Just recieved this email :-

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2010-02-03a.409.11&s=pjm#g409.12

Not sure I have read it correctly so must have another read. Bloody OA catching up

Phredd

Phredd,

I agree that a rosette should be worn to distinguish those who fought before independence. However, since the idea of a rosette is to gain the recognition it is felt they should have in view of the PJM, awarded after the Independence of Malaya for which they did not qualify, permission to wear the PJM should be given concurent with the granting of any rosette, or the grievence felt by those at this time will only be transposed.

I hope both will get permission to be worn.


David

Excuse my muddled thinking, but, when a rosette is granted to a medal holder, it normally indicates a subsequent clasp.

It is worn only on the ribbon, but not on the complete medal, when worn on formal parade.

I have no objection to those who qualify under the proposal, being given their proper due, but to further confuse an already muddled system, will result in further changes being made to existing regulations. What next? Not being allowed to wear your GSM.

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts my friends, as Troy found out.

Yours Aye

Arthur R-S

You have summed up the situation to a tee, David. I have often felt uncomfortable in the company of old Malaya comrades who served there before my time and do not have the right to even apply for the PJM. I was on the cusp, arriving in Kuala Lumpur while the celebrations of the original Merdeka were still going on. I got my gong but those who preceeded me got nothing...but have been most gracious in backing our fight.

This evening I took the details of the latest revelations to a neighbour who served with the Malay Scouts as a muteteer and he is over the moon to think that a rosette might be added to his GSM.


_________________
Mike Barton

I say this with humility but I think some of our Comrades are getting "mixed up". The GSM1918-1960 was issued with clasp MALAYA and covers the period of the emergency. In 1962 a new version of the GSM was struck entitled GSM 1962-? and was still being awarded right up to the finish of operations in Northern Ireland last year. This GSM(1962) was issued with the bars, Malay Peninsula for those eligible who served on the Mainland of Malaya and Borneo for those who took part in the Borneo campaign. Both the two GSMs have the same coloured ribbon (purple and green) but the colours are reversed and the reverse of the medal is different ,the 1918 version having the figure of victory and the 1962 having the words For Campaign Service. Many who served during the period have both Malay Peninsula and Borneo bars myself being one of those. I only point out the difference of the two GSMs because you just have to look at the colour of the ribbon to see who served at what point in time and a rossette does not seem necessary. Both GSMs were issued with many clasps as was the Naval General Service Medal and it was decided by the MoD to combine both the GSM and the NGSM and so the GSM1962 came into being. The GSM as now been replaced with the Operational Service Medal. This medal will have no clasps and the medal will be awarded with the same obverse and reverse but with a different coloured ribbon for each operation. I do hope the above as been of some interest, Yours in Comradeship, Bob "T".......