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Bill Blyth
Joined: 18 Oct 2006
Posts: 104
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PJM Newcastle upon Tyne
This article was from the Newcastle Journal 22/02/2011.
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VETERANS have been honoured for their bravery more than 50 years after a war that took them into the heart of an Asian jungle.
The Pingat Jasa Malaysia – Malaysian Service Medal – was handed to former servicemen at Newcastle Rugby Club yesterday in recognition of work defending the country’s independence from terrorists.
Brigadier general Othman Bin Jamal, of the Malaysian High Commission, was on hand to present medals to around 40 North East veterans.
He said: “It is our gesture to honour the sacrifice and contribution made by all the veterans to the Government and people of Malaysia to ensure that we now live in peace and harmony.”
The event was a chance for veterans to share memories of their time served in the former British Malays between 1957 and 1966. Among those who collected the medal was 64-year-old Anthony Bell, from Washington.
He said: “You tend to forget because it was 50 years ago. I think it is very generous of the Malaysian government to recognise the efforts and sacrifice some of the soldiers made.”
George McGregor, a 69- year-old from Murton, near Seaham, served as a communications officer with the RAF.
He said to be honoured was “brilliant, and added: “Here we are 50 years on getting recognised for what we did. I lost friends out there. I was lucky.”
Andy Owens, 68, of North Shields, said he would also wear his medal with pride.
He said: “It was a long, long time ago but you still feel proud that someone has recognised the contribution that you have made to their country.”
Also honoured was 68- year-old Judith Morton (nee Pearson), from County Durham, who served in the conflict with the Royal Signals near Singapore.
She said: “We had to work double shifts to keep everything going.
“We worked just as hard but we didn’t fight.
“I felt really proud to stand up and get my medal.”
Awarded in 2006, British veterans were permitted to accept the medal but initially forbidden to wear it.
Campaigners fought to have that decision overturned in 2007 and volunteers have since organised ceremonies throughout the country to hand out the honours. Volunteer John Simcock, a Malaysian veteran himself, headed the campaign and has organised ceremonies in the region.
He said: “We volunteered to help the Malaysians because our own Government wasn’t interested.
“This is a medal that has been given to us by a foreign country and that our Government refused initially to let us have which we thought was an absolute disgrace.
“You can see what it means to these people.
“There was one man who could hardly walk but he was determined to come up and collect his medal.”
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Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:13 pm |
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John Feltham
Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 764
Location: Townsville, North Queensland
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Re: PJM Newcastle upon Tyne
Bill Blyth wrote:
Awarded in 2006, British veterans were permitted to accept the medal but initially forbidden to wear it.
We're still "officially" forbidden to wear it.
It's not a UK medal but a medal of a foreign country who graciously have recognised our service.
What a crying shame it is that the UK cannot honour the Malaysian Government who have honoured the UK Vets.
_________________ Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka,
from the HD Committee and its decision.
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Tue Feb 22, 2011 2:32 pm |
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whalley
Joined: 17 Jun 2009
Posts: 98
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Re: PJM Newcastle upon Tyne
John Feltham wrote:Bill Blyth wrote:
Awarded in 2006, British veterans were permitted to accept the medal but initially forbidden to wear it.
We're still "officially" forbidden to wear it.
It's not a UK medal but a medal of a foreign country who graciously have recognised our service.
What a crying shame it is that the UK cannot honour the Malaysian Government who have honoured the UK Vets.
the PJM is not a "Foreign" medal as is the one that Bliar accepted from the americans, Malaya is after all part of the commonwealth.
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Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:20 pm |
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Arthur R-S
Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 860
Location: Brandon, Suffolk
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pjm and the LG
As a matter of interest, was the acceptence of the PJM promulgated in the London Gazette. Any of our researchers out there who can lay their hands on the entry and see how it either supports the original London Gazette entry, guaranteeing our right to wear it, unrestricted, or repudiates that claim.
Great news about the recent recipients, and how rightly deserved.
Arthur R-S
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:53 pm |
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mcdangle
Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 1027
Location: Scotland
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Re: pjm and the LG
Arthur R-S wrote:As a matter of interest, was the acceptence of the PJM promulgated in the London Gazette. Any of our researchers out there who can lay their hands on the entry and see how it either supports the original London Gazette entry, guaranteeing our right to wear it, unrestricted, or repudiates that claim.
Great news about the recent recipients, and how rightly deserved.
Arthur R-S
Arthur et all,
There is no Royal Warrant, Royal Decree, Document bearing the Royal Sign Manual or anything else from Her Majesty the Queen which states Her Majesty graciously permitted the acceptance of the PJM but declined to give permission for it to be worn.
The only document available is a letter from the Queen's Private Secretary to the then Foreign Secretary (Jack Straw MP) dated 21st December, 2005, which states that the Queen approved the recommendation of the HD Committee. This letter is said to be the only confirmation that HM accepted the PJM but refused permission for it to be worn. The letter starts 'Thank you for your letter of of 19th December, and it isn't even signed by the Queen's PS who just signs it with his first name, and also his name underneath is spelt Janvirn when his actual name is Janvrin'.
The date of this letter, the 21st December, 2005, is agreed by the Cabinet Office as the date the Queen accepted the PJM but declined to allow it to be worn.
BUT the day before, the 20th December, 2005, the Honours Secretary at the FCO met with the Malaysian High Commission and advised them of Her Majesty's decision on the PJM.
Now work that one out. Has the truth been somehow manipulated and if so, for what reason. If it was to stop elderly British veterans from wearing the PJM then they have gone to all this trouble for nothing. Wear it with pride lads. They forgot about the London Gazette of 1968 allowing foreign awards which have been accepted to be worn unrestricted.
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:22 pm |
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Arthur R-S
Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 860
Location: Brandon, Suffolk
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missing gazette notice
Thanks for the note McDangle,
Oh dear, how very remiss of the government not to promulgate the acceptence notice in the LG. Doesn't that constitute base fraud. After all, protocol and all that, but then haven't they spouted that claptrap for a few years, misdirecting everyone.
Point of interest, is this a requirement to be notified by LG, if it is, there are going to some very sore bottoms in Whitehall tonight. Can anyone find out the correct protocol, which if, is indeed, tantamount to treason.
Yours aye
Arthur R-S
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Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:36 pm |
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