‘Clasp’ for Bomber Command Veterans

Update; convoy veterans rightly recognised too:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21583176

I’ve always thought of the entire BC offensive from 39/45 as a “Campaign” and the individual “Battles” were battles taking place within that Campaign. Hence a Campaign medal.

Precisely so. Bomber Command was just that, a single Command within the much wider orginisation of the RAF. WWII medals were campaign medals only, i.e they recognised participation in the wider effort of war regardless of the inderviduals role (or rank).

Medals were not awarded to commands. This is true across the services (exception the 1st and 8th Army clasp to the Africa Star)

Only two battle clasps were awarded the BoB on the 39-45 Star and the North Africa 42-43 clasp on the Africa Star. These were singled out as significant turning points as the first defeats Germany suffered.

In my mind there should have been a whole range of Battle Clasps awarded, as this would indicate how and where a serviceman served. I also think it is a crying shame that WWII medals were not named before issue. The great thing about all other British medals is that they carry the recipients details so long after they have died there is a small token of what they did. WWII medals once no longer held by the recipient are meaningless. Given that the proposal of a BC clasp has come so late very few will get to wear it, and after they have gone it will just be a piece of metal with no story attached like the vast majority of WWII medals are now.

I think you could be right Kev. I hadn’t thought of of like that. So they are saying FC and BC were treated the same, but now BC will be treated differently. As you say, what about Coastal Command and Transport Command?

Guess it’s how you look at this. I’ve always thought of the entire BC offensive from 39/45 as a “Campaign” and the individual “Battles” were battles taking place within that Campaign. Hence a Campaign medal.

Still a clasp is better than nothing and I know no one here will begrudge them this.

I still don’t understand this “inconsistent treatment with Fighter Command” comment, there is no Fighter Command clasp. Only the BoB Clasp.

Isn’t it simply that Fighter Command Aircrew were awarded either the Aircrew Europe or France and Germany Stars, in the same way as Bomber Command Aircrew? This retrospective award of a clasp simply denoting they were in Bomber Command might, I suspect, be seen as an affront to the members of Fighter (or Coastal, Training or Transport) Commands. The Battle of Britain clasp is more akin to a Battle Honour, in much the same way as a clasp to all those in Bomber Command could have been awarded for the Battle of Berlin.

Regards,

kev35

I still don’t understand this “inconsistent treatment with Fighter Command” comment, there is no Fighter Command clasp. Only the BoB Clasp.

Jeepman, the urban legend is in fact the other way round. Harris was told that there was no need for a specific BC campaign medal because all in BC would have had the 39/45 Star and it was this that potentially could have gone to everyone. He didn’t want that and wanted something that went specifically to the air crews.

The real reason there was no BC campaign medal was because immediately post war the politicians suddenly had a change of mind and didn’t like what they themselves had asked Bomber Command to do.

Regards the Arctic Campaign medal, this was not given post war and not until now because Russia had suddenly become the enemy. Even so, it’s still taken 20 years since the end of the Cold War for this to be sorted.

I thought that some recognition for Bomber Command aircrew had been planned at the end of the war but Harris felt that the medal should also have been awarded to ground crew so it came to nought.

Or is that an urban legend although I’m sure I read it in a book by Prof Richard Holmes and in the Probert biography of Harris

This is great news.
What a pity that so relatively few of them will be able to receive it due to a near70-year delay.

This, as welcome as it is, could possibly open an even larger can of worms. The Government are in a tricky position here (not that that bothers me, per se) and are painting themselves further into a very tight corner.

This clasp for Bomber Command Veterans is welcome. As for where it would be worn I can think of three possible options. The first would be on the 1939 – 1945 Star, the second would be to wear it on the Aircrew Europe Star for those who qualified for that medal. The final option for those serving with Bomber Command after 5th June 1944 (when eligibility for the Aircrew Europe Star ended) would be to wear the clasp on the France & Germany Star (which replaced the Aircrew Europe Star for Bomber Command Veterans from the 5th June 1944.)

This could cause an issue. Aircrew who flew with Fighter Command up to 5th June 1944 (with the exception of those awarded the Battle of Britain clasp) would be awarded the Aircrew Europe Star, those flying after June 1944 were awarded France & Germany Stars but NO clasps to denote their service within a particular Command. I can see it leading to some resentment. Having set the precedent, perhaps the Government might now have to consider the award of a specific Fighter Command Clasp or one for 2nd TAF (that’s just a couple of examples.) For Aircrew Serving in 2nd TAF or Air Defence of Great Britain who were awarded France & Germany Stars, there would be no differentiation (medal wise) between aircrew and an Infantryman who arrived on the Continent on or after 6th June 1944.

Regards,

kev35

Whilst I agree that history has not been kind to Bomber Command I never understood the argument that “of course Bomber Command was shunned as it never got a medal” argument. There was not a Fighter Command medal, nor one for Coastal Command, Transport Command, Training Command etc etc. The Second World War Medals were Campaign medals and awarded for all those that qualified for a particular campaign. The “Battle of Britain” clasp is a battle clasp and harks back to an earlier tradition of awarding battle clasps to medals, only those that took part in the battle got it and was not awarded simply because they happended to be part of Fighter Command. Bomber Command aircrew qualified for either the Aircrew Europe, France and Germany or Italy Star depending on dates of service and country they flew out of. Yes it could be argued that there should have been a “Battle of the Rhur” or similar clasp to acknoledge that for a good proportion of the war it was only Bomber Command that were carriring the fight to Germany. However there are many other battle clasps that could have been awarded, though the powers at the time decided not to (probably a hang over from WWI where battle clasps were not awarded either as there would have been just too many). To say that Bomber Command did not get “their” medal is just plain worng and muddies the issue of how Bomber Command has been treated since the end of the war. Okay rant over, this is good news though 🙂

No Campaign Medal for Bomber Command, however.
What’s the Fighter Command Clasp? There’s the Battle of Britain Clasp.
Do I assume the new BC clasp is for the 39/45 Star?

Still good to see the Arctic boys get their medal.

Most welcomed but long overdue,to all those who died during the war,and for the lack of recognition to all who have died since the war,who only wanted their due.Great news for the few we still have with us.

bless them all…

regards
jack…

Yes, them as well…..

Not a day too soon and in advance of what will no doubt be a plethora of knighthoods, CBEs, OBEs and the rest to Olympic medalists!!

And to assorted political riff raff:mad:

Not a day too soon and in advance of what will no doubt be a plethora of knighthoods, CBEs, OBEs and the rest to Olympic medalists!!