Honouring The Dead British Servicemen. Should The People Who Sent Them To Die Take Part?

July 2, 2009

Christopher Lee writes: Queen Elizabeth II, advised by the chiefs of staff and her Prime Minister, has announced that the families of sailors, soldiers and airmen and women killed in action since World War II will be awarded the Elizabeth Cross. The Queen said the emblem was ‘a right and proper way of showing our enduring debt’.By today’s tally of dead, about 8,000 crosses will be presented.

The emblem will be a sterling silver cross and a wreath with the rose, thistle, shamrock and daffodil to represent troops from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, told the House of Commons: ‘I am confident that this will be a very special and fitting tribute indeed for the great debt we owe to all those who die on operations and the enduring loss shouldered by their families.’

Why is Brown confident that it is a fitting tribute? Why did The Queen say the cross would show enduring debt?

It is perfectly understandable that a family should have some memorial to a loved one who was killed. (Although wait for the scuffles as split families argue over who should get dad’s silver cross).

But what about the sailors, soldiers and airmen and women who were not killed but terribly maimed? What about the ones without legs? The ones without arms? The ones without sight? What about the vegetables of war? Should they have a cross? They have a general service medal or even an award for their bravery. But what the government has done is what governments always do when they’re losing – they put out more flags. They tell the people to cheer and wave little flags. It’s a cheap deal.

Even 8,000 sterling silver crosses will cost a pitiful amount compared to the aftercare of the wounded and those whose wounds are in the inner reaches of the head. The Queen, who seems to have more medals than anyone other than her consort (he earned many of his as a fine wartime naval officer) has been duped into a cheap way to recognise that the government (and not just this one) have never handed out more than miniscule war widow and disabled pensions.

If Her Majesty had said we know the sacrifice, we are doubling the pensions of war widows and widowers (just 8000 of them) then it would not have cost much, but it would have made the dead rest easier.

And here’s a final twist: could the leaders who sent service people to their deaths be persuaded to present the silver crosses? Could, for example, Tony Blair, be encouraged to take time off from his $zillion after dinner speech circuit to pin medals on the heaving chests of the families for whom he created widowhood? No, that’s just a cynical jibe – but it could get a hollow laugh from the dead.

– End –

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