Updated: 11 May, 2008

Britain - Medals 

Campaign Medals

Early Campaign Medals

British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals from the Collection of Lester Watson (1889-1959)  Mr Lester Watson, who was an investment banker in Boston, Mass., seems to have started collecting medals while he was still at College – the earliest recorded provenance is a medal given to him by his uncle Charles Pfaff in 1904. He subsequently acquired most of the medals during the 1920s, some from US dealers, but mainly bought from the London firms Baldwins, Spink and Seaby during his visits to Britain. The collection is remarkable for its systematic representation of gallantry and campaign medals awarded to British servicemen during the period 1791-c. 1930. It has many rarities, including no fewer than two VCs and its New Zealand equivalent, of which only twenty-three have been awarded. Most of the medals had been acquired by 1928/29, and only a few more were added in the 1930s. The last pieces to be bought were in 1937. The Watson collection contains 411 individual items, 379 in the main catalogue and a few pieces separately numbered, as well as an array of grouped medals (awarded to the same person, and sometimes arranged on the same bar for wearing on dress uniform). For ease of browsing, the catalogue has been divided into five sections. fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

• Waterloo Medal Pinetree Web

• Nelson battle medal for sale A piece of history commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar is to be auctioned. The rare medal will be sold just three days before the 200th anniversary of Lord Nelson's finest moment. Expected to fetch more than £10,000, it was forgotten for years until it was discovered in a village just outside Cambridge. Experts from Bonhams, are keeping the location of the find secret, but said it had been discovered in a box of ordinary coins. The medal was awarded to Commander Edward Garrett, a distant relative of the current seller. It is thought no more than 5,000 of the medals were awarded and Garrett's is particularly rare because it also features one of only five bars awarded for service on the Onyx. cambridge-news.co.uk 17 Oct 05

• The Duke of Wellington This exhibition, produced by Archives and Corporate Records Services of King's College in London, explores the life of one of the most extraordinary military commanders in British history: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. It describes his career in the Army leading to the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo in 1815, and examines his achievements in civilian life, not least of which was his prominent role in helping to found King's College London between 1828 and 1829. Also contains information on the Waterloo Medal.

• Trafalgar Medal (BBC Antiques Roadshow)
• Britain - A medal awarded to Nelson's Captain Hardy for the Battle of Trafalgar sold for a record 248,800 pounds ($437,204) at a Christie's International auction in London that was held to celebrate the bicentenary of the battle. The gold medal, which had a top estimate of 120,000 pounds, was bought by Dix Noonan Webb for a client after a five-minute bidding contest, London-based Christie's said in a statement. No medal has ever before reached such a high price at auction, Christie's said. Oct 05
• Decorations and Medals of the East India Company [1600-1859] (Ed Haynes)
• The Issue of British Crimea War Medals 1854-56 by John Hayward (Spink’s Medal Website Newsletter, March 2001)  
• Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the British Army, 1815-1920 (Fred Larimore)
• Proposed General Service Medal, 1831 , published in Military Heritage Internet Magazine (on-line)

• Britain Basutoland Roll of Honour 1851 - 1881 Compiled by MAJOR G. TYLDEN, ED The South African Military History Society Military History Journal - Vol 1 No 5

• The Peninsular War 1808-1814 Lots of excellent background information Andrew C Jackson

• Paget medal expected to sell for £2000 An historic medal presented to Sir James Paget as a thank you for accompanying the Prince of Wales on a visit to India is expected to fetch up to £2000 at auction. It was awarded to Sir James and high-ranking officials to commemorate the Prince of Wales' visit to India in 1875. The silver medal, one of only 165, is expected to attract interest from collectors when it comes under the hammer at Bonhams in London.

• India General Service Medal 1854 “Persia” Joachim M. Waibel

• Crimea Medal 1854-56 Spink articles by John Hayward The Issue of British Crimea War Medals 1854-56 The Issue of British Crimea War Medals 1854-56 (continued)

• Turkish Crimea War Medal (BBC Antiques Roadshow)
• Crimea Medal (1854-1856) - To obtain access to specialists on this campaign, subscribe to the Crimean War mailing list by sending a blank e-mail to:  crimeanwar-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (Ref: Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"

• Lives of the Light Brigade - The E.J. Boys Archive This site is dedicated to the lives of the officers and men of the Light Brigade who fought in the Crimean War 1854-1856, and contains a provisional list of all the men of the five regiments of the Light Cavalry brigade known to have embarked for active service in the Crimean War.

   

• In Search of the Light Brigade An important resource for those interested in the Crimean War. The book contains biographical information on over 5100 men who served in the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. All of the individuals are listed by Regiment alphabetically and medal entitlements as stated on the medal rolls are listed and cited. Also indicates those who embarked for the Crimea, those who arrived but don't show up on the medal rolls, etc. A review of the book can be found at: http://www.victorianweb.org/history/crimea/crider/crider.html A limited number of copies are still available on the internet or through the publisher, Eurocommunica c/o eurocommunica@compuserve.com Ref: Lawrence W. Crider

• Riddle of medals to be sold at Riddle of medals to be sold at auction Three war medals taken to a charity shop by a mystery donor are expected to fetch up to £1,000 at auction. A Crimean war medal, Turkish Crimea medal and a Baltic medal were taken to Emmaus, a charity for the homeless based at Landbeach. The medals are all framed together with a photograph of the owner, John Morton, wearing them. Mr Morton served in the Royal Marines during the Crimean War between 1854 and 1856. He was on board HMS Miranda, a 15-gun steam sloop built at Sheerness, Kent in 1851. The medals are all inscribed with his name and, unusually, are being sold with a photograph of him in uniform wearing them. The money raised at auction will go to the charity. cambridge-news.co.uk 17 Apr 04

• Charge survivor's medals for sale The medals belonging to the oldest survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade are to be sold at auction. Wrexham-born Edwin Hughes, otherwise known as 'Balaclava Ned', died in Blackpool in 1927 aged 96. Wrexham Museum will bid for the three medals, which are expected to fetch around £15,000 on Wednesday in London. news.bbc.co.uk 1 Mar 05

• Medals of honour go under the hammer One of Britain's finest privately owned collections of naval medals, assembled by Oliver Lee, is set to fetch around £100,000 at auction. The substantial and important 258-lot hoard is being offered for sale at medal specialists Dix Noonan Webb in London on December 1 following the death of the Second World War veteran in June aged 83. Mr Lee served with distinction in the Royal Navy from 1941 to 1946 and in later life, specialised in acquiring medals for services at sea. Medals in the collection range in dates from the late 18th Century to the Falklands Conflict of 1981 and range in estimate from £150 to £1,500 each. w3.cambridge-news.co.uk 25 Nov 04

• War horse's medal from valley of death up for sale As the Light Brigade hurled itself to destruction against the Russian artillery in the most famous cavalry charge in British history, the casualties among the horses were even higher than the riders. Out of almost 700 horses which galloped into a storm of enemy fire at the Battle of Balaklava in 1854, about 500 were killed, forcing many of the surviving soldiers to stumble back to the British lines on foot. Among the animals which survived the charge and the almost equally terrifying retreat was Drummer Boy, a six-year-old ridden by Lt Col Rodolph de Salis, second-in-command of the 8th Hussars. De Salis was so impressed by the bravery and stamina of the wounded Drummer Boy that he decided the horse deserved a medal as much as the men who had fought in the heroic but disastrous attack. He acquired a campaign medal awarded to British troops who served in the Crimea and had the rim engraved with the horse's name and the fact that he had been born in Ireland in 1848. On the reverse is the inscription "Carried Lt Col de Salis 8th Hussars". On April 30 this unofficial campaign award will be auctioned at Spink in London with an estimate of £300-£500, a fraction of the price paid for medals to men who charged with the Light Brigade. telegraph.co.uk 10 Apr 04

• The Kabul - Kandahar Participant Database Project A biographical database is being collected of participants in Field Marshal Lord Roberts' 314-mile march from Kabul to Kandahar, that took place August 8th to August 31st 1880, during the Second Anglo Afghan War (1878-80). The database is not intended to just list the 9,713 or so military men who took part in this endurance-beating feat, but to collect biographical data, mainly from descendants who provide a living link to this historical event. Medal collectors may also have information on individuials from their collections. The intention is to eventually gather this information into a printed volume, and a CD-ROM to be made available, as an illustrated index, resource and guide. The volume will be updated as the project grows.

• The Asplin Military History Resources Kevin Asplin provides researchers with valuable information on Boer War Unit and medal rolls, and: Medal Roll China War of 1856-60 Casualty Rolls of the Crimean War of 1854-56 Casualty Roll South African Campaign 1877-79 Norminal Roll 15th Hussars in Bangalore Apr 1845 1898 Sudan Campaign Depot Roll 34th Foot (Cumberland 1838-1873 Army Death Index 1901

• Sudan Medal (1896) (Awarded to: Paymr. A. W. Morell R.N. HMS Melita) (Raymond J W Morrell)

  • Queen Victoria's Sudan Medal (1896-7)  - Awarded for the reconquest of the Sudan (Image) (Ref: Sudan.net) (Aug 02)

• China Medal (1900) (Boxer Rebellion)
(Raymond J W Morrell)
• Boer War
(Stephen Stratford)
• Boer War Dates
• The Siege of Ladysmith
(The Times Archives)

• How to trace an ancestor (Who served in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902)

• Coloured involvement in Namaqualand In January 1901 when Boer forces under General Jan Smuts invaded the then Cape Province, Sir Alfred Milner dispatched Lt. Colonel W. Shelton to Namaqualand with orders to protect the copper mines located at Okiep, the railway to and the harbour at Port Nolloth. Although the British government awarded medals for war service, the black and coloured defenders were excluded from these awards. However, the Cape Copper Company awarded a medal to all the defenders of their property, regardless of race. McGregor Museum South Africa Dec 03

• African General Service Medal (1906) (Britain's Small Wars)
• Campaign (Stephen Stratford)
  • Service Medals
    • NGS (1916-62)
    • GSM 1918-62
    • GSM 1962

• Armed Services: Campaign Medals, and other Service Medals (Public Records Office)

• Research Information for Period 1872-1914 (King's College London Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives) Military Archives covering the period 1872-1914, and includes a number of the principal military campaigns of this era, as well as significant military service undertaken in the UK and beyond, such as:
  • Zulu War, South Africa, 1879
  • First Boer War, South Africa, 1880-1881
  • Egyptian Campaign, 1882, and First Sudan (Gordon Relief) Expedition, Sudan, 1884-1885
  • Second Sudan Campaign, Egypt and the Sudan, 1896-1898
  • Second Boer War, South Africa, 1899-1902
  • Other military service in Africa, 1883-1914
  • Second Afghan War, Afghanistan, 1878-1880
  • Chitral Relief Expedition, Indian North West Frontier, 1895
  • Indian North West Frontier, 1897-1898
  • Other military service in India, 1874-1914
  • Boxer Rebellion, China, 1900-1901
  • Russo-Japanese War, Manchuria, 1904-1905
  • Military service in the UK, 1881-1914
  • Military service in the dominions, colonies and other outposts, 1910-1914
  • The Balkans, 1903-1913
  • Naval service, 1872-1914
  • Early aviation, 1910-1913

• Queen Victoria's Empire   (PBS.org)

WWI Era Medals

• British medals in WWI
• WWI Medals (Stephen Stratford)
• British & Commonwealth Gallantry Decorations of the Great War (Paul Hinckley)
• British Medals of WWI (Oriented towards Air Services)
• A Brief guide to British military medals entitlement in 1914-1918 (British Army in the Great War)
• Great War Medal List Researched at the Public Record Office (Philip Mortiboy)
• Examples (Stephen Stratford)
  • WWI DCM
  • Beefeater
• Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19 CD-ROM)
• Queen honours fallen soldiers (80th Anniversary of WWI ceremony in Paris) (Medals, photos and other WWI related resources)
• World War I (BBC - Historical information and other resources)
• World War I Research Information (King's College London Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives)

• British Commonwealth Memorial Plaques for WWI (James F. O'Sullivan)

• Naval General Service Medal (1915-62) (Britain's Small Wars)

• General Service Medal (1918-62) (Britain's Small Wars)

• North Russian Expeditionary Force 1918-1919 Naval Honours Awards for service in Russia as compiled by PO George William Smith 29 May 04

• WW1 Awards to Females - Fourth Supplement to The Lond Gazette 6th May 1919.

• Last veteran of both wars pays tribute to comrades  He saw  many of his friends die in the First World War, and yesterday William Stone, 103, marched proudly to the Cenotaph to remember the fallen on the 90th  The Scotsman, UK 4 Aug 04

• Tears as survivors recall outbreak of Great War Time heals most wounds, but not all. Yesterday, Henry Allingham shed tears for friends lost in a war so long gone Telegraph.co.uk, UK 4 Aug 04

• The last survivors On 4 August 1914, the Great War began. 900,000 Britons perished. Ninety years on, just four veterans were able to honour the fallen. Independent, UK 4 Aug 04
• Four of Britain's 23 surviving WWI vets honour dead on 90th  Four First World War veterans, the youngest aged 103, brought wreaths of red poppies to Britain's main war memorial Wednesday to mark the 90th  Canada.com, Canada 4 Aug 04

•  Attempt to bring medals back fails A bid to bring some unique wartime medals back home to Cromer failed when they soared past their expected selling prices at an auction in London. The friends of the town's museum, helped by public donations, tabled bids for two sets of medals, but lost out both times as the sets sold for about three times the guide prices. The medals belonged to local men in a privately-run armoured car unit called the Czar's Squadron, which saw service in Russia during the first world war. Six medals awarded to Roy Gray Read, which were listed at £200-£300 fetched £820, while two given to Walter Edward Allen - who later died during a lifeboat rescue - made £1800. A third set to Petty Officer Don Spencer, which included a war diary and photographs, which the museum did not bid for, made £5800 instead of the guide £1,200 to £1,500. “It is disappointing, but at least the sale has brought out the stories of these men, which will be collated for the museum - even if we cannot have the real medals on display.” new.edp24.co.uk 23 Sep 06

• Roll of Honour Website The site features photographs of war memorials from across the UK, and provides details and background information about all the people who are listed.

• New medals for oldest war veteran Britain's oldest war veteran has been presented with medals to replace two he lost 60 years ago in the Blitz. Henry Allingham, 108, of Eastbourne, was given a British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 as an aircraft mechanic. Steps were taken by the Ministry of Defence to replace his medals after it was discovered he had borrowed some for a World War I commemorative event. news.bbc.co.uk 23 Feb 05

• Naval Honours Awards for services in Russia Newspaper cutting - extracts from "The Times" of London, c 1919) 12 Oct 04

• Gallipoli medals get lasting home An Oldhamman who fell on the battlefield nearly 90 years ago, and whose body rests thousands of miles away, has provided a lasting legacy for the town. Following a donation from his family, the medals of Private John Arthur Goldsby will forever belong to the people of Oldham and, after a special ceremony, have now taken pride of place alongside the belongings of many more of the borough’s bravest. In 1914, as a member of the Oldham Territorial Force (10th Manchester Regiment), Private Goldsby was called into service at the outset of the Great War. Oldhamadvertiser Mar 04

• Oldest known Great War veteran leads tributes to the dead Britain's oldest known veteran of the Great War led the tributes to the nation's war dead at the Remembrance Day march. Henry Allingham, 107, who served at the Somme and Ypres, rode in an open-top 1911 Austin car at the head of the long column of former servicemen and women who marched silently past the monument to The Glorious Dead. Telegraph 10 Nov 03 The Great Survivors Just 27 WWI veterans keep memory alive. Brief overview of each survivor's military career. Sunday Mirror 9 Nov 03

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• Researching a British soldier of 1914-1918 Lots of great information on researching medals of British soldiers of WWI (Ref: www.1914-1918.net)

• The British Army in the Great War Website (Chris Baker) The Army of 1914-1918 was the largest organisation ever produced by Great Britain. Who were these men? Why did they fight? What happened to them?

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Debt of Honour Register - Provides personal and service details and places of commemoration for the 1.7 million members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First or Second World Wars.

WWII Era Medals

• WWII Medals (Stephen Stratford)

• War dead listed in CD roll of honour (WWII)

• WWII Commonwealth awards to RCAF (Canadian Department of National Defence)
• World War II (BBC - Historical information and other resources)
• Far East Research Information (King's College London Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives) This includes papers relating to Borneo, Burma, China, Hong Kong, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Malaya, Singapore and Vietnam.

• Spink sees Red over Russian medal (Russian leaders want to hand out awards to surviving Royal and Merchant Navy sailors in Britain to honour their service during the Second World War. The sailors, who took part in the Arctic Convoy, kept supply lines open and carried tanks and aircraft which saved many Russian lives and ultimately helped to win the war. But Whitehall has described the scheme as "inappropriate" because the medal was originally intended only for Soviet sailors. (Sep 02)

• France presents Jock with highest honour - as he heads back to Normandy beaches The oldest member of the Normandy Veterans Association is due to be presented with France’s highest award for bravery, at a ceremony in London next week – a few days before he travels back to the beaches where he landed 60 years ago. Mr John Wilson MM, who was 100 last year, fought his way through Belgium, Holland and Germany in the Second World War as a soldier in the Scottish Horse, Royal Regiment of Artillery. Now he is one of seven elderly soldiers to be awarded the prestigious Légion d’Honneur – the French order of knighthood – for his part in the Allied invasion of Europe which started on June 6 1944. eastlothiancourier.com 28 May 04

• France honours British WW2 veterans - Seven British war veterans have been awarded France's highest military honour for their part in the country's liberation. All of the former soldiers received the Legion d'Honneur for sacrifices they made during Second World War. Some were on the beaches at D-Day while others fought with Free French forces trying to liberate their country from Nazi occupation. Alexander Barron, 82, who moved from Sheffield to Edinburgh 40 years ago and is a former dean of Napier University, was among the veterans who received their medals. He served as a lieutenant in the 114th Armoured Regiment which was landed at Sword Beach on D-Day. Charles Kennedy, 83, a former London bus conductor from Tottenham now living in Harlow, Essex, did not take part in the D-Day landings but fought alongside French troops in north Africa. The other men to receive the Legion d'Honneur were: Percy Redfearn, 79, who was landed a Gold Beach on D-Day; Frank Jones, 83, who served with the Free French naval forces; Gordon Fleming, 79, who also landed at Sword Beach; Tom Bird, 85, who helped relieve French troops in north Africa; and Dennis Cox, 83, who served on a French submarine in the Mediterranean. Patrick Churchill, 80, from Witney, Oxon, who was decorated for fighting SS troops in Antwerp, took part in today's ceremony but did not receive his medal. He will be presented with the honour by President Jacques Chirac of France on June 6 as a representative of all British troops who fought in Normandy. telegraph.co.uk 24 May 04

• City D-Day hero wins award for bravery A city D-Day veteran has received France’s highest military bravery award for his part in the Normandy landings. Alexander Barron was among seven old soldiers awarded the prestigious Legion d’Honneur for their part in history’s biggest military invasion. Mr Barron, 82, of Lanark Road, Juniper Green, served as a lieutenant in the 114th Armoured Regiment and landed at Sword Beach on D-Day. He fought in France and was then involved in the pursuit of enemy forces deep into Germany until the end of the war. scotsman.com 25 May 04

• Harrogate war veteran A Harrogate war veteran has been awarded France's highest military bravery decoration for his efforts during World War Two. Dennis Cox, 83, was among seven British veterans to be awarded the Legion d'Honneur for their gallantry and aid to the French during the Second World War, an act marking the anniversary of D-Day and of the French liberation. The great-grandfather and retired librarian was liaison officer onboard the Free French submarine Curie for two years from 1943 on patrols in the Mediterranean. harrogatetoday.co.uk 28 May 04

• D-Day heroes to be remembered online The names of 12,000 war heroes decorated for bravery during the Second World War will soon be searchable online. All the servicemen and women were granted awards for gallantry in North West Europe between D-Day and the end of the war. The names of nearly 600 soldiers and officers are now available and The National Archives hope to complete the project by May 2005 in time for the anniversary of the end of the war. The records can be viewed on The National Archives' website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and click on the catalogue, PROCAT. icbirmingham 1 Jun 04

• French Medal Honours D-Day Veterans D-day veterans Edwin Hannath and Roland Jefferson were among 35 men from across the country to receive the Legion d'Honneur at a ceremony in London. The award is France's highest military award for bravery, and it was presented to Mr Hannath and Mr Jefferson for their part in France's liberation and their role in the Normandy Veterans' Association. It follows the award given to Frank Jones (83), of Sutton-on-Sea, last week. The veterans will be allowed to wear the French medal alongside their British medals. thisisgrimsby.co.uk 2 Jun 04

• Medal for 'forgotten soldier Glyndwr Collins, who fought in the World War II liberation of the Philippines, is being awarded with a special honour by the country's ambassador. The Aberfan ex-communications serviceman is one of just three people in the UK who are being presented with the Philippine Liberation and Medal. BBC News 3 Dec 03 Apparently only the third medal awarded to the British - Mr Glyndwr Thomas Evan Collins (pictured), Mr Constantine Shiels and Mr Frank Broomhead being awarded it under General Orders Number 1090.

• Battle of Britain Roll of Honour 'The Few' were 2353 young men from Great Britain and 574 from overseas, pilots and other aircrew, who are officially recognised as having taken part in the Battle of Britain. Each flew at least one authorised operational sortie with an eligible unit of the Royal Air Force or Fleet Air Arm during the period 10 July to 31 October 1940. 544 lost their lives during the period of the Battle, and these are marked by an asterisk. A further 791 were killed in action or died in the course of their duties before the wars end, which is also noted. Alphabetical List (Sep 02)

• Convoy veterans to take medal protest to No 10 Survivors of one of the Second World War's most dangerous campaigns are battling for long-overdue medals to be awarded. More than 60 years ago, thousands of Royal Navy and Merchant Navy seamen risked their lives to keep Russia in the war, by taking vital supplies across the Barents Sea to the Arctic ports of Murmansk and Archangel. They endured frequent attacks from German U-boats, bombers and surface raiders in one of the world's harshest environments. But while the veterans were later awarded two commemorative medals by a grateful Russia, Whitehall has never granted the men a British medal specifically linked to the Russian convoys. Seven years after first mounting a nationwide campaign to win recognition, the survivors are stepping up their fight by marching on 10 Downing Street on May 15, when a delegation will deliver a petition to Prime Minister Tony Blair. From August 1941 to May 1945, nearly 3,000 Allied seafarers lost their lives on the Russian convoys and nearly 100 ships were sunk. It is estimated that 2,000 heroes from the conflict are still alive today. westernmorningnews.co.uk 14 Apr 04

• Medal campaign peaks with London demo The fight for a medal to recognise the sacrifices of the Arctic Campaign heroes of the Second World War will be taken to Tony Blair in a demonstration organised by The News, Portsmouth. The Last Chance for Justice petition was launched by The News on January 5 because of the Government's continuing refusal to honour the men who fought in sub-zero horrendous conditions to keep Russia supplied in the Second World War. The Arctic Campaign took place between 1941 and 1945 and involved taking supplies of weapons, food, fuel and other resources to the Russian Army. Without the efforts of both the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy, Russia could have been defeated by the Germans leaving the Allies with an almost impossible task to win the Second World War. But, despite their huge success and the unique harshness of a campaign that involved cold of -30C, the veterans were not awarded a medal after the war. Instead they were offered the Atlantic Star, which was for a different campaign. To add insult to injury a six-month qualification period for the Atlantic Star meant that the crews on just six of the 670 Arctic ships could qualify. All other Second World War campaign medals had a one-day qualification period. Mike Gilson said: "We hope this petition and the huge support we have received from all corners of Britain will finally persuade Mr Blair to award an Arctic Star." holdthefrontpage.co.uk 14 May 04

  • Arctic Veterans march for medal Second World War veterans who delivered supplies to Russian allies in perilous conditions have marched in London to demand a separate Arctic Star medal. bbc.co.uk 15 May 04

• Wartime Arctic Medal Campaign 'Backed by Most Mps' A naval veteran leading a battle for a belated wartime campaign medal claimed majority support in the House of Commons. Commander Eddie Grenfell, 84, wrote last month to each of the 659 MPs asking them to back the demand for a specific campaign medal for those who served on the Arctic convoys in the Second World War. He said 332 MPs had so far given their support. The Arctic Medal Campaign organisation has been fighting for seven years for medals to be awarded to all the veterans of the convoys which carried essential military supplies to the Russian army between 1941 and 1945. During those four years they steamed through treacherous icy seas and deadly enemy action to deliver four million tons of war equipment, including tanks and planes, to the Russian front line. Many of the surviving 3,000 Arctic veterans are angry that they have not been awarded a campaign medal in recognition of their efforts. Similar wartime campaigns, such as those in the Pacific, Burma, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, have been officially recognised. news.scotsman.com 23 Jul 04

• Blair Challenged on Arctic Medal The Prime Minister faced an angry backlash when he said the Government was still trying to resolve issues surrounding the awarding of a medal for serving on Russian convoys in the Second World War. Facing a fresh challenge about the award of an Arctic Star campaign medal, Mr Blair said: “We continue to look at this but it is extremely difficult at the moment to see the way through.” Tory Julian Lewis (New Forest E) responded: “That’s not the answer these courageous men were hoping to hear the day before Remembrance Day.” Mr Lewis said the Prime Minister had the power to “over-rule the bureaucrats” and urged him to do just that. But Mr Blair said it was not simply for him to decide. “It has to be done in a way that the armed forces themselves are satisfied with and that is something that continues to be the subject of discussion. scotsman.com 10 Nov 04

• Arctic Convoys Medal Campaign Breakthrough Campaigners will try to persuade a key official that servicemen who braved treacherous conditions in the World War Two Arctic convoys deserve belated medals. Commander Eddie Grenfell, who represents the veterans, will meet with the secretary of the