Victory for veteran in medal fight (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Victory for veteran in medal fight

Jeffrey Williams with his Canal Zone medal Ref: 99205-167SWINDON...AND PROUD OF IT: A WAR veteran has finally been awarded a medal for his service in Suez more than 50 years after coming home.

And for Jeffrey Williams receiving the medal was a double triumph because the Ministry of Defence had originally claimed he never served in Suez.

But after South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove took up his case Mr Williams, 73, now has the medal he earned all those years ago.

"I had given up hope with it really," he said. "After you have waited all those years you do.

"We should have had this years ago.

"I am glad for the other lads because thousands must have been turned down on this."

Mr Williams, who lives in Kingswood Avenue, Park North, with his wife Vera, 74, served in the Cheshire Regiment that went to the Canal Zone in the early 1950s.

After years of campaigning by veterans the Ministry of Defence announced in October 2003 that those who served in the 1951-1954 Egypt Campaign protecting the Suez Canal would be awarded the General Service Medal with a Canal Zone clasp.

To be eligible veterans had to have served for a continuous period of 30 days or more between October 16, 1951 and October 19, 1954.

"They have been fighting for this for years," said Mr Williams. "Eventually the Government agreed to the campaign.

"I wrote off and in January this year they sent me a letter saying they had information from records that the Cheshire Regiment never left Cyprus.

"Sixteen months I spent there. We were one of the first regiments up the Suez Canal.

"I don't know how they got those records mixed up."

Mr Williams, who has two daughters, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, contacted Mrs Snelgrove's office for help.

Mrs Snelgrove said: "I said in my experience the MoD does make quite a lot of mistakes, so let's not take it at face value.

"I wrote to the minister, Don Touhig. If people are told by a minister to look again they will redouble their efforts."

And Mr Touhig wrote back saying the MoD medal office reviewed the case.

In his letter, the minister said: "I am pleased to inform you that as a result of this review it has been possible to identify that elements of the Cheshire Regiment were in the Canal Zone in 1951-52 and that Mr Williams served the required 30 days in the zone.

"I very much regret the problems that occurred during the initial assessment of his application. I am delighted that a further check of our records has established his eligibility and I hope that the medal will be a source of great pride to Mr Williams and his family for many years to come."

Mrs Williams was delighted for her husband when the medal finally arrived.

""It is the principle of the thing, them saying he wasn't there. That upset him more than anything. It is nice for him to be acknowledged."

And Mrs Snelgrove said she was just pleased to have been able to help. "I am really delighted we have got a result," she said.

"This is justice for a man who deserves recognition for the contribution he made to our country.

"You could say this is more than 50 years overdue."

"Even the postman saluted him at the gate," she said. "Because he had kept asking the postman if he had his medal yet.

"He said 'Well where was I therefor all that time?'

Isabel Field