Ask me Anything

Scratch at any itch of curiosity

I noticed my sister's ex-military fiance wearing these medals on remembrance day. Curiosity got the better of me, so I cut this picture of his photo and asked what they all signified. Answer:

This is a highly impressive set of British military medals, most likely belonging to a member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) or the RAF Reserves (RAuxAF/RAFVR). These medals represent a career spanning from the late Cold War/Northern Ireland era through the conflicts in the Middle East in the early 2000s.

Here is the breakdown of the medals from left to right:

1. General Service Medal (1962)

• The Medal: Recognizable by the purple ribbon with green edges.

• The Clasp: It features the "NORTHERN IRELAND" clasp.

• Significance: This was awarded for service in Northern Ireland during "The Troubles" (Operation Banner). To earn this, a service member typically had to serve at least 30 days in the province.

2. NATO Medal

• The Medal: A blue ribbon with white stripes.

• The Clasp: It appears to have a clasp for "AIR OPS" (likely for Air Operations over the Former Yugoslavia or Kosovo).

• Significance: Awarded for service under NATO command during the Balkans conflicts in the 1990s. The "Air Ops" clasp indicates the recipient was likely part of flight crews or ground support during these missions.

3. Operational Service Medal (OSM) for Afghanistan

• The Medal: A silver medal with a ribbon that is yellow/buff in the center with stripes of black, red, and white on the edges.

• Significance: Awarded for service in Afghanistan (Operation Herrick) following the 9/11 attacks. It signifies participation in the campaign to stabilize the country and combat the Taliban.

4. Iraq Medal

• The Medal: A sand-colored ribbon with three narrow central stripes of black, white, and red (the colors of the Iraqi flag).

• Significance: Awarded for service during the Iraq War (Operation Telic), which began in 2003. This indicates the recipient served during the invasion or the subsequent reconstruction and insurgency period.

5. Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)

• The Medal: A gold-colored medal with a blue ribbon featuring red and white stripes.

• Significance: This was a commemorative medal awarded to personnel who had completed five years of service on February 6, 2002, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Queen's reign.

6. Air Efficiency Award (AE)

• The Medal: An oval-shaped silver medal with the effigy of the Queen.

• The Clasp: The clasp clearly reads "AIR EFFICIENCY".

• Significance: This is a long-service medal awarded to officers and airmen of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and the RAF Volunteer Reserve. It typically requires 10 years of efficient service. The presence of this medal, combined with the others, strongly suggests the recipient was a "Reservist" who was frequently "activated" for front-line tours of duty.

What this says about the recipient

This individual was a seasoned veteran with a very busy career. They likely joined the RAF (or its reserves) in the late 80s or early 90s. They served through:

1. The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

2. The Balkans Conflict in the 90s.

3. The War on Terror (both Afghanistan and Iraq).

4. They were still serving in 2002 (as shown by the Jubilee medal) and completed at least a decade of dedicated service to earn the Air Efficiency Award.

The combination of the "Air Ops" clasp and the "Air Efficiency" award suggests they were likely a part of a reserve squadron that played a vital role in supporting major UK air operations over the last 30 years.

I've used this same facility to examine an inherited Rolex watch (it said it was a fake one  and gave exact reasons why this was the case). I also used it to straighen out a photo sitting at an angle on someones desk (it contained a picture of buildings on a coastline) and to identify the location. It found it off Costa Rica.

A million uses. Just send a picture and ask.