Lost WW2 medals and SAS Beret

[Jon Fish]

Posting a plea from someone who is linked on my facebook account. Maybe the medals will turn up at a fair or offered in the community, if so please drop me a PM, thanks, Jon

Please help us find my father, Peter Bennett's belongings: SAS beret & army medals. Sadly, he has dementia and lost everything (his blue over coat and green suit bag) when he visited London for the remembrance service at Westminster Abby.The service was on the 5th November then he stayed overnight at the Victory Club hotel and left London 6pm Kingscross to Grantham. He could have lost his coat any where (SAS club or anywhere else he went). His bag in a taxi, Kingscross or on the train home.

[dragnet]

Very sad news, lets hope the community can help reunite this gent with his hard earned awards
p.s. If the medals were to turn up then they would be easy to identify and a conscience will help here

[Bond]

Good luck in the search, I hope they are found and returned.

[Seigfried]

Whilst it is sad that he has lost them, these are not WW2 medals. There are at least three 'commemorative' medals (TA Medal, British Forces Campaign Medal, Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal that anybody can buy, along with a 1962 GSM.

What was his family thinking of letting him off to London on his own with dementia?

[Seigfried]

Also worn are three medals from the Dhofar and Oman governments. I suspect that his only legitimate medal is the 1962 GSM with probably the 'Dhofar' clasp. You cannot wear more than one medal per campaign, and must get the sovereigns permission to wear foreign awards.

Anyone wearing the SAS beret attracts scrutiny I am afraid, it is favourite headdress with 'walts' everywhere.

[Totenhead]

Best of luck with finding his belongings !

[Allan B]

Hopefully they will turn up.

[Marc Sherriff]

Also worn are three medals from the Dhofar and Oman governments. I suspect that his only legitimate medal is the 1962 GSM with probably the 'Dhofar' clasp. You cannot wear more than one medal per campaign, and must get the sovereigns permission to wear foreign awards.

Anyone wearing the SAS beret attracts scrutiny I am afraid, it is favourite headdress with 'walts' everywhere.

The Gentleman served in the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces and is rightly entitled to the Sultan's awards and to wear them.

Marc

[Seigfried]

The Gentleman served in the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces and is rightly entitled to the Sultan's awards and to wear them.

Marc

May I draw your attention to this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...rt-July-12.pdf

Please note Annex D:

"ANNEX D
RULES GOVERNING THE ACCEPTANCE AND WEARING OF FOREIGN ORDERS, DECORATIONS AND MEDALS BY CITIZENS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HER OVERSEAS TERRITORIES
These rules set out the circumstances under which a citizen of the United Kingdom or her Overseas Territories ("UK citizen") may be granted The Sovereign‟s permission to accept and wear an Order, Decoration or Medal ("foreign award") conferred by a Head of State or Government of a foreign country, Head of Government of a Commonwealth country of which The Sovereign is not Head of State and certain international organisations (collectively referred to as "foreign state").

Principles

1. No UK citizen1 may accept and wear a foreign award without The Sovereign‟s permission. Such permission must be sought as soon as there is an indication that an award may be offered.

2. The granting of permission for a UK citizen to accept an award offered by a foreign state will only be considered if the award recognises specified services rendered to the interests of that foreign state.

3. Permission will not be given for UK citizens to accept a foreign award if they have received, or are expected to receive, a UK award for the same services.

4. Acceptance of a foreign award does not mean that the UK will make a reciprocal offer directly or indirectly associated with the UK recipient.

Permission

5. Permission to wear a foreign award, if granted, will be either:
unrestricted – allowing the award to be worn on any occasion; or
restricted – allowing the award to be worn only on particular occasions associated with the foreign state that conferred it.

6. The grant of permission, whether unrestricted or restricted, will be conveyed by letter to the UK citizen concerned from the The Sovereign‟s Private Secretary. "

The short version is - you need the Queen's permission. If he has this then no problem. However, there is no authority for the 'made up' medals that he is wearing which anybody can buy.

Also see:

"Recommendation 3

Avoiding double medalling for the same operational service should continue to be an absolute rule for British medallic recognition. It should also remain an important aim in cases where a combination of a British medal and a medal or medals from another country or international organisation is offered. "

In other words you cannot wear multiple medal for the same conflict.

[17thairborne]

What was his family thinking of letting him off to London on his own with dementia?

John,

Dementia is a very difficult and complex ailment. No one mentioned he was alone or that the family let him go by himself with their knowledge. Unless you send them to some home, it is hard to keep 100% accountability of them, especially since he is a former SAS man. He knows a thing or two about escape and evasion. Jon can use our support.


Jon,
Good luck with the search. My father has dementia and it is not an easy challenge. He served as an EM in the Air Force, and without SAS training he is a handful. We love him and do not want him in some state operated home so we care for him as best we can, until his health exceeds our ability to provide for him safely.

[Marc Sherriff]

May I draw your attention to this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...rt-July-12.pdf

Please note Annex D:

Please go to Annex F.

Marc

[Seigfried]

He's still wearing at least three 'made up' bling medals, which devalue the ones that he is entitled to.

[peter monahan]

I rather think you're missing the point, Siegfried! The man served, honourably one must assume, and earned some medals which he wore at events commemorating the fallen of various wars. He may or may not have decided, for reasons you and I do not and cannot know, to 'improve' his group. The medals have been lost and he would like them back. That is the point!

You're second post had the virtue of being informative, though I suggest you take Marc's advice on Annex F. The other two posts go, quite frankly, beyond pedantic and well into petty in this context. Good day, sir.

Peter Monahan

[Seigfried]

I am not missing the point at all Peter, I do sincerely hope that he gets his medals and beret back.

The thread title stated WW2 medals though, and they are not, and this single error gave me reason to look at the medals with more scrutiny than otherwise I may have done. I have seen and heard lots of people wearing medals at events like this that they are either not entitled to, or sadly have just bought to make their own medal bar look better. This IMO just devalues the whole concept of wearing medals - indeed if I hadn't clocked the 'bling' medals I would not have been so dismissive in the first place, but when one sees this type of 'bling' it automatically makes one question the whole picture.

I have a reasonable rack of my own medals, and fully understand what they represent, but I make no excuse for being pedantic when it comes to medal bars. I read Annex F and have learnt something also.

[Bond]

Some of the missing medals etc have been found, though the search continues for the rest.

The gentleman in question is a 1950's Malaya veteran, respect in my opinion whatever

http://forces.tv/68882080