|
Operational Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Operational Service Medal (OSM) is the overall name given to a group of campaign medals awarded by the British armed forces. Introduced in 1999 to replace the General Service Medal, the OSM features a common design for the medal itself, with each one differentiated by a distinct ribbon. As of , the Operational Service Medal has been awarded for four separate campaigns. Medal and ribbon The medal itself is circular, with an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FID. DEF on the obverse. The reverse has a design featuring the Union Flag, surrounded by a circlet bearing the inscription FOR OPERATIONAL SERVICE, on top of a four pointed star representing the four cardinal points of the compass; in between the points, in line with the saltire of the Union Flag, are four coronets, representing the Crown and the three armed services - Royal (top left), Naval (Royal Navy, top right), Mural (British Army, bottom left), and Astral (Royal Air Fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Campaign Medals
British campaign medals are awarded to members of the British Armed Forces, Allied forces and civilians participating in specified military campaigns. Examples include the ''Defence Medal'', for homeland defence in World War II, and the ''Atlantic Star'' for World War II sea service in the Atlantic. 18th century * Naval Gold Medal (1794) 19th century * Army Gold Cross (1810) * Army Gold Medal (1810) * Waterloo Medal (1815) * Ghuznee Medal (1839) * Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul Medal (1842) * Jellalabad Medals (1842) * Medal for the Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie (1842) * China War Medal (1842) * Scinde Medal (1843) * Gwalior Star (1843) * Sutlej Medal (1846) * Naval General Service Medal (1847) * Military General Service Medal (1847) * Punjab Medal (1849) * Army of India Medal (1851) * India General Service Medal (1854) * South Africa Medal (1854) * Crimean War Medal (1854) * Baltic Medal (1856) * Indian Mutiny Medal (1858) * Second China War Medal (1861) * New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buff (colour)
Buff (latin ''bubalinus'') is a light brownish yellow, ochreous colour, typical of buff leather. Buff is a mixture of yellow ochre and white: two parts of white lead and one part of yellow ochre produces a good buff, or white lead may be tinted with French ochre alone. As an RYB quaternary colour, it is the colour produced by an equal mix of the tertiary colours citron and russet. Etymology The first recorded use of the word ''buff'' to describe a colour was in ''The London Gazette'' of 1686, describing a uniform to be "...a Red Coat with a Buff-colour'd lining". It referred to the colour of undyed buffalo leather, such as soldiers wore as some protection: an eyewitness to the death in the Battle of Edgehill (1642) of Sir Edmund Verney noted "he would neither put on arms rmouror buff coat the day of the battle". Such buff leather was suitable for ''buffing'' or serving as a ''buffer'' between polished objects. It is not clear which bovine "''buffalo''" referred to, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Pitting
Operation Pitting was a British military operation to evacuate British nationals and eligible Afghans from Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban offensive. The operation consisted of more than 1,000 military personnel, including soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade and RAF UKMAMS personnel. It ran concurrently with the evacuation efforts of numerous other countries. Over 15,000 people were airlifted to safety on more than 100 flights in the largest British evacuation since the Second World War and the largest airlift since the Berlin Blockade of 1948–9. Of those evacuated, 5,000 were British nationals and 8,000 were Afghans who were vulnerable to persecution by the Taliban due to their role in assisting British forces during Operation Herrick (20022014). Around 2,200 evacuees were also children, with the youngest just one day old.Total evacuated: * * * The evacuation implemented commitments made by the British government under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Polic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Toral
Operation Toral was the codename for the British presence within Afghanistan post-2014 as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission. UK forces had two major tasks: training and mentoring Afghan Forces, and providing force protection for NATO advisors via the Kabul Security Force/Kabul Protection Unit. The operation drew to a close on 8 July 2021 with the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from the country. However, British troops were subsequently redeployed under Operation Pitting in August 2021 to evacuate British nationals and staff following the 2021 Taliban offensive. Background Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and support to the American-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). In December 2012 Prime Minister David Cameron announced that 3,800 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and support to the American-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), within the central Asian country. Operation Herrick superseded two previous efforts in Afghanistan. The first of these was Operation Veritas, which consisted of support during the United States invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. The last major action of this was a sweep in east Afghanistan by 1,700 Royal Marines during Operation Jacana, which ended in mid-2002. The second was Operation Fingal, which involved leadership and a 2,000 strong contribution for a newly formed ISAF in Kabul after December 2001. Command was subsequently transferred to NATO ally Turkey several months later and the British contingent was scaled back to 300. Since then, all com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Veritas
Operation Veritas was the codename used for British military operations against the Taliban government of Afghanistan in 2001. British forces played a supporting role to the American Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition, the British contribution was an important part of the overall forces deployed. Operation Veritas also incorporated Operation Oracle, Operation Fingal, and Operation Jacana. It was succeeded by Operation Herrick. Many British forces were on exercise Saif Sareea II in Oman when the September 11 attacks occurred. This allowed for the swift deployment of some to Afghanistan for operations against the Taliban. First rotation The first rotation of forces left in place after the war started included: * HMS ''Illustrious'' * HMS ''Fearless'' * HMS ''Cornwall'' * HMS ''Nottingham'' * HMS ''Southampton'' * HMS ''Trafalgar'' * HMS ''Triumph'' * HMS ''Beagle'' * RFA ''Sir Tristram'' * RFA ''Sir Percivale'' * RFA ''Fort Victoria'' * RFA ''Fort Rosalie'' * RFA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
War In Afghanistan (2001–present)
War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see also Mongol invasion of Central Asia (1216–1222) *Mughal conquests in Afghanistan (1526) *Afghan Civil War (1863–1869), a civil war between Sher Ali Khan and Mohammad Afzal Khan's faction after the death of Dost Mohammad Khan * Anglo−Afghan Wars (first involvement of the British Empire in Afghanistan via the British Raj) ** First Anglo−Afghan War (1839–1842) ** Second Anglo−Afghan War (1878–1880) ** Third Anglo−Afghan War (1919) *Panjdeh incident (1885), first major incursion into Afghanistan by the Russian Empire during the Great Game (1830–1907) with the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland * First Afghan Civil War (1928–1929), revolts by the Shinwari and the Saqqawists, the latter of whom managed to take over Kabul for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Barras
Operation Barras was a British Army operation that took place in Sierra Leone on 10 September 2000, during the late stages of Sierra Leone Civil War, the nation's civil war. The operation aimed to release five British soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment and their Sierra Leone Army (SLA) liaison officer, who were being held by a militia group known as the "West Side Boys". The soldiers were part of a patrol that was returning from a visit to Jordanian peacekeepers attached to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) at Masiaka on 25 August 2000 when they turned off the main road and down a track towards the village of Magbeni. There the patrol of twelve men was overwhelmed by a large number of heavily armed rebels, taken prisoner, and transported to Gberi Bana on the opposite side of Rokel Creek. Negotiators secured the release of six of the soldiers, but were unable to gain the freedom of the remaining five and their SLA liaison officer before the West Side Boy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medal Bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It most commonly indicates the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the recipient has met the criteria for receiving the medal in multiple theatres. When used in conjunction with decorations for exceptional service, such as gallantry medals, the term "and bar" means that the award has been bestowed multiple times. In the example, "Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, VC, OM, DSO and two bars, DFC", "DSO and two bars" means that the Distinguished Service Order was awarded on three occasions. A British convention is to indicate bars by the use of asterisks; thus, DSO** would denote a DSO and two bars. Bars are also used on long-service medals to indicate the length of service rendered. The two terms are used because terms "bar" and "clasp" both refer to two parts of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), or the Sierra Leonean Civil War, was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Liberia, Liberian dictator Charles Taylor (Liberian politician), Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The resulting civil war lasted 11 years, enveloped the country, and left over 50,000 dead.Gberie, p. 6 During the first year of the war, the RUF took control of large swathes of territory in eastern and southern Sierra Leone, which were rich in alluvial diamonds. The government's ineffective response to the RUF, and the disruption in government diamond production, precipitated a military ''coup d'état'' in April 1992 by the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC).Gberie, p. 103 By the end of 1993, the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Sierra Leone Ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
