Bevin Boys Badge

10 April 2008

Men who were conscripted directly into the mines, those who opted for mine work in preference to joining the Armed Forces, or those who were in the Armed Forces and volunteered to become miners during the period 1943-1948 were known as Bevan Boys.

The Bevin Boys scheme was introduced in 1943 by the then Minister for Labour and National Service, Ernest Bevin. The scheme ran between 1943 and 1948 and involved recruiting men to work in coal mines during and immediately following World War II.

A badge, similar to the Veterans Badge, is available to all surviving Bevin Boys and formally recognises their work in the UK coalfields during and immediately after World War II. The badge can only be issued posthumously to the widows of men who died on or after 20 June 2007 and fall into the above category. This Badge is sponsored by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and is currently being issued on a rolling basis.

The application form for the badge is now available and can be obtained by calling the Veterans-UK Helpline 0800 169 2277.

100,000 War Veterans First In Line for Digital Hearing Aids

24 June 2007

Thousands of ex-servicemen and women who damaged their hearing serving their country will no longer have to face the ‘double insult' of not receiving a pension for their war injuries and then waiting up to two years for a digital hearing aid, thanks to a campaign by deafness charity RNID.

RNID, the national charity changing the world for the UK's 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people, estimates that more than 100,000 veterans celebrating Veterans Day last month (27 June 2007) should now get priority treatment for deafness caused by service, even if they don't get a pension for their condition.

Up until now, those with hearing loss below high government thresholds - 50 decibels in both ears - face NHS hearing aid queues of up to two years.

But a government statement in the House of Commons that all veterans will be given priority treatment for war disability is a great boost to all Veterans. 

RNID Chief Executive Dr John Low said: “Having a hearing loss of 50 decibels means that it's difficult to have a chat in a quiet room, listen to the television or hear your grandchildren. After serving their country and paying with their hearing, our veterans deserve better than the double insult of no disability pension and long hearing aid waiting times. Being first in line is the very least they deserve, and fantastic news for Veterans Day.  RNID is now calling on the government to ensure that all 100,000 heroes are informed of their rights.”

Blair Departure Will Overshadow Veterans' Day

15 May 2007

This year's Veterans' Day, a national celebration designed to thank today's generation of ex-servicemen and women for their service to our country, will be overshadowed by the planned departure of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Mr Blair announced his departure plans on Thursday 10 May, indicating that his last day in office would be Wednesday 27 June. This coincides with second official Veterans' Day introduced by this Government as a day to ensure that, on the 27 June each year, the nation recognises, understands and commemorates veterans' contribution to society. His departure and the appointment of his successor will inevitably be the lead story in the media and, as a result, ‘bury' any news about Veterans' Day.

Simon Lamb, Director of British Veterans Recognition Card, comments: “I find the decision by the Prime Minister to depart Number 10 on Veteran's Day to be grossly insensitive. No other country would instigate a national celebration of ex-servicemen and women one year and then deliberately overshadow it the next. There can only be one of two reasons for the clash of dates. Either the 27 th was selected without appreciating that it was Veterans' Day, which indicates a degree of incompetence by the Prime Minister's office, or it was selected in the knowledge that it was Veterans' Day and therefore staff understood the consequences to this national celebration. Either way it provides a clear indication of the importance that Mr Blair places on Veterans' Issues.”

The clash is somewhat ironic since it was Gordon Brown who announced the introduction of Veteran's Day, in a speech to The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on 13 February 2006, in which he declared that: “Former servicemen and women will be presented with ‘medals' on 27 June to ensure their contribution was “never forgotten” and that veteran status is to be extended to those who have served in more recent conflicts.”

Mr Lamb continues: “The introduction of a Veterans' Day fitted neatly into a revised strategy for veterans issued last year by the Veterans' Policy Unit. It was broadly welcomed by ex-servicemen and women who make no demands but feel that their service to this country warrants greater recognition every day, not just on one day of the year. It seems that in this country, we exclude veterans from the Service community but find it difficult to acknowledge them as civilians. This clash of dates will be seen as a snub by many.”

-ends-

'Veterans Badges'

15 June 2007

We regularly receive requests for information about how to acquire a Veterans' Lapel Badge which, when launched, was being issued by the Veterans Agency to those who served in the two Great Wars. We have been informed that eligibility has now been widened to include those who served in the inter-war years and those who served between the end of WW2 and the 31st December 1994. To apply for a badge you will need to apply to the Veterans Agency and there are a number of ways to contact their office:

Free Helpline: 0800 169 2277

Overseas callers: +44 1253 866043

Email: help@veterans-uk.info

Write to:

Service Personnel and Veterans Agency

Norcross

Thornton-Cleveleys

Lancashire

FY5 3WP

Or download an application form from their website;

www.veterans-uk.info/vets_badge/vets_badge.htm

Veterans' Day Highlights 364 Days without Recognition

22 June 2006 - News Release

Next week sees the introduction of the first Veterans' Day, a national celebration designed to thank today's generation of ex-servicemen and women for their service to our country. Whilst it is meant to ensure that, on 27 June each year, the nation recognises, understands and commemorates veterans' contribution to society it will only serve to highlight the other 364 days without recognition.

At the end of their service, most men and women leave the Forces and successfully integrate back into civilian life. For all, the final act of handing in their identity card constitutes a complete severance from a unique way of life and a loss of identity. Some maintain contact with colleagues through the many ex-service associations and for the few who face difficulties, there is advice and support available from the many excellent ex-service charities. For the majority, however, a national Veterans' Day and a veterans' lapel badge will neither confer day to day recognition nor offer pro-active support.

Simon Lamb, Director of British Veterans Recognition Card, comments: “In this country we seem to exclude veterans from the Service community but find it difficult to acknowledge them as civilians. Our treatment of younger ex-servicemen and woman still lags well behind many other countries where service to their country actually means something. The obvious example is the United States where veterans receive daily recognition of their status but I was recently surprised to learn that veterans of the Nigerian Navy receive free priority health care for the rest of their lives. Society must understand that servicemen and women have agreed to put their life on the line for more than just one day and we owe them all a debt of gratitude. Why can't we give something back more often?”

The introduction of a Veterans' Day fits neatly into a revised strategy recently issued by the Veterans' Policy Unit. The announcement was made by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, in a speech to The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on 13 February this year, in which he declared that: “Former servicemen and women will be presented with ‘medals' on 27 June to ensure their contribution was ‘never forgotten' and that veteran status is to be extended to those who have served in more recent conflicts.”

Mr Lamb continues: “We speak to many hundreds of veterans who make no demands but feel that their service to this country warrants greater recognition not just on one day, but on every day of the year. Whilst they acknowledge that this initiative announced by the Chancellor is a step in the right direction they believe much more can and should be done. University students seem to get better recognition in this country and it is not helped by Mr Brown talking about ‘extending veteran status' when this government has already defined the term ‘Veteran' to mean all those who have served in the UK Armed Forces whether Regular or Reserve.”

A new scheme, which recognises the commitment shown to their country by all ex-servicemen and women, has been acknowledged as a valuable addition to the support currently available to Veterans. The British Veterans Recognition Card, established because there was a demand for a card which was not being answered by the Ministry of Defence, acts as an “identity” card and also provides a range of important benefits. One of the early card holders, Colonel Bob Stewart, veteran of Bosnia said: “This card gives recognition to a special group of people, those who have served their country before themselves. I believe that all Veterans should be proud of their former service and be recognised for it. At the same time the card has the advantage of cutting down on the cost of living and helping to raise the quality of their lives.”