Sir, I wish to refer to the article about me (Herald, July 9) and in particular to the last sentence in that article which read: ‘Veterans and relatives of veterans who have passed away can apply for the clasp as long as they flew one mission during the war’.
I was not responsible for making that statement when I was interviewed by Mark McKay.
For the sake of accuracy in reporting and clarification for your readers, I now quote the following extract from the veterans-uk website (http://www.veterans-uk.info/arctic_star_index.htm ): ‘The Bomber Command Clasp is granted to the aircrew of Bomber Command who served for at least sixty days, or completed a tour of operations, on a Bomber Command operational unit and flew at least one operational sortie on a Bomber Command operational unit from the 3 September 1939 to the 8 May 1945 inclusive. This applies to Servicemen after they have met the minimum qualification for the 1939-45 Star, which in many cases, though not exclusively, is sixty days’.
I might add that there have been several complaints made to the MoD about this criteria as described and that we still await the outcome of a final report from Sir John Holmes (appointed by our Prime Minister on April 30, 2012) as the independent chairman of his military campaign medals in the Second World War review panel on that subject.
Jim Wright
Gibson Close
Abingdon
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