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There has been an increase in the number of people who are wearing unauthorised commemorative or "tin" medals within their authorised rack of awarded Service Medals which are being reported to us at the site.   As a result of these reports, ANZMI has decided to add this page to show how people can inadvertently abuse their Service and their awarded medals by wearing unawarded "tin" amongst the medals they have been awarded for serving this Nation.

Be proud of your service and the awards you earned and if you must wear tin, then they should be racked up and worn on the right breast, not amongst your gazetted, awarded medals.  The preferred way, we suggest, would be on a separate rack under any Next of Kin [NOK] medals you may be wearing so as not to denigrate the medals of your NOK.

Unsure of what a Commemorative "tin" medal is.  Then read on.  Tin medals are the medals that have been mass produced to show service where authorised medals are deemed not to have be awarded.    They are not engraved with your service details and have not been awarded to you by the government.   The majority have been produced by organisations preying on the gullible and they are expensive for an item that represents nothing.  Basically if you have to buy a medal then it is NOT issued and therefore should NOT be racked with your earned awards.

These are not to be confused with Association medals, however these association medals also are not authorised to be worn on the same bar as authorised medals.  They should be worn on the right breast only, if worn at all.

Service persons are governed by the Defence Act on the wearing of medals.  Commemoratives and Association medals are not authorised to be worn on Service uniforms by serving members.   You may be out of the Service now and not governed by the Defence Act, but protocol still applies here and if you are proud of the Service you gave then you will comply with the direction shown by the Ex Service Associations protocols.  These protocols are based on the Defence Act governing serving members.   Not a member of an ex service organisation?  Think this doesn't apply to you?  Still unsure whether you can wear them amongst your awarded medals? Then go here as a good starting spot. http://www.rsl.org.au/  Click on the "Information" button and then click on the "Medal Sequence" button.  Please read it carefully.

Still unsure after reading the RSL site?  Then contact one of the reputable medal people who have web sites.  We will endeavour to list them here so you can check if your medals are real or tin.

Be wary when perusing some medal dealer sites.  Some have the wording that their medals are "authorised" or are "issued".  Authorised by who?  Issued by who?  If it was issued then you wouldn't be paying for it!!  Unless the government has gazetted the medal and issued it to you it is an expensive piece of commemorative or "tin" metal that means nothing and will earn you a lot of smiles and jibes when you parade with your mates next time you are required to wear your medals.   If your ego says you must wear them, get them all mounted on a separate bar and display them, preferably, underneath any NOK medals you may wear on your right breast.

It has been said by senior RSL people
"If you had to pay for them, you didn't earn them" 
Sterling advice to be remembered. Be proud of your service and only wear on your left breast what you have earned and been awarded legally.

Below is a gallery of the type of medals that are appearing in the medal racks of Veterans.  Whether these veterans just don't know protocol or are trying to enhance their service remains their business.  However, if such "tin" medals are incorrectly worn amongst awarded medals, then it is an insult to other Veterans, living and deceased and is very much frowned upon by we who proudly wear only our genuinely awarded medals and/or decorations.

Above is the "Vietnam Veterans Medal"

Dealers advertise that this medal is "issued".  The going "issue" price is $85 approx.  You can add to this the cost of mounting and it gets expensive.   It is a nice trinket but not authorised for wearing on the left breast.  There are lots out there being worn.  If worn at all it should be on the right hand side to conform with protocol and preferably on a separate rack below NOK medals. It was 'invented' for gullible Veterans who attended the Vietnam Veterans Parade in Launceston, Tasmania and is affectionately known as "the Battle of Launceston Medal."

                                        The "Infantry Front Line Medal"

Another piece of tin that is not authorised for wearing.  The approximate cost of this "issued" medal is $85.  Why do you have to pay for an "issued" medal?  The answer is simple.  It is "issued" by the bloke taking your hard earned dollars for a piece of worthless scrap metal that should not be racked on your authorised medal bar.  Infantry soldiers, and other corps members who fulfill the criteria, are entitled to wear the Infantry Combat Badge. [ICB] The ICB is issued by the Australian Government. The front line medal is not.......If you buy and wear it you pay good money for the privilege of wearing this tin and it should only be worn on the right breast below NOK medals for your mates to smile at    [if you must wear it at all.]
Have a look at this bloke below.  He is really confused.  He was an RAAF Airfield Defence Guard [ADG], or a door gunner on choppers, but he wears this tin Infantry Front Line Medal.  His service records don't state any service as an Infantryman and if he did have some and was POSTED to an Infantry unit, he would be able to wear the real badge shown below.  He is a poseur.  His war stories would be worth listening to on ANZAC day in the pub.  Are they a contributing factor to his disability pension?  He wears the badge of a Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Service person.

This below is an example of the ICB.  This is a genuine award. This is issued to those who fulfil the criteria to wear it. This is the only award indicating specific Infantry service that is authorised for wearing.  It is worn centrally above the medals.  It is bronze in colour and is not to be polished.

Below are examples of some of the badges that other corps members are wearing above their medals.     These are NOT genuine awards that can be worn above medals like the ICB.
They are corps/association badges that should not be worn above medals and should be removed and worn on the jacket/shirt lapel in the manner they were designed.

Republic of South Viet Nam,  Cross of Gallantry [RSVN CofG]

Republic of South Viet Nam, Unit Citation of the Cross of Gallantry with Palm

There are many stories floating around the internet and the Australian forces that all Australians who served in South Viet Nam are entitled to wear the Republic of South Viet Nam, Cross of Gallantry Medal or the Republic of South Viet Nam Unit Citation of the Cross of Gallantry with Palm. This is totally wrong and it would appear that this myth was started by a mob calling themselves The American War Libraries. [AWL]  Their address is as follows:
Records Chief (REC-AMW)
The American War Library
16907 Brighton Avenue
Gardena CA 90247-5420

This organisation has no authority in Australia and has definitely no authority to make claims that all Australians who served in South Viet Nam have an entitlement to either the Cross of Gallantry or the Unit Citation.  They are infact, another organisation that preys on gullible veterans to line their pockets with the hard earned money of both Australian and American Veterans.  This site is not used by US Veterans as a reference site nor do they regard the information supplied on there to be truthful.  The AWL offer their services, at a price, to US Veterans to gain their service information, which they can obtain for free by writing to the relevant Military Branch, but instead prefer to charge the Veterans huge amounts of money for information that they can obtain for free.

As an Australian Veteran, do not fall into the misapprehension that this site will "do the right thing" by you for a price, as they do not care about your genuine service, but instead are out to strip you of your hard earned dollars and will gladly issue you a false Cross of Gallantry certificate and a false Cross of Gallantry medal as they laugh at catching out another sucker from down under.

Feel free to go and have a look at the false and misleading information that they will throw at you here  http://www.amervets.com/   in the hope of putting your name on their "sucker from down under" list.  Then after you have read their rubbish  read the truth about the Cross of Gallantry and the Unit Citation, direct from our Government as shown below. 

It is strongly recommended that you read and possibly re-read the article below so that you don't become a statistic on these pages or face the possibility of a $3,300 fine and a possible jail sentence for falsely wearing decorations and awards.

If after reading the info from our Australian Government you still feel you have a desire to wear the Cross of Gallantry illegally, please do us a favour and scan a photograph of yourself showing your head shoulders and medal rack at 300 dpi and send it to us so we can add you to the upcoming Wall of Shame of Veterans who falsely wear genuine decorations and tin medals.  This will save us dispatching a team member to your location to take your photo.  This Wall of Shame area is coming soon to the site so please keep coming back to see if any of your friends fit the category of Tin War Hero.

So there you have it people.  If you have proof that you are legally entitled to wear the Cross Of Gallantry or the Unit Citation and are not a part of the units specifically mentioned in the writings above, then we suggest strongly that you apply for recognition of and approval from the Australian Government prior to adding this medal to your rack. 

No further explanation should be required.  To apply for recognition to wear the medal or citation, submit your request and supporting documentation to this site http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/ or send all of your documentation and details to:

Mr Pat Clarke
Assistant Director Policy
Directorate of Honours and Awards
T-1-20
Department of Defence
CANBERRA  ACT  2600
Tel: 02 62661051
and wait for its FULL approval before mounting it, or your photo may just appear on the Wall of Shame.

The Wall of Shame for tin medal wearers is about to commence.  The people currently wearing them will tell you that there is no set policy/protocol, at the moment, to stop them from wearing these trinkets amongst their earned medals. They are absolutely correct in stating this, however, you as a genuine Veteran will know in your own mind that you do not rack up tin amongst your hard earned, government issued medals.  These people are poseurs and if they wish to pose with their tin on then the suggested method at this stage is that they are racked on a separate medal bar and worn on the right breast below any NOK medals that may be worn, not as seen in the photograph shown below.  These people tarnish their genuine Service record.

Below is the typical dialogue you will see on tin dealer sites to promote and SELL their tin items.  Nowhere below does it state that this medal is gazetted, government authorised and issued [free] and to be worn on the left breast of the recipient.  Note the price in the upper right hand corner.  Are you prepared to pay this for tin?  If you are then make sure it is racked separately and worn on the right breast and BELOW any Next of Kin Medals you may be wearing proudly out of respect for a fallen relative.
"International Conscripts/National Service medal for all personnel who served for any period of time with the defence forces of all Commonwealth and allied countries. The medal is 36mm in diameter and finished in bright mirror finish nickel. Miniatures and ribbon bars are also available. The full size medal is available individually; either not mounted (with 200mm of riband), court mounted or swing mounted. It is also available in a presentation box as a boxed set containing medal, miniature and ribbon bar. Eligible service with Commonwealth Navies, Armies, Air Forces, Reserve and Citizens Military Forces (those with deferred or alternative service), Australian National Servicemen 1951-1959, Australian National Servicemen 1965-1972.

Notes: Struck originally to recognise the contribution of draftees prior to the issue of the ANSM 1951-72." The medal continues to recognise service less than the prescribed criteria for official government-issue Anniversary of National Service medal. 
Here in a half hearted manner the producer of this tin recognises that there is an official, gazetted and issued National Service Medal.  This medal is ISSUED FREE to those who qualify and can be worn on the left breast proudly with all other earned medals.  To apply for the FREE, ISSUED, Anniversary of National Service Medal [1951 - 1972] use this link, remember to bookmark us first or you will lose this valuable page.   http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dpe_site/honours_awards/

This above is the Authorised Anniversary of National Service Medal. It is ISSUED FREE on application.  Note the colours of the riband.

 It has been noted that since the introduction of the official, government issued National Service medal that there has been a growing number of three [3] month Nasho's now marching with this medal on........and many tin trinkets they have purchased to enhance their one and only 'earned' medal.  See some more examples below.   Remove all the rubbish gentlemen and if you must wear it then rack it up on the right breast below any NOK medals you may be wearing. 

You are making a mockery of:

a.    the National Servicemen who did their 2 year conscription, many of whom served in Viet Nam and proudly wear their [earned] war service medals, and

b.   those National Servicemen who were Killed in Action through their service in Viet Nam.

The Simpson Medal $85 for this tin or $117.50 if you want it in a pretty box with an unofficial miniature.

This medal is worthless, even though it will cost you the amounts stated above, it should NOT be worn on the left breast.
The organisation that was instrumental in making this medal available even has this statement on their site  "Along with RSM Awards the 'Simpson Medal' was designed and produced as a commemorative medal. This self purchase form of recognition is shunned by the RSL."  ANZMI concurs with the RSL on shunning this award.  If the Australian Government considered that Servicepersons were to be awarded a medal for being wounded or killed then there would be a struck, gazetted and FREE issued medal available.  Currently we have under investigation a Navy Veteran who is wearing this medal and to date we can find no evidence that he was wounded in the line of duty or during his Defence service that warrants the wearing of this tin medal.

Other tin medals you may see on ANZAC day are:

Rats of Tobruk

There are a variety of interpretation around about this medal and many think that because it has been worn on the left breast for so long that it is an official medal.   It is not and therefore should be racked up on the right breast with other commemorative medals, preferably below NOK medals.  The British or Australian governments have not at any stage recognised the courage of the Rats Of Tobruk with an official medal and in fact below is the story of the origins of the Rats Medallion.

The image below is extracted from:

MEDALS TO AUSTRALIA WITH VALUATIONS [fourth edition] by R.D. Williams ISBN 0-646-37334-X Published by Downies EST 1932 GPO Box 2588W, Melbourne Victoria 3001.
for a copy of the book contact them by:
Phone: toll free 1300 788358
Fax: 03 96700311
email: info@downies.com

There is a group of Veterans currently speaking with government to implement law on medals.  At the same time a petition is also being drawn up that will be sent around the internet.  This petition will be available here soon so make sure you come back to find it.   The protection of your medals will not happen unless you, the Veteran, are prepared to assist in lobbying the government and ex service organisations for strict guidelines and laws governing the production and sale of your medals and these trinkets that are currently available. 

The area below is still under construction and will provide additional information specific to Navy personnel in regards to the wearing of unofficial Naval Association and commemorative medals.  Watch this space and come back often.  Navy, please pass this information on to China Hammal.

Navy Personnel, unless you were a Gun line Sailor, seem to be of the opinion that they have an entitlement to wear the following tin and many more, in their awarded rack.  These are association trinkets and not worth the metal they have been moulded from.  They should not be racked with awarded medals but instead, if worn at all, should be worn as stated above, and that is below any NOK medals worn on the right breast.  By wearing these trinkets amongst your awarded medals you are making a mockery of the genuine Sailors who served the Nation.

Below is an image of the FESR clasp.  This is all a real Sailor requires to show his service in FESR.  It is authorised and issued by the government.  The medals below are owned by a Gun Line Sailor who wears nothing more and nothing less than his entitlement.

There will be more here on these unauthorised medals soon.......keep coming back.

The basic bottom line at this stage is:

IF YOU HAD TO BUY IT, YOU DIDN'T EARN IT, SO THEREFORE THEY SHOULD BE RACKED SEPARATELY AND WORN ON THE RIGHT BREAST PREFERABLY BELOW ANY NOK MEDALS YOU MAY BE WEARING.

This is published in the public interest, particularly that of the  Veteran Community. All information presented here is fact and the truth. Reports from private citizens are supported by statements of fact and statutory declarations.