UN medal polishing?

[Deleted 172264]

I did my last tour with UNFICYP in 84, already had a medal from 74. Our sergeant major decreed that the lance guard guys would parade with UN medals polished. They arrive in the box with a dull bronze finish. It was a bastard to get the coating off and the metal shone up to his satisfaction. I thought at the time, we all did, that this was not right as none of us had ever seen a shiny UN medal. So I'm asking, was our SSM right, or was he being a complete knob?

 

[AlienFTM]

The latter.

 

[Deleted 172264]

Nice to have confirmation, thanks.

 

[Roadster280]

I did my last tour with UNFICYP in 84, already had a medal from 74. Our sergeant major decreed that the lance guard guys would parade with UN medals polished. They arrive in the box with a dull bronze finish. It was a bastard to get the coating off and the metal shone up to his satisfaction. I thought at the time, we all did, that this was not right as none of us had ever seen a shiny UN medal. So I'm asking, was our SSM right, or was he being a complete knob?

In the 90s, UN and NATO medals were very commonplace. If this dîckwad had you polish either of those medals, and then you got posted to a unit that had no/fewer such dîckwads, your rack would look ridiculous.

What Regt/Corps was this? I’d be severely pissed off if I was ordered to ruin my medals (both of them )

 

[Charlie4]

Thread Closed.













Due to lack of effort by the sock.

 

[Deleted 172264]

The SSM is still alive. So is the OC who let him have his pig headed way, but they can't do any more harm. The unit is now amalgamated (twice!), I am sure that we had our fair share of dickwads as do they all. My UN medal, even though it is squeezed in between others in the correct order of precedence, still looks like shite but it has a story. I suppose I could buy a new one off fleabay like a walt but despite everything I'm rather attached to it.

 

[Bodenplatte]

Leave it outdoors in the garden over winter, and it should regain most of its patina.

 

[Deleted 172264]

I think the original finish was from being dipped in a phosphoric solution and it was done in large batches. Weathering outside will turn it green, the metal has a high copper content. ( I retrained as a jeweller).
And I think our local magpies, the flightless scrote kind, would soon have it, they nick anything.

 

[Charlie4]

74-84-2020

Well done, your time keeping is impeccable.

No, your SSM was wrong.

 

[Helm]

 

[Jonnynoname]

why care about medals? they don´t pay bills.

 

[Deleted 172264]

Thank you for your response. My original question does not ask if you believe that the episode took place, I don't give a shit about that, I only asked if anyone thought that my SSM made a bad decision.

 

[Deleted 172264]

why care about medals? they don´t pay bills.

Indeed they do not. However I posted on the "Medals" section of this website, for anyone who might be interested.

 

[Charlie4]

why care about medals? they don´t pay bills.

Er...

Deacon Cutterham's medal collection sells for £140k

It comes after some who served with Deacon Cutterham disputed his account of a Taliban attack.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Jonnynoname]

Indeed they do not. However I posted on the "Medals" section of this website, for anyone who might be interested.

can polish my one Medal . Thank you in advance

Er...

Deacon Cutterham's medal collection sells for £140k

It comes after some who served with Deacon Cutterham disputed his account of a Taliban attack.

www.bbc.co.uk

some sad people out there. Better things to spend my brass on.

 

[PapaGolf]

I had to polish my UN and NATO from Yugoslavia, for a cadre course. 20 years later they look shite next to my others, and a fecking twat to have to keep fecking polishing

 

[PapaGolf]

Shite, it was 25 years later. Now I feel even older

 

[ACAB]

I did my last tour with UNFICYP in 84, already had a medal from 74. Our sergeant major decreed that the lance guard guys would parade with UN medals polished. They arrive in the box with a dull bronze finish. It was a bastard to get the coating off and the metal shone up to his satisfaction. I thought at the time, we all did, that this was not right as none of us had ever seen a shiny UN medal. So I'm asking, was our SSM right, or was he being a complete knob?

Nope. As an ex Guardsman they should never be polished because they're made out of cheap materials,