South Atlantic Medal.
South Atlantic Medal. Dave Lake’s memoirs (Three’s Company 75) are timely in view of a recent review of medal criteria conducted by Sir John Holmes. I remember standing immediately behind Dave on the range at Ascension when the troops did some target practice during our short stay on the Island en-route. There were 44 of us on that push – pilots, groundcrew, clerk, GLO, Rock and a medic, and we all earned our rations during those 60 days. All were 3(F) Sqn chaps except the medic and it may now be quite important to push the following gen around the association. Sir John Holmes’ recommendation, accepted by the Government, is that the qualifying period for the award of the South Atlantic Medal be extended from 12 July 1982 to 21 October 1982. Our dates at Stanley were 7 July 1982 to 4 September 1982 so we should all qualify. Unfortunately there does not seem to be a block system for applications so each individual will need to apply on a form downloaded from the web at www.gov.uk/the-ministry-of- defence-medal-office It’s straightforward and you send it to MOD Medal Office, Innsworth House, Imjin Barracks, Gloucester GL3 1HW. There is an Email for them DBS-Medals@mod.uk Medals were far from our minds at the time but I remember the Boss, Bob Holliday, did comment that he thought we should have had the medal then. I have slapped in my application which has been acknowledged. I was thinking that if there are enough of us we could arrange, through the Association, a presentation ceremony either at Coningsby on the Squadron or at Wittering where they have suitable background in the Heritage Centre. Feedback in Three’s Company Issue no 77.