Emblem For Arctic Convoy Veterans.

[leigh kitchen]

I read in Medal News that:

"An emblem is to be awarded for service in the Arctic regions during World War II, in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy. The surviving next of kin of those who served in the Arctic, but have since died, will be able to claim the emblem on their behalf, although they will not be entitled to wear it.The emblem will be issued free to all those entitled to it......."

This appears to be an official thing rather than a veterans organisation thing?

If so, then I'm puzzled as to why it's being issued.
I fail to see how participation in Arctic convoys etc is worthy of official distinction in this way, not to demean that service, but what sets it apart from the dangerous & unpleasant experiences of so many others during that war, be it Bomber Command, Dunkirk, D-Day, Arnhem, Tobruk, submarine service, Commando raid veterans and so many others?

Everybody seems to want their own official club medal or badge nowadays (no reference to the perfectly justifiable GSM Suez), they all feel that their services were something special. I'd suggest that their services were something special but that it's divisive and unfair to make this kind of official didtinction.

I don't begrudge the old fellahs their gongs & glitter, but feel that these things should not be official distinctions.

Of course, that's if it's official........
If not then ignore the above.

I suppose mother will apply for grandads Arctic emblem (think he's entitled to that), can't wait until they issue them for Commandos, Guardsmen, Ack Ack, Normandy, the Blitz, Dunkirk, Liberation of Brussels, hosp[ital ships etc etc etc, I can really reap a harvest from immediate relatives then.

[Tony Farrell]

I have misgivings about these retrospective trinkets. An Arctic Star would've been nice sixty years ago, but it was deemed unnecessary, so? I suppose the simplest solution would be a slip on clasp for the War Medal, somewhat akin to the Canadian Dieppe emblem. Oh, there I go being logical again.

[leigh kitchen]

Official emblems of this type make no sense to me. An argument against clasps for the WWI BWM was that it would be impractical to decide which actions or service should be recognised by a clasp & which should'nt (& of course expense played its part).
The basic medal issues of WWI & WWII are'nt fair to some people perhaps, the system's not fair, life's not fair, that's the way it goes, somebody's always going to miss out or feel hard done by. I would imagine that the majority of those who served during WWII qualified for at least one medal.
I don't see why Arctic service is any more deserving of a special distinction than participation at Arnhem, D-Day, Tobruk, Dunkirk, submarine service, Commando raids, Bomber Command, etc etc etc, I feel it's less fair to issue one or two of these "distinctions" than it is to keep to the basic campaign stars & medals
I've probably said all this already