Orders of the Day — War Decorations and Medals

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 22 March 1944.

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Photo of Mr Ronald Ross Mr Ronald Ross , County Londonderry

Notoriously in all Service matters there is nothing more difficult than that of the award of decorations. As many will remember, André Maurois in the last war described how shells and decorations descended alike upon the just and upon the unjust. But there is one thing we must always remember that, as was said in a famous British comic opera: When everybody's somebodyThen no one's anybody. If you disperse the decoration too widely, it ceases to have any great value. In the course of the discussion, to which I have listened with very great interest, there have been various suggestions, but I would only make one comment upon them. Having had some association with the Anti-Aircraft Defence of Great Britain at one time, I think that the allocation of a similar award for the anti-aircraft personnel and for the civil personnel would not be at all satisfactory and there would be very grave difficulties in carrying it out without producing ill-feeling and a sense of hardship amongst various people.

We have acknowledged that those who won the great victory of North Africa shall have upon the ribbon of their African medal a particular distinction. Now that battle was undoubtedly one of the turning points of the war but, on the other hand, there was another battle which was an even more significant turning point in the war, and the men who were the spearhead which won that battle have never received the slightest recognition in the shape of an award as a separate body. I refer to the fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain. They have had from the Prime Minister the most unexampled tribute that any body of fighting men have ever had, but has that been translated into something which shall be visible to those who meet them in the street? No. In my submission, they should be entitled to wear some emblem upon their 1939–43 Star which would make it plain that they were the fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain. We know what we owe to them. It is fitting that I, a member of another Service, should make this suggestion, which I think will have the support of nearly everybody in this House. We are, and I think few of us are exceptions to the rule, somewhat affected by the numbers of people involved, perhaps the numbers of our constituents, perhaps the number of people in the country at large. We have had many suggestions in the course of this Debate which would involve the issue of medals to tens of thousands and, perhaps unwittingly, we have rather multiplied the claim by the number who claim it. Well, the people I am putting forward are unaffected by that. There are very few survivors left of that gallant band.