1.
Commonwealth of Nations
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The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as simply the Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. The Commonwealth dates back to the century with the decolonisation of the British Empire through increased self-governance of its territories. It was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which established the states as free. The symbol of free association is Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen is also the monarch of 16 members of the Commonwealth, the other Commonwealth members have different heads of state,31 members are republics and five are monarchies with a different monarch. Member states have no obligation to one another. Instead, they are united by language, history, culture and their values of democracy, free speech, human rights. These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth covers more than 29,958,050 km2, 20% of the worlds land area, and spans all six inhabited continents. She declared, So, it marks the beginning of that free association of independent states which is now known as the Commonwealth of Nations. As long ago as 1884, however, Lord Rosebery, while visiting Australia, had described the changing British Empire—as some of its colonies became more independent—as a Commonwealth of Nations. Conferences of British and colonial prime ministers occurred periodically from the first one in 1887, the Commonwealth developed from the imperial conferences. Newfoundland never did, as on 16 February 1934, with the consent of its parliament, Newfoundland later joined Canada as its 10th province in 1949. Australia and New Zealand ratified the Statute in 1942 and 1947 respectively, after World War II ended, the British Empire was gradually dismantled. Most of its components have become independent countries, whether Commonwealth realms or republics, there remain the 14 British overseas territories still held by the United Kingdom. In April 1949, following the London Declaration, the word British was dropped from the title of the Commonwealth to reflect its changing nature, burma and Aden are the only states that were British colonies at the time of the war not to have joined the Commonwealth upon independence. Hoped for success was reinforced by such achievements as climbing Mount Everest in 1953, breaking the four minute mile in 1954, however, the humiliation of the Suez Crisis of 1956 badly hurt morale of Britain and the Commonwealth as a whole. More broadly, there was the loss of a role of the British Empire. That role was no longer militarily or financially feasible, as Britains withdrawal from Greece in 1947 painfully demonstrated, Britain itself was now just one part of the NATO military alliance in which the Commonwealth had no role apart from Canada
2.
Military Medal
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The medal was established on 25 March 1916. It was the other ranks equivalent to the Military Cross, which was awarded to commissioned officers and, rarely, to warrant officers, the MM ranked below the Distinguished Conduct Medal, which was also awarded to non-commissioned members of the Army. According to Frank Richards, when the medal was first introduced, Richards writes, There were no grants or allowances with the Military Medal, which without a shadow of a doubt had been introduced to save awarding too many DCMs. With the DCM went a money-grant of twenty pounds, and a man in receipt of a life pension who had won the DCM was entitled to an extra sixpence a day on to his pension. After the new decoration was introduced, for every DCM awarded there were fifty Military Medals, the old regular soldiers thought very little of the new decoration. Recipients of the Military Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters MM, over 115,000 awards were made for actions during the First World War. Additionally, over 5,700 bars were awarded, as well as 180 second bars, during the Second World War, over 15,000 awards of the MM were made. In 1993, the Military Medal was discontinued, since then, the Military Cross has been awarded to personnel of all ranks within the British honours system. Several Commonwealth nations, such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, have established their own systems in the post Second World War era. The medal and ribbon had the features, A circular silver medal of 36 mm diameter. The obverse bears the effigy of the reigning monarch, the reverse has the inscription FOR BRAVERY IN THE FIELD in four lines, surrounded by a laurel wreath, surmounted by the Royal Cypher and Imperial Crown. The suspender is of a scroll type. The ribbon is blue,1.25 inches wide, with five equal centre stripes of white, red, white, red. Silver, laurelled bars are authorised for subsequent awards, over 135,000 people have been awarded the Military Medal. Among the more notable recipients are, Walter Bingham, Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who served in Normandy, ian Bailey, who was awarded the medal as a Corporal in The Parachute Regiment during the Falklands War, and went on to become a Captain. Geoffrey Bingham, Australian theologian and author, mairi Chisholm, British volunteer ambulance driver. Douglas Clark, British rugby league footballer and wrestler, william Coltman, who was also awarded the Victoria Cross, and was the most highly decorated NCO of the First World War. Robert Gaspare Consiglio, Special Air Service member killed during Bravo Two Zero patrol, ernest Albert Corey, the only person to be awarded the MM four times
3.
Air Force Medal
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The medal was established on 3 June 1918. It was the other ranks equivalent to the Air Force Cross and it ranked below the AFC in order of precedence, between the Distinguished Flying Medal and the Queens Gallantry Medal. Recipients of the Air Force Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters AFM, two awards appeared in the London Gazette on 3 June 1918. Twenty-nine awards appeared in a supplement to the London Gazette of 8 February 1919, see also Flight Magazine,20 February 1919, at page 243. Further awards appeared in the London Gazette of 3 June 1919, the first awards of a Bar to the Air Force Medal were published in the London Gazette of 3 June 1919. See also 26 December 1919 for pioneering intercontinental flights, Air Ministry, Kings way, London,26 December 1919. No.275 Sergeant James Mallett Bennett, A. F. M, no.8974 Sergeant Walter Henry Shiers, A. F. M. In 1993, the AFM was discontinued and, since then, there were two categories of award, either Immediate or Non-Immediate. Immediate An Immediate award was one which was recommended by an officer, usually in respect of an act or acts of bravery or devotion to duty. Non-immediate Non-Immediate awards were made by the Monarch on the recommendation of the Air Ministry and were to reward devotion to duty sustained over a period of time, in 1918, twenty awards were made, in 1919 there were 82 and 2 Bars, and in 192023 more. In the period from 1940 to 1945, there were 259 awards, from 1946 to 1969, there were 348 medals and 2 bars awarded. An oval, silver medal,1 3⁄8 inches wide and 1 5⁄8 inches long, the obverse shows a bareheaded effigy of the reigning sovereign. The reverse shows Hermes, mounted on a hawk in flight and bestowing a wreath, the date 1918 appears behind Hermes on the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II medals. A bomb is attached to the clasp and ribbon by two wings, the ribbon is 1 1⁄4 inches wide, and consists of alternate red and white stripes, 1⁄16 inch wide, leaning 45 degrees to the left. A red stripe is to appear in the left and upper right corners when viewed on the wearers chest. Until 1919, the stripes were horizontal
4.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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The award was established on 3 June 1918, shortly after the formation of the Royal Air Force. It was originally awarded to RAF commissioned and warrant officers, during the Second World War, it was also awarded to Royal Artillery officers serving on attachment to the RAF as pilots-cum-artillery observers. Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters DFC, a bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DFC who received a second award. During the First World War, approximately 1,100 DFCs were awarded, with 70 first bars, during the Second World War,20,354 DFCs were awarded, the most of any award, with approximately 1,550 first bars and 45-second bars. Honorary awards were made on 964 occasions to aircrew from other non-Commonwealth countries, the decoration is a cross flory and is 2⅛ inches wide. The horizontal and bottom bars are terminated with bumps, the bar with a rose. The decorations face features aeroplane propellers, superimposed on the arms of the cross. In the centre is a wreath around the RAF monogram. The reverse features the Royal Cypher in the centre and the year of issue engraved on the lower arm, the ribbon was originally white with purple broad horizontal stripes, but it was changed in 1919 to the current white with purple broad diagonal stripes. The decoration was designed by Edward Carter Preston, john Balmer, RAAF pilot Roy Calvert, RNZAF pilot who was awarded the DFC three times. Harry Cobby, flying ace of the Australian Flying Corps who was awarded the DFC three times, gordon Cochrane, RNZAF pilot who was awarded the DFC three times. Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman, in 2008, she became the first woman to be awarded the DFC, harold Whistler, Royal Flying Corps flying ace who was awarded the DFC three times Arjan Singh, Indian Air Force was awarded the DFC. He later become Marshal of Indian Air Force Mohinder Singh Pujji and he was Equerry to King George VI 1944–1952 and held the same position for Queen Elizabeth II 1952–1953. Townsend also had a romance with Princess Margaret, james Douglas Hudson, DFC AE RAFVR Commonwealth Realms orders and decorations Distinguished Flying Cross Search recommendations for the Distinguished Flying Cross on The National Archives website
5.
Royal Air Force
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The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdoms aerial warfare force. Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as, at the time, the largest air force in the world. The RAF describe its mission statement as, an agile, adaptable and capable Air Force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission. The mission statement is supported by the RAFs definition of air power, Air power is defined as the ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events. Today the Royal Air Force maintains a fleet of various types of aircraft. The majority of the RAFs rotary-wing aircraft form part of the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command in support of ground forces, most of the RAFs aircraft and personnel are based in the UK, with many others serving on operations or at long-established overseas bases. It was founded on 1 April 1918, with headquarters located in the former Hotel Cecil, during the First World War, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps, at that time it was the largest air force in the world. The RAFs naval aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm, was founded in 1924, the RAF developed the doctrine of strategic bombing which led to the construction of long-range bombers and became its main bombing strategy in the Second World War. The RAF underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939, the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed Article XV squadrons for service with RAF formations. Many individual personnel from countries, and exiles from occupied Europe. By the end of the war the Royal Canadian Air Force had contributed more than 30 squadrons to serve in RAF formations, additionally, the Royal Australian Air Force represented around nine percent of all RAF personnel who served in the European and Mediterranean theatres. In the Battle of Britain in 1940, the RAF defended the skies over Britain against the numerically superior German Luftwaffe, the largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command. Following victory in the Second World War, the RAF underwent significant re-organisation, during the early stages of the Cold War, one of the first major operations undertaken by the Royal Air Force was in 1948 and the Berlin Airlift, codenamed Operation Plainfire. Before Britain developed its own nuclear weapons the RAF was provided with American nuclear weapons under Project E and these were initially armed with nuclear gravity bombs, later being equipped with the Blue Steel missile. Following the development of the Royal Navys Polaris submarines, the nuclear deterrent passed to the navys submarines on 30 June 1969. With the introduction of Polaris, the RAFs strategic nuclear role was reduced to a tactical one and this tactical role was continued by the V bombers into the 1980s and until 1998 by Tornado GR1s. For much of the Cold War the primary role of the RAF was the defence of Western Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union, with many squadrons based in West Germany. With the decline of the British Empire, global operations were scaled back, despite this, the RAF fought in many battles in the Cold War period
6.
British Armed Forces
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They also promote Britains wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts, and provide humanitarian aid. Repeatedly emerging victorious from conflicts has allowed Britain to establish itself as one of the leading military. The Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the armed forces by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, as required by the Bill of Rights 1689. The armed forces are managed by the Defence Council of the Ministry of Defence, with the Acts of Union 1707, the armed forces of England and Scotland were merged into the armed forces of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Britain feared that Russian expansionism in the region would eventually threaten the Empire in India and this ultimately led to British involvement in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire. The beginning of the twentieth century served to reduce tensions between Britain and the Russian Empire, partly due to the emergence of a unified German Empire. Allied victory resulted in the defeat of the Central Powers, the end of the German Empire, the Treaty of Versailles, once again tensions accumulated in European relations, and following Germanys invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Second World War began. The conflict was the most widespread in British history, with British Empire and Commonwealth troops fighting in campaigns from Europe and North Africa, to the Middle East, approximately 390,000 British Empire and Commonwealth troops lost their lives. Allied victory resulted in the defeat of the Axis powers and the establishment of the United Nations, reflecting Britains new role in the world and the escalation of the Cold War, the country became a founding member of the NATO military alliance in 1949. By the mid-1970s, the forces had reconfigured to focus on the responsibilities allocated to them by NATO. While NATO obligations took increased prominence, Britain nonetheless found itself engaged in a number of low-intensity conflicts, however the Dhofar Rebellion and The Troubles emerged as the primary operational concerns of the armed forces. Perhaps the most important conflict during the Cold War, at least in the context of British defence policy, was the Falklands War. Since the end of the Cold War, an international role for the armed forces has been pursued, with re-structuring to deliver a greater focus on expeditionary warfare. In addition to the campaign, the British Army has trained and supplied allies on the ground. Figures released by the Ministry of Defence on 31 March 2016 show that 7,185 British Armed Forces personnel have lost their lives in medal earning theatres since the end of the Second World War. As Sovereign and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is Head of the Armed Forces, the Queen, however, remains the ultimate authority of the military, with officers and personnel swearing allegiance to the monarch. It has been claimed that this includes the power to prevent unconstitutional use of the armed forces, responsibility for the management of the forces is delegated to a number of committees, the Defence Council, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Defence Management Board and three single-service boards. The Defence Council, composed of representatives of the services
7.
Officer (armed forces)
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An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. In this sense, officers are not enlisted, but hold appointments from their government that typically remain in force indefinitely unless resigned, the proportion of officers varies greatly. Officers typically make up between an eighth and a fifth of modern armed forces personnel, in 2013, officers were the senior 17% of the British armed forces, and the senior 13. 7% of the French armed forces. In 2012, officers made up about 18% of the German armed forces, historically, however, armed forces have generally had much lower proportions of officers. During the First World War, fewer than 5% of British soldiers were officers, in the early twentieth century, the Spanish army had the highest proportion of officers of any European army, at 12. 5%. Within a nations armed forces, armies tend to have a proportion of officers. For example,13. 9% of British army personnel and 22. 2% of the RAF personnel were officers in 2013, having officers is one requirement for combatant status under the laws of war, though these officers need not have obtained an official commission or warrant. Commissioned officers are typically the only persons, in an armed forces environment, a superior officer is an officer with a higher rank than another officer, who is a subordinate officer relative to the superior. Non-commissioned officers in positions of authority can be said to have control or charge rather than command per se, many advanced militaries require university degrees as a prerequisite for commissioning, even from the enlisted ranks. In the Israel Defense Forces, a university degree is a requirement for an officer to advance to the rank of lieutenant colonel, the IDF often sponsors the studies for its majors, while aircrew and naval officers obtain academic degrees as a part of their training programmes. In the United Kingdom, there are three routes of entry for British Armed Forces officers, the first, and primary route are those who receive their commission directly into the officer grades following completion at their relevant military academy. The third route is similar to the second, in that they convert from an enlisted to a commission, but these are taken from the highest ranks of SNCOs. LE officers, whilst holding the same Queens Commission, generally work in different roles from the DE officers, in the infantry, a number of Warrant Officer Class 1s are commissioned as LE officers. For Royal Navy and Royal Air Force officer candidates, a 30-week period at Britannia Royal Naval College or a 30-week period at RAF College Cranwell, Royal Marines officers receive their training in the Command Wing of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines during a grueling 15-month course. The courses consist of not only tactical and combat training, but also leadership, management, etiquette, until the Cardwell Reforms of 1871, commissions in the British Army were purchased by officers. The Royal Navy, however, operated on a more meritocratic, or at least socially mobile, AOCS also also included the embedded Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate and Naval Aviation Cadet programs. NAVCADs were personnel who held associates degrees, but lacked bachelors degrees, nAVCADs would complete the entire AOCS program, but would not be commissioned until completion of flight training and receiving their wings. After their initial tour, they would be assigned to a college or university full-time for no more than two years in order to complete their bachelors degree
8.
Distinguished Flying Cross (UK)
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The award was established on 3 June 1918, shortly after the formation of the Royal Air Force. It was originally awarded to RAF commissioned and warrant officers, during the Second World War, it was also awarded to Royal Artillery officers serving on attachment to the RAF as pilots-cum-artillery observers. Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters DFC, a bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DFC who received a second award. During the First World War, approximately 1,100 DFCs were awarded, with 70 first bars, during the Second World War,20,354 DFCs were awarded, the most of any award, with approximately 1,550 first bars and 45-second bars. Honorary awards were made on 964 occasions to aircrew from other non-Commonwealth countries, the decoration is a cross flory and is 2⅛ inches wide. The horizontal and bottom bars are terminated with bumps, the bar with a rose. The decorations face features aeroplane propellers, superimposed on the arms of the cross. In the centre is a wreath around the RAF monogram. The reverse features the Royal Cypher in the centre and the year of issue engraved on the lower arm, the ribbon was originally white with purple broad horizontal stripes, but it was changed in 1919 to the current white with purple broad diagonal stripes. The decoration was designed by Edward Carter Preston, john Balmer, RAAF pilot Roy Calvert, RNZAF pilot who was awarded the DFC three times. Harry Cobby, flying ace of the Australian Flying Corps who was awarded the DFC three times, gordon Cochrane, RNZAF pilot who was awarded the DFC three times. Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman, in 2008, she became the first woman to be awarded the DFC, harold Whistler, Royal Flying Corps flying ace who was awarded the DFC three times Arjan Singh, Indian Air Force was awarded the DFC. He later become Marshal of Indian Air Force Mohinder Singh Pujji and he was Equerry to King George VI 1944–1952 and held the same position for Queen Elizabeth II 1952–1953. Townsend also had a romance with Princess Margaret, james Douglas Hudson, DFC AE RAFVR Commonwealth Realms orders and decorations Distinguished Flying Cross Search recommendations for the Distinguished Flying Cross on The National Archives website
9.
Other ranks (UK)
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In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings. Non-commissioned member is the equivalent term for the Canadian Armed Forces, colloquially, members of the other ranks are known as rankers. The term is considered to exclude warrant officers, and occasionally also excludes NCOs. In the standard rank scale maintained by NATO, other ranks are coded from OR1 to OR9, in British India, a distinction was made between British other ranks and Indian other ranks
10.
Warrant officer (United Kingdom)
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A warrant officer in the British Armed Forces is a member of the highest group of non-commissioned ranks, holding the Queens warrant, which is signed by the Secretary of State for Defence. Warrant officers are not saluted as they do not hold the Queens Commission, commissioned officers may address warrant officers either by their appointment or as Mister, Mrs, or Ms and then their last name, e. g. Mr Smith. Although often referred to along with non-commissioned officers, they are not NCOs, specialists such as a ships carpenter, boatswain and gunner were vital to the safety of all on board, and were accordingly ranked as officers - though by warrant rather than by commission. These and other specialists retained their distinctive rank and status until 1949 and they were ranked as equivalents to warrant officers class I in the British Army and Royal Marines and with warrant officers in the Royal Air Force. The rank was titled as fleet chief petty officer, becoming warrant officer in the 1980s. In April 2004, the Royal Navy created the rate of warrant officer class 2, superior to the CPO, the WO2 replaced the non-substantive appointment of charge chief petty officer in the technical branches. Prior to this change the CCPO was considered as a NATO OR-8, in non-technical branches, there is still no requirement to hold WO2 rank before promotion to WO1. Warrant officers wear the rank insignia as their counterparts in the Royal Marines. In 2005, the Royal Navy introduced the appointment of executive warrant officer in all ships, the EWO is the senior warrant officer within the unit, and a member of the senior command team. The appointment is intended to be filled by an experienced WO1, above these are four command warrant officers, CWO Surface Ships, CWO Submarines, CWO Royal Marines, CWO Fleet Air Arm and CWO Maritime Reserves. The most senior warrant officer is the Warrant Officer of the Naval Service, before 1879, the Royal Marines had no warrant officers, but by the end of 1881, warrant rank was held by sergeant-majors and some other senior NCOs, in a similar fashion to the Army. Warrant officers were given equivalent status to those in the Royal Navy from 1910, shortly after the Army introduced the ranks of warrant officer classes I and II in 1915, the Royal Marines did the same. As in the Royal Navy, by the Second World War there were warrant officers, as officers, they were saluted by junior ranks. These all became branch officer ranks in 1949, and special duties officer ranks in 1956, the insignia are the same, but all Royal Marines WO2s wear the crown-in-wreath variation. As in the Army, many warrant officers have appointments by which they are known, referred to, directly junior to him is the Command Warrant Officer. The rank below WO2 is colour sergeant, the Royal Marines equivalent of staff sergeant, the Royal Marines rank of warrant officer class 2 is unaffected by the 2014 phaseout of the rank in the Royal Navy. In the British Army, there are two warrant ranks, warrant officer class 2 and warrant officer class 1, the latter being the senior of the two and it used to be more common to refer to these ranks as WOII and WOI. Warrant officer 1st class or 2nd class is incorrect, the rank immediately below WO2 is staff sergeant
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