were mutt and jeff equal to pip squeak and wilfred

[Khaki]

I was reading recently an interview with a veteran (GW) who stated that in respect of campaign medals he felt that those who served from 1916-1918 were short changed (my words) compared to the 1914/15 star trio. He believed that 7 months? in Gallipoli was no comparison to two years on the Western Front.

With regard to medals, I think maybe he had a point, did the WM and VM reflect the sacrifice and horror of those final years

I wonder in hindsight if there should have been a 1914/18 star or a 1916/18 star? I know there was consideration for 'bars' to the war medal which was abandoned due to cost etc, were there other considerations such as I have mentioned, surely the variation in dates would not have been too costly.

thoughts anyone?

khaki

[Kitchener's Bugle]

I agree with your commentys Khaki.

In terms of casualties alone 1918 was the most bloody year of the war.

The intention early on I think was to produce a Star for each year i.e 1915/16 Star etc but the cost of producting these (and naming them) would have been very expensive (in the Governments view - not mine!) There was also an intention to issue a series of Bars for the BWM but this again did not come about. Can you just imagine bars for Jutland, Cambrai, Gallipoli etc.

The cost of producing over 6.5Million Silver BWM's was no doubt high which is why for WW2 More specific Theatre Campaign Stars where issued but unfortunately none named. (Unless you where a Commonwealth Service Person that is).

WW2 Stars have a couple of interesting Bars like Battle Of Britain and 8th Army but what about D-Day, Dunkirk, Singapore, El Alamein, Bomber Command, Arctic Convoys etc etc......

[Khaki]

Somewhere I have the list for 'bar' recommendations from the army and navy, it is a huge list and I am not surprised the Govt did not proceed with it.

The 'bars' list should have been simplified and avoided individual battles, perhaps using area's of conflict instead such as Western Europe, Dardenelles, Atlantic, Pacific, Africa etc. However they didn't, so we have what we have,. considering the 'butchers bill' for the last two years I have to agree with the veteran's sentiment. I am sure the cost of a few hundred thousand medals in bronze, pales in comparison with the money spent on even a short artillery barrage and I therefore have to reject 'cost' as sufficient reason.

khaki

[David B]

Seems to me the government of the day were rather parsimonious when handing out gongs in comparison to ww2 and ever more so to what

they hand out today. As usual it is the troops that bear the brunt of penny pinching, doesn't matter if you are killed you are only getting one medal

for your demise. Look at ww2 there were different medals for air, navy as well as ground forces in all theatres, whereas in the GW one medal fitted

all. Not good enough in my opinion.

[Staffsyeoman]

The aim was to discriminate between the regulars (and early territorials) of 1914; then the other theatres and the volunteers of 1914-15... the pair for the onset of conscription. Hence the Territorial Force War Medal for those who had been TF in 1914 but not gone overseas before 1916..

[Old Owl]

It is a great shame that Stars were not produced for each year of the Great War and I suspect that it was penny pinching which halted this proposal. The issuing of bars for the BWM would have been a logistical nightmare, particularly had all the proposed bars been adopted--it is of course possible to see unofficial bars attached to miniature BWM's--I have never seen any full sized ones apart from a bar for 'Antwerp 1914' which was sewn onto the ribbon of a Naval Brigade 1914 Star which I once owned--this was very well produced in brass and nicely engraved.

Of course, by comparison, the greatest shame of all was that WW2 campaign medals were not officially named--at least not in the U.K.

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Another issue was no doubt conscription - the size of the military increased many times. By 1916 the authorities had realised that it was a war of attrition. If a Star had been issued for every year then (15/16, 16/17, 17/18) would have meant well over 10 million of these being needed.