involved by the Russian in their offers to award medals - as earlier suggested
It was certainly the Admiralty's decision to scatter the convoy.
As for strategic and political needs - since the USSR directly accused the Allies of lying (as they could not believe that anybody could lose over 20 ships in one convoy) and brought about one of the lowest points in the relationships between the Allies - one might say the Admiralty should have expected or commanded their forces to do exactly what they expected the Merchant Navy to do.
One might well say that. The guys driving the ships might say it too, but that would be insubordination at the very least.
...Also bearing in mind the grey sullen and unappreciative receptions often awaiting our sailors in the Russian ports then there could well be an element of mischief making involved by the Russian in their offers to award medals - as earlier suggested
If the Russian offer to award the medal had simply been accepted by the UK without a fuss, then I don't think any mischief could have been made since the story would probably have received very little publicity. It's the UK government's refusal to allow the veterans to accept the Ushakov medal that has made this issue into a news story, and that seems like a pretty clumsy piece of diplomacy.
If the Russian offer to award the medal had simply been accepted by the UK without a fuss, then I don't think any mischief could have been made since the story would probably have received very little publicity. It's the UK government's refusal to allow the veterans to accept the Ushakov medal that has made this issue into a news story, and that seems like a pretty clumsy piece of diplomacy.
This is true. There cannot be very many of these old navy vets around.
These guys just went and did what they were ordered to do. With enormous bravery in horrible conditions.
My uncle served in the navy on an escort ship to these convoys and it was a horrific experience and now some suit tells them they can't collect medals in recognition of their bravery.
Thanks for the heads up on this story. I have signed the petition.
Also had fun researching my late father n law and found pictures of the ship he commanded and a lovely one of him with his crew. He recieved the DSC medal, sadly stolen when his house was burgled.
Comments
We have a goverment made up entrely of people who were born in peacetime and never served in the forces during the war. This is good that we have not faced a world war for so long, but its easily forgotton the huge sacrifices made by so many.
All before Blair would remember WW2. My mum does, and she is younger than thatcher.
It was certainly the Admiralty's decision to scatter the convoy.
As for strategic and political needs - since the USSR directly accused the Allies of lying (as they could not believe that anybody could lose over 20 ships in one convoy) and brought about one of the lowest points in the relationships between the Allies - one might say the Admiralty should have expected or commanded their forces to do exactly what they expected the Merchant Navy to do.
>>>>>
Surely the point about all this is that it was our own Govts that had let down our sailors - having endured the lethal dangers hazards and discomfort of those icy Artic waters in failing to recognise appreciate or show a glimmer of appreciation of their valient efforts by denying them the honours they well and truly deserved.
Also bearing in mind the grey sullen and unappreciative receptions often awaiting our sailors in the Russian ports
then there could well be an element of mischief making
involved by the Russian in their offers to award medals - as earlier suggested
One might well say that. The guys driving the ships might say it too, but that would be insubordination at the very least.
This is true. There cannot be very many of these old navy vets around.
These guys just went and did what they were ordered to do. With enormous bravery in horrible conditions.
Thanks for the heads up on this story. I have signed the petition.
Also had fun researching my late father n law and found pictures of the ship he commanded and a lovely one of him with his crew. He recieved the DSC medal, sadly stolen when his house was burgled.