Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal 2002

[Tony Farrell]

The Long Service & Good Conduct Medal - that's one medal I respect nowadays (not the TA one).

I'm sure there's many a long serving Territorial soldier who would find such off-handed dismissal of the Efficiency Medal as quite offensive. Twelve years' service might not sound much, but when that service is carried out under the strains of modern life, i.e. employers, wives & girlfriends, kids, mortgage et al, the award deserves rather more credence than it usually gets. In fact, it's a wonder we have a reserve army at all!

How some of these blokes (& girls) hold down jobs, complete university degrees, maintain families, and put time in the the reserve forces is beyond me. I realise that there are certain individuals who spend years in the TA and do the bare minimum to qualify for their bounty, but they are relatively few nowadays, as the paring away of the reserves a few years ago booted a lot of these wasters & dreamers out.

But try not to be too unkind to the 'Stabs', many of whom are ex-regulars anway. Time in & effort are the same in any man's army.

(The Territorial Army is the UK's equivalent of the National Guard, for the benefit of our US readers)

[Robin Lumsden]

My gongs for 'Treue Dienst in der Polizei' - UK-style. A couple of bits of scrap metal to most, but they represent nearly 30 years of hard slog, albeit well-paid hard slog

[Tony Farrell]

Nice scan Rob - nice & clear & big. By the way, what happened with that number plate bollocks that was doing the rounds in the gutter press a few months ago?

[MH184]

Just reading the post on the TA quote, I bet that was me that said that, how arrogant and ignorant of me

And me former TA and married to a girl who was in the TA of whom I met in Kosovo.

These boys and girls are as you say, commited and dedicated individuals who deserve a higher status than by the scorning likes of a ex ARAB REMF like me.

We couldn't function without them, I was in the Gulf as TA; as are they to this day under more of a threat than I ever was likely to be.

Credit and respect to them

Kind regards,

Marcus

[Tony Farrell]

Just reading the post on the TA quote, I bet that was me that said that, how arrogant and ignorant of me.

Yes it was, and... yes it was. Never mind. At least you've put some time in! Quite a lot of the TA peole are going through sheer bloody hell these days, what with commitment over-strech, and over-reliance on an already depleted reserve force. I just wonder who thinks all these 'strategies' up. The reserves are suffering from a glut in recruiting as are the regulars, and those that are in are just as jarred off with the politicos as are the regualrs.

The whole point of a reserve force is to augment, support & replace (as & when) the regular forces in times of war. It is not a 'squaddies on the cheap option' for whenever the government wishes to embark on some cake & arse punitive crusade.

We still have not recovered from the 1994 'options for change'. What options? There was no option. Absolutely nothing has been done in a decade to bring the armed forces up to speed, apart from squandering millions on the bloody Eurofighter*. The chickens have come home to roost, and it bloody shows too!

*Why is it that anything involving the word 'Euro' costs five times as much as if we developed it ourselves?

[Robin Lumsden]

Tony.

I was amazed at how clear that photo of the medals came out. It was taken yesterday with a 5 megapixel Kodak, and was the first picture I had ever taken using a digital camera.

The 'number plate bollocks' is now water under the bridge so far as I am concerned. There were no adverse outcomes, and I learned two valuable lessons from the whole escapade -

1. You can't believe ANYTHING you read in ANY newspaper, tabloid or otherwise; and

2. You find out in double quick time who your real friends are .

Best regards,

Robin.

[Tony Farrell]

... and was the first picture I had ever taken using a digital camera!

It's that gentle touch you see. Here's to more lovely big scans!

[Dan T]

Good to have you on board Robin. Last time I saw you were punting around the Motorcyle Museum in Brum. (Pity the old place burned down. The fairs there weren't too bad)