Defence written statement – made at on 27 April 2006.
Don Touhig
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Veterans), Ministry of Defence, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Veterans)
I am pleased to announce that the 25th anniversary of the Falklands conflict will be commemorated in the United Kingdom in June 2007. The commemorations, which will be designated "South Atlantic 25", will begin with the annual service of remembrance in the Falkland Islands memorial chapel at Pangbourne college, which will take place on
The armed forces will also participate in local commemorations being planned by the Falkland Islands Government.
The Ministry of Defence will be working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the veterans' organisations to plan the events in the United Kingdom, and will be liaising with the Falkland Islands Government. Further details will become available in due course and will be passed to the veterans' organisations and posted on the Veterans Agency website.
Annotations
Gerald Law
Posted on 28 Apr 2006 5:41 pm (Report this annotation)
Are there any plans to hold similar events for the veterans of Malaya Emergency/Borneo Confrontation, which celebrates the 40th Anniverary of the official end of the conflict in August 2006?
john fenton
Posted on 28 Apr 2006 6:35 pm (Report this annotation)
Gerald Law raises an important point. The veterans of the Malayan 'Emergency' & the Borneo 'Konfrontasi' have recently been granted the right to receive the Pingat Jasa Malaysia from a grateful Malaysian Government for their assistance to that state in troubled times.
The Malaysian people consider the PJM to be a most important decoration and the 31st of August being Malaysia's 'Merdeka' (Freedom Day) I'm confident that their Consulate would be delighted to provide a high ranking official to pin the PJM on the chests of a few proud recipients.
Jock Fenton.
Barry Fleming
Posted on 28 Apr 2006 6:42 pm (Report this annotation)
This is indeed an event to be commemorated and not a time for people to post porky remarks about the selective way in which the MoD and the FCO choose the campaigns to commemorate.
We veterans remember the dead from all sides on Remembrance Day and we always have a special place in our thoughts for those who died in the Falklands.
Just as we do those who died in Malaya/Borneo protecting the newly independent nation of Malaysia (the 40th anniversary of which we shall commemorate this August). In that context, on Remembrance Day we shall wear a medal awarded to us by the King and Government of Malaysia, the Pingat Jasa Malasyia. That's the one that you said we veterans should not wear because it compromises the Imperial Honours System.
I cannot remember any commemoration of that conflict in the Far East that lasted 18 years and ended in a victory over terror and aggression, so to be sure I don't miss anything this year, I'll wear my Pingat Jasa Malaysia in August as well.
And I shall be on parade next year to remember my friends who fought in the Falkands - and those who did not return.
John Cooper
Posted on 28 Apr 2006 7:46 pm (Report this annotation)
Reading about the PJM Medal, I am entitled to this medal and I am most grateful that the Agong and Government of Malaysia has given us the opportunity for 35000 Veterans to receive this medal but unfortunately the Government QUANGOs hiding under a smokescreen called the HD Committee have advised HM The Queen that we must not wear the medal.
Ostrich feathers and men in breeches went out with the Empire years ago, where do they get these Monty Python characters from?