Introduction
Over the past decade we have noticed a rampant increase in the number of people who are wearing their orders, decorations and medals incorrectly. The cadre of people who flagrantly violate the official rules on how you are supposed to wear your medals ranges from the average veteran right up to current and former Governors General. Indeed, there is much evidence to suggest that the higher the rank of the individual the more likely they are to just wear whatever they want, however they want. We like to think of this as “Instant Dictator Syndrome” or self-aggrandizement at its most obvious.
Why do people wear their medals incorrectly? Often it is because they simply do not know any better. If you are one of these people you should consult WEARING ORDERS, DECORATIONS AND MEDALS which is available from the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall. This guide will help you figure out how you are supposed to wear your officially granted orders, decorations and medals.
When it comes to wearing your medals incorrectly the worst offenders tend to be former Governors General, Lieutenant Governors and retired Generals. When these people – all in authority and all surrounded by staff who know better – wear their medals wrong they are obviously suffering from the dreaded Instant Dictator Syndrome. The attitude accompanied with this most severe condition is “the more medals I wear the more important I will look.”
This simple blog is aimed at revealing the myriad of fellow Canadians who cannot seem to wear their medals correctly.
Is it possible that he is wearing the Korean War Medal earned by his mother Margaret M Woolf who served as a nursing officer in Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, stationed initially in Japan, where she cared for Commonwealth troops serving in the Korean War. After all he is wearing it on the right side. And I know wearing such a medal is not in keeping with Canadian law or custom.
ReplyDeleteWow that’s some pretty specific info you have there. You may well have identified the reason why Woolf pinned the medal on. The wearing of war medals which you didn’t personally earn is a violation of the Criminal Code of Canada — see section 419. It might just be “symbolic” but a general rule of good citizenship is you don’t break the Criminal Code. Beyond being illegal it is not an appropriate way to honour a relatives military service. The only Canadians who were permitted to commemorate their loved ones in this way were the mothers of those killed in the CEF during World War One. Let’s also remember the event the medal was worn at was a Nobel Prize ceremony and not Remembrance Day.
ReplyDeleteIn Britain, it is a longstanding custom to wear the ODMs of a parent on the right side in ceremonial mufti. One can simply look at images of the Remembrance Day Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph for numerous examples of such wear, further the whole purpose of wearing them on the right side is to unmistakably signal that they were awarded to a parent and are not to be confused with personal ODMs worn on the left side.
ReplyDeleteYes in Canada such actions are against the Criminal code, so what goes on in the UK is all fine and lovely, but Canadians shouldn't be breaking Canadian laws
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