Victory for Suez Veterans

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 24th Oct 2003

Veterans of the Suez Canal Zone Campaign are celebrating victory today as the Ministry of Defence announced details of the medal they are to receive, nearly 50 years after their military service.

Annette Brooke MP for Mid Dorset, whose efforts on behalf of her constituent Mr. John Friberg, have been instrumental in putting pressure on the Ministry of Defence to make a decision said:

"Today's announcement is absolutely wonderful news, although so very long overdue.

"We had hoped that the veterans would wear their medals with pride last year, but they will be able to march on Remembrance Sunday this year, in the knowledge that their medals are on their way."

Ivor Caplin MP yesterday issued a Written Statement announcing that the Queen has agreed to the institution of the Naval General Service Medal 1915 to 1962 and the General Service Medal 1918 to 1962 with the new clasp "Canal Zone" for service in the Suez Canal Zone. Command Paper No 5999 was laid before Parliament yesterday detailing the criteria for this award. The Ministry of Defence will now commence the award to eligible Suez veterans.

Thanks to tireless efforts by Annette Brooke MP, a meeting was secured with Sir Richard Wilson, Head of the Civil Service and Chair of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) in July 2002. Annette Brooke MP invited some of the most prominent campaigners to put their case for a medal to Sir. Richard.

As a consequence of that meeting, a 'sub-committee' of the HD Committee was established last November to consider exclusively the case for a Suez medal. Chaired by General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, a group of Suez veterans and active campaigners presented their case at a meeting of the sub-committee last November, while MPs Annette Brooke and Bob Blizzard presented the case from the point of view of parliamentarians.