Bomber Command Campaign Medal Petition

I guess that posting could be cut away from here....

 

it should be Kai the lame-brain is gone thank goodness, we will always have deniers amongst us throwing out their verbal swill due to un-education and non-acceptance of the facts

 

I would have deleted Hengest's asinine post, but these responses are worth reading, so I left them all here.

 

A question, because I honestly don't know. Did the USAAF award any sort of campaign medal to crews, beside the ETO medal? Aside from personal bravery medals of course.

I am NOT comparing Bomber Command and 8th AF, just curious.

 

New Member here. My Great Uncle James "Jimmie" McGee, AG/Pilot Officer - RCAF, was on his 25th mission under Bomber Command when his PB678 collided mid-air with PB683. He volunteered for a bombing run to Koln, December 23, 1944, when he was due to go home.
Interestingly enough, I have always wondered about a campaign medal for Bomber Command. I understand that no matter what your nationality is, if you served under Bomber Command during the war, or you are proven blood-relation, you can purchase for nominal fee. I just can't remember the site or to which organization the funds go to.
Anybody know?

 

wow that hengest really shot his mouth off

also he has only posted once and hes already gone! i live in fear lol

but yes im from down under and i would sign the petition. annnnnnnnd i have a brit passport does that make me eligible to put down a signature?

 

If the British Prime Minister's office is the department or section of the British government being petitioned, then what is the legal eligibility criteria of the signatories? For example, it would be logical and reasonable that signatories must be British citizens eligible to vote or enrolled to vote on the electoral roll. Signatories must be able to have their identities checked for authenticity. If the citizenship criterion is necessary, then I and a lot of others would naturally not be able to sign the petition, provided of course it is still open; and then surviving Australian, NZ, Canadian, South African, etc. (they'd be a good age now) flying-crew and ground-crew members of Bomber Command squadrons would have to petition their respective governments for this or a similar campaign medal to be issued.

 

Hmmm....As a British subject AND living in Australia, I'm sorry I did not sign this earlier.

Small question, were Coastal Command crew given a gong of any description? If this medal is ever to be handed out, shouldn't Coastal Command recieve some type of recognition as well?

CC may not have been a very glamorous job, but airpower broke the back of the U-Boats, and paved the way for shipping to build up for D-Day, so CC's contribution is no less important, probably more so in the wider scheme of things...

Nice to see the trash being evicted at the same time. Reaping the whirlwind, eh what old boy?

 

OOps...they kyboshed CC in the same breath. F#%*ing politicians!

Set up an "Interdepartmental committee to discuss the issues at length." My arse....

Sounds very much like Humphrey Appleby was in nominal command of this one. Did anyone deny civil servants a medal for similar reasons? This one has left a distinct taste of crap in my particular mouth....

 

Coastal Command, like Bomber Command, were awarded the 'Aircrew Europe Star' BC men usually had a France and Germany clasp, whereas CC had an Atlantic clasp.....

 

This post moved to and updated at http://www.ww2f.com/air-war-western...governement-spring-2012-opening-ceremony.html

This endeavor has come to some sort of fruition. The group leading the charge for a medal gave up on the effort after repeated dismissal by the Government, but then converted their energy into a project to build a Memorial. Still no official medal though, sad to say.
- Caution note that Private Enterprize "created" one in 1985. See: http://www.awardmedals.com/bomber-command-medal-p-658.html

But a Bomber Command Memorial costing well over 6 million pounds including a Greek columned building structure enclosing sculptures of a bomber crew of seven
has been approved by the UK government with the opening ceremony ± scheduled for spring 2012 in Piccadilly, Westminster City. See the 17 minute section onwards at the following video:
(The preceding portion of the video is of interviews from crew still hoping for a Bomber Command Medal)
.
[video=vimeo;19476177]http://vimeo.com/19476177[/video]

 

Considering all the RCAF who served, its a bit of a slap in the face.

I wonder if they will actually vet the applicants to see if really deserve one?

 

Has anyone seen the latest Bomber Command E Petition ? :
Campaign Medals for Bomber Command - e-petitions
I think we should all try again.
The important thing is publicity.
If everyone on here added a few threads to every other forum* they go on, and then people on those did the same, then it`d take off.


* Remember they don`t have to be war forums. I`ve added threads to Digital Spy, Canalworld and Sheffield Forum.

 

Not wanting to start a whole new bomber H thread and its ramifications..perhaps this belongs here

BBC One - Inside Out West Midlands, 11/02/2013

 

Unfortunately after watching it once as I;m in west midlands area, it has gone from their news website. It is being shown thru day for uk viewers on bbc news 24 and being repeated...Hopefully will appear on i player by end of day.

 

BBC News - Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris interview uncovered

Now on BBC News general site.

 

"At an emotional gala ceremony at Downing Street, 25 airmen – described as the “bravest of the brave” – proudly received a golden clasp.
It means the select band of veterans can wear the clasp on the ribbon of their 1939-45 campaign medal and rights a seven-decade injustice.
Until yesterday, the 125,000 men who made up Bomber Command received no official thanks for their heroism during the Second World War.
Such was the importance of yesterday’s reception that David Cameron described meeting the crewmen as the proudest day of his premiership.
The creation of the Bomber Command clasp follows a long-running campaign spearheaded by the Daily Express and backed by our army of readers. Only around 5,000 Bomber Command airmen are still alive. But the memory of tens of thousands of wartime airmen will be kept going as the families of servicemen who died can apply to receive the new honour.
The veterans, all in their 80s and 90s, were treated to afternoon tea in Downing Street’s state rooms."
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/385531/At-last-a-golden-day-for-our-Bomber-Command-heroes

 

RAF Cosford today, one of my old bases....I particularly like the RAF Bomber vetrans statements....And I'm sitting here gobsmacked that they had to pay for the flaming things that were so long coming...
Per Ardua Ad Astra.....shylocks...

http://www.itv.com/news/central/topic/raf-cosford/

 

And just to add insult to injury....

http://www.london24.com/news/bgt_finalists_to_appear_at_concert_for_vandalised_ww2_memorial_1_2220216

 

Even though my relatives were probably trying to shoot these guys down I think they should have been recognized for their service years ago. They gave all when their country asked them to. They did what they were ordered to do in a pretty horrible war. Their casualties were some of the highest in the war. But the politician has to check to see which way the wind blows before acting. Bloody remfs