MOD issues Remembrance Day rule for anyone with relatives' medals

Remembrance Sunday, lest we forget, falls on Sunday, November 9 this year, with the actual Remembrance Day on Wednesday, November 11.

And on this sombre day of reflection and remembering those who fought and died to protect our freedoms, many people will still have old war medals passed to them though their family, for WW1 as well as WW2 and various other historic conflicts.

While many will keep their family's medals locked away for safekeeping, others want to honour their sacrifices by wearing them to Remembrance Day services.

If you do decide to do so, however well intentioned, there is a little known rule issued by the Ministry of Defence.

It says that you must only wear these on the right hand side of your clothes, not the left, as a former serviceman or woman would.

The MOD explains: "You should only wear official decorations, medals or emblems that you are entitled to and have been approved for acceptance and wear. Unofficial medals should not be worn with official orders, decorations and medals.

"If you are the next of kin of a deceased service person, it is common practice to wear your relative's decorations and medals as a mark of remembrance. It is custom to wear medals on the right breast in civilian dress only, official approval is not required to wear relative's medals.

"Current serving personnel should not wear relative's medals or unofficial medals whilst wearing uniform."

There is also another rule for unofficial medals, which cannot be worn alongside official issue.

It adds: "Unofficial medals, sometimes referred to as 'commemorative' medals, are usually designed and manufactured by private medal companies to commemorate some form of service with the Armed Forces, usually where no official MOD recognition has been previously given.

"These medals have not been approved by The Sovereign, nor granted permission to wear, and cannot be mounted with official orders, decorations and medals.

"A recent practice of wearing unofficial medals mounted on a separate medal bar has been noted, however, this also carries no form of official endorsement."