H.M. ARMED FORCES VETERANS BADGE

HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge

The following submitted by: Trevor STUBBERFIELD (52A)

The Government is giving you something for nothing, now there's a novelty.  The Veterans Badge is available to anyone in the Services up to December 1954, which is us, even as lads that we were.  It's a nice, well made badge which comes in a jewel box.  Be careful if your lady sees it, she might think it's a ring for her.  Delivery time has been within two weeks, mine came in 9 days.

The qualifying criteria have been revised and the new details are published below.

Furnished by George MILLIE (49B) Updated on site 17th May 2007.

Medals for veterans - now extended to those who served up to 31 Dec 84

Details of Veterans' Badge (now extended to those who served before 31 December 1984) -  forms and details are here

VETERANS BADGE - NOW EXTENDED TO 1954

AND INTERWAR YEARS

Defence Secretary, John Reid:

"The many heroic acts and sacrifices of our veterans and their families must never be forgotten. This is why we established the Veterans Badge in the first place. It has proved enormously popular, with over 100,000 issued to date.

"It has always been our intention that the Veterans Badge will be available to all veterans. To make the issuing of badges simpler, so far only applications from those who served during the First and Second World Wars have been accepted.

"I am very pleased that from today, fittingly on Remembrance Sunday, I am extending this to include those who joined before 31st December 1969 "

The HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge was launched in May 2004 with the intention it would be made available to all First World War veterans and the Second World War veterans who, under the Heroes Return scheme, travelled back to the battlefronts they had fought on. Because the badge was so popular, eligibility was quickly extended to include all Second World War veterans and today is extended again. Further extensions to the eligibility criteria of the Badge will be announced in due course.

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If you would like a badge please select one of the following download options to access the application form. pdf file (Acrobat) or in Microsoft Word format here

When completed, please sign and date it and either fax it back or return it by post. (Address and fax numbers on the form).

Other veterans from Falklands, NI, Gulf and Iraq will be issued badges in due course.

UK Armed Forces Veterans Lapel Badge

Did you serve in HM Armed Forces?

Service before and during World War II

Men and women who Served in HM Armed Forces before and/or during World War II are entitled to a Veterans Badge.

There are other groups who Served during World War II who are included, these are:

• Cyprus Regiment
• Home Guard
• Polish Forces under UK Command

Please note, that Veterans who served in Armed Forces of other Countries and those who served alongside HM Armed Forces are not eligible. Examples of these are Canadian Navy or Royal Australian Air Force etc

Service after World War II
Men and Women who enlisted in HM Armed Forces between 3 September 1945 and 31 December 1984 are entitled to a Veterans Badge. There is no qualifying length of Service.

Posthumous requests
It is regrettable that the badge cannot be issued posthumously. The badge is a survivors’ badge, which is to be worn on civilian attire.

The only exceptions are War Widows and Widowers who are in receipt of a War Widows/Widowers Pension paid by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency.

Extensions to the criteria
It is the aim, eventually, to include all those who Served in HM Armed Forces, however the demand for the badge continues to be high. 
Once it is known when the eligibility is to be extended for those whose Service began after 31 December 1984, details will be posted on this website.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept requests for badges at this time from people whose Service began after 31 December 1984.

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

Veterans who will be attending the 25th Anniversary of the Falkland Islands Campaign at Horse Guards Parade on 17 June 2007 will automatically be sent an HM Armed Forces Veteran’s Badge with their tickets and should not apply to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency using the form below.

UK Merchant Seafarers Veterans Badge

If you Served in the Merchant Navy during Military Operations click here.

How to apply

You can apply by any of the following methods:
Click on one of the links below to access the application form.

Application Forms

• Acrobat Reader Version
• Microsoft Word Version

Please ensure you complete the form as fully as possible.

You may post or fax your completed form to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency.

Another option is to download the form, complete it electronically, save the form and return to the
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency by email.

If you wish, you may call the Freephone number to apply. Please ensure you have to hand all the details asked for on the application form.

Postal address:
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys,
Lancashire,
FY5 3WP

Fax:
01253 330561(UK Only)
+44 1253 330561 (Overseas)

Email: help@veterans-uk.info

Freephone Helpline
Free: 0800 169 2277 (UK only)
Free: 0800 169 3458 (Minicom UK only)
+44 1253 866043 (Overseas)

Information for Third Parties

• ex-Service organisations
• public advisors

If you wish to publicise the availability of the Veterans Lapel Badge, please use the exact criteria and contact details as shown above.

The following submitted by: George MILLIE (49B)

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