Monday, May 19, 2008

[defence of the realm] two stories

First one from Australia:

One of Australia's national heroes is Simpson with his donkey.

Ninety-three years ago today, Private Simpson was killed ferrying wounded soldiers to safety from the front line at Gallipoli, under enemy fire. [He was] fatally wounded in the chest by Turkish gunfire on the morning of May 19, 1915, and was buried at 6.30 that evening at Hell Spit, on the southern end of Anzac Cove.

His commanding officer at the time, Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Sutton, recommended him for the country's highest military award. The day after Simpson's death, Colonel John Monash, then the commander of the Australian Imperial Force's 4th Infantry Brigade at Gallipoli, sent a submission to Australian and New Zealand Divisional Headquarters.

So what's the problem? Give him the VC. Not so fast says the Labor government's tribunal. Hero or no hero, he lacks the correct documentation. He:

"must be supported by signed statements of at least three eyewitnesses of the act for which the award is recommended. These statements should be on oath."

Oh that's easy. Let's dig up the remains of three ANZACs from 1915, get them along to the tribunal and they can swear an affidavit to the effect that Australia's national hero is actually Australia's national hero.


Second one from the U.K.

Last year the head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, warned that a lack of public appreciation for Britain's military effort in Iraq and Afghanistan was in danger of "sapping" the willingness of troops to serve on dangerous operations.

Now:

Gordon Brown is said to have accepted "virtually all" of the suggestions in the National Recognition of the Armed Forces review, led by Quentin Davies, the former Tory MP who defected to Labour last summer and was asked by the Prime Minister to look into ways of restoring the public image of the military.

He proposes a bank holiday to recognize the military. Good stuff, you say. Sorry to be mealy-mouthed about it but can you see the photo opportunities for Brown as he puts his hand on his heart and makes a speech about how much he has supported the military in Iraq and how he is all for them?

5 comments:

  1. Labour Governments have always hated the military and what it stands for, and the kind of people that join up - devotion to Queen and country, self-sacrifice, integrity, moral courage, physical courage - probably because it reflects how severely lacking in those qualities these self-congratulatory champagne socialists are, and they don't like being reminded of it.

    On another note, but with regard to Govt bureaucracy - I tried to get my father some kind of post-humous recognition for his services, and was told that they couldn't award anything without my fathers permission. Errrrr....ok, how do I go about getting that then? lol

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  2. Perhaps you should read this article:

    "But a Defence Department spokesman said: "It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make an award of a Victoria Cross to Simpson for his action at Gallipoli during World War I."

    He said recommendations "must be supported by signed statements of at least three eyewitnesses of the act for which the award is recommended. These statements should be on oath."

    The Defence Dept has also stated that it needs the recommendations, not just the new Defence Honors and Awards Tribunal. The Defence dept was the same dept in place when Liberal leader John Howard was at the helm, so lets just blame the government of the day, makes it easier.
    "Witness accounts of Simpson's deeds exist but they are mostly unspecific diary accounts of his journeys from battlefield to dressing station."

    http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/anzac-legend-simpson-to-be-denied-posthumous-bravery-medal/2008/05/18/1211049073091.html

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  3. My reply in no way dismisses the courage and bravery of Simpson and all diggers who fought and fight in war.

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  4. That's exactly what I said, Nunyaa. 3 witnesses have to be found. Shall be dig them up from the ground? What a ridiculous stipulation for someone who is already a national hero.

    Give him the VC he deserves.

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  5. "Not so fast says the Labor government's tribunal."
    This isn't just a Labor government's tribunal decision, it is also a defence departmental decision as well.

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