Sir – This will be the last opportunity for me to write to your readers about medal awards for surviving members of Bomber Command before this Parliament ends on March 30. One of my late colleagues aged 93 died unexpectedly in hospital on March 17. He had flown 64 operational trips (two tours) on Stirlings and Lancasters and had applied for the French Legion d’Honneur for which he was eligible last September.

But because this could not be presented to him in time and because posthumous awards are not allowed, he will be buried shortly without receiving either the BC campaign medal or the Legion d’Honneur. Another veteran aged 92 passed away in February. He had flown Lancasters on operations in 1944 and 1945 so I would guess that he also has been denied receipt of both. This is not the fault of France or the French Embassy. I am assured that they are not to blame for this long six-month delay. We are told that there were over 3,000 applications received overall by our Medals Office from all D-Day survivors in UK and that our Medals Office has not been able to quickly process these.

Apparently there were 92 such eligible applications made by BC veterans. How many more will die so unrewarded?

I came across an old email Facebook petition I had not seen before in 2008 although my name is mentioned in it. Your readers may wish to see this link https://www.change.org/p/give-them-a-long-overdue-medal-before-it’s-too-late because it contains a long and impassioned appeal given therein by the late Sir Martin Gilbert which will serve to remind us all of his most encouraging support for the BC campaign medal. To the best of my knowledge, this was never seen by Sir John Holmes or our PM.

Jim Wright
Abingdon