Honours

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#1

Does your country have an equivalent honours system to that of the British?

The genius . . . springs from every class
and from every part of the land.
You cannot tell where you will not find a wonder.
The hero, the fighter, the poet,
the master of science, the organiser,
the engineer, the administrator, or the jurist - he may spring into fame.
Equal opportunity for free institution and equal laws.

Winston Churchill

http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/HnrSystm.html

http://www.medals.org.uk/united-kingdom/united-kingdom024.htm

#2

Heres what we say in Australia.
Comon Ausssie comon comon, comon Aussie comon.
Way different to you Britts.:wink:

#3

That’s a fallacy!

Aussie prowess and pride at cricket puts the lie to it.

#4

Interesting Churchill quote 32B considering the fact that during his lifetime awards and honours were not egalitarian…far from it. For example gallantry awards, except the VC, were distinguished by being seperate for Officers and men - crosses for officers, medals for men, like the DFC/DFM, the MC/MM etc. There was no direct equivalent to the DSO in the RAF until the CGM was created.

As for MBEs, OBEs etc, it was very rare if an enlisted man received one, no matter what their achievements. On the other hand the BEM was solely for enlisted men.

It was only the 1990s that the distinction between awards for officers and enlisted men/women was removed.

As for civil honours, one should ask if other countries also have a system of buying honours? It isn’t just the recent “cash for honours” scandel that comes to mind. Lloyd George’s government was brought down, in part, by a similar scandel in the 1920s.

#5

I’ll let you ask…but I suspect that in the most part the answer will be yes. :slight_smile:

Yes, i caught an episode of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ in which Jodie Kidd, model and granddaughter of Lord Beaverbrook was featured tracing her ancestry.

Her Great-grandfather had been a Tyneside shipbuilder and a friend of his approached Churchill, then a member of Lloyd-George’s cabinet, with a request for his friend to be made a Baronet, and offering a cash donation to the party of £5000’s. Churchill sent him packing and wrote to Lloyd George warning of being approached. A year, or so, later Lloyd George was approached and said shipbuilder recieved his Baronecy for the aforementioned sum. Beaverbrook was unrelated to this chap, whose name escapes me.

However, I can asure you that when I receive my award, it will not have been purchased :), and the same applies to many worthy recipients.

#6

I am shocked by the question that there could be any correlation between the size and frequency of donations to a political party here and the award of a civil honour to the donor, or more often the CEO or chairman of the donor company whose shareholders (used to being ripped off by the board and management) actually funded the payments, when the recipient party is in government.

What shocks me is the offensive imputation that our politicians aren’t as good as any other country’s in being as hypocritical and corrupt as the best in the world. :wink: :smiley:

#7

To be fair, there was a good reason for the distinction between the two - the MM for instance was awarded for showing a particular level of courage. The MC was awarded for showing very high levels of leadership IN ADDITION TO the same levels of courage - officers after all being expected to lead their men. Given that particular distinction, a different medal does seem appropriate.

#8

The Military Cross is awarded to commissioned and warrant officers for distinguished and meritorious service in battle. For additional acts of bravery, a straight silver bar was awarded. During the First World War 2,885 of these medals were awarded to British officers.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/MEDmc.htm

The Military Medal was (until 1993) a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Medal

#9

YES Bravo youre right, but when youre country is so young and didt have a famous leader like britain did,i didt have much do go bye.

#10

Hey Aly J (aka) Duddette, I found this in Wiki…it relates to your motherland!!about medals…
The Victoria Cross for Australia is the highest award in the Australian Honours System, superseding the Victoria Cross for issue to Australians. It was created by letters patent signed by Queen Elizabeth II on 15 January 1991. As of July 2008, no awards of the Victoria Cross for Australia have been made; the last Victoria Cross awarded to an Australian was to Warrant Officer Keith Payne for gallantry on 24 May 1969 during the Vietnam War.

The Victoria Cross for Australia is the “decoration for according recognition to persons who in the presence of the enemy, perform acts of the most conspicuous gallantry, or daring or pre-eminent acts of valour or self-sacrifice or display extreme devotion to duty.”[2] As the highest Australian award it is listed first on the Australian Order of Wear with precedence in Australia over all orders, decorations and medals
…can you believe it!!..the last issuance of this medal was in 1969!!!..thats pretty cool eh!

#11

Hey Herman 2- I thought australia only had british medals since where a commonwealth country. Well there you go, we do have some medals.
Thanx for the info, cheers, why cant the others be more like you.

#12

In English, please.

#13

Perhaps, but some of us of a bolshie outlook (like me :wink: ) might see aspects of it as representative of a class system which to a fair extent in WWI and to a lesser extent in WWII divided officers and OR’s along class lines and had two grades of awards for the higher and lower members of British society.

The DSO, which in WWI included awards to officers who served in staff positions rather than earning their awards under fire, had no equivalent for ORs, no matter how long or meritorious their service.

This sort of class division with awards wasn’t unique to Britain in either world war. A more pernicious form of it took place in many armies, such as the Australian army in WWII where officers were happily posted to forward areas or forward units AFTER actions or campaigns for several months to enable them to obtain significant taxation and other benefits, yet they were magically returned to rear areas before the next campaign or action. The Americans elevated this to the level of a science in Vietnam with officers being similarly posted to units with little risk of serious action to enable them to obtain combat or other badges, awards or service time aiding promotion, so that there were complaints about tourist officers plonking into a unit for a few weeks or months and then disappearing without contributing anything useful.

#14

Hey Bravo, i meant that Australia was to young of a country to have honours, and i also thought we just have British medals cause Australia is a commonwealth country, but hermans already gave me the answer. Cheers

#15

Don’t hold your breath. :wink:

#16

Former Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger has been awarded an honorary knighthood in recognition of his ‘‘outstanding and invaluable’’ contribution to military cooperation between Britain and the United States, the Foreign Office said today.

Former Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger has been awarded an honorary knighthood in recognition of his ‘‘outstanding and invaluable’’ contribution to military cooperation between Britain and the United States, the Foreign Office said today.

Mr. Weinberger, 70 years old, will be the 56th American to receive an honorary knighthood when he attends a Buckingham Palace ceremony Feb. 22 or 23, a palace spokeswoman said.

‘‘It was a great surprise and a great honor,’’ Mr. Weinberger said in Washington. ‘‘I’m very flattered. I had no idea such a thing was being considered until a few days ago.’’

Asked if he was ready to be called ‘‘Sir Cap,’’ Mr. Weinberger replied: ‘‘Good God, no. But I really am flattered.’’

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5DE1531F931A35751C0A96E948260

#17

lol :d

#18

HaHaHA- dam you can be funnie.

#19

RS has an amusing leak?

#20

What does amusing leak mean?:confused: