Volume 52 Number 6 identical to the Commendation for Gallantry except the In response to the ensuing furor, the Minister for Veter- ribbon is red ochre in color, and the device has a silver- alas Affairs announced on 31 March 1999 the formation colored finish. of a special three-member panel that would review the Vietnam End-of-War List. The three distinguished indi- The Reaction to the Vietnam End-of-War List viduals appointed to the panel were Noel Tanzer, AC (Chairman); retired Major General Peter Phillips, AO, No sooner than the Vietnam End-of-War List was made MC, then the National President of the Vietnam Veterans public that it became mired in controversy. Six former Association of Australia; and Clive Mitchell-Taylor, JP. enlisted servicemen who were originally recommended for the British Military Medal refused their Australian In short, the fundamental issue addressed by the panel Commendation for Gallantry. Some in this group wanted and the cause of the dissention over the Vietnam End-of- the British medal because it was the award bestowed on War List was the relative rankings of the Imperial British their contemporaries. Others, however, felt slighted that and new Australian awards on the list. For these and all the original recommendations for the British Military other British and Australian awards, the combined order Medal, which was obsolete by now, had been down- of precedence was formalized by the "Order of Wearing graded to a mere commendation. These veterans noted Australian Honours and Awards" (Order of Wearing) with some irony that officer recipients on the End-of-War published in 1996. The 1996 Order of Wearing, which List received an actual medal, while enlisted recipients is current today, appears in the appendix at the end of this were recognized by only a length of ribbon. article. Table 2 Initial Vietnam End-of-War List Initial Recommendation Approved British Award Approved Australian Award Nos. Officer of the Order of the British Empire Mention in Dispatches Distinguished Service Medal 2 Member of the Order of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire British Empire Distinguished Service Medal 1 Oll]cer of the Order of the British Empire None Distinguished Service Medal 2 Member of the Order of the British Empire Mention ~n Dispatches Distinguished Service Medal 9 Member of the Order of the British Empire British Empire Medal Distinguished Service Medal 1 Member of the Order of the British Empire None Distinguished Service Medal 3 Military Cross Mention in Dispatches Medal for Gallantry 5 M~htmy Cross None Medal for Gallantry 8 Distinguished Flying Cross Mention in D~spatches Distinguished Service Medal 3 Dxstinguished Flytng Cross None Distinguished Service Medal 1 Military Medal Mention ~n Dispatches Commendation for Gallantry 5 Militmy Medal None Commendation for Gallantry 1 British Empire Medal Mention in Dxspatches Commendation for Distinguished Service 2 Mention in Dispatches None Commendation for Gallantry 4 Mention m Dispatches None Commendation for Distinguished Service 31 Total 78 28 The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America Table 3 Integrated Imperial British and Australian Four-Tier Gallantry Award System Australia Tier Eligible Ranks Imperial British Navy Imperial British Army Imperial British Air Force (All Branches) 1 All Victoria Cross Victoria Cross Victoria Cross Victoria Cross a. Officers Distinguished Service Distinguished Service Distinguished Service Order Order Order Star of Gallantry b. All Others Conspicuous Gallantry Distinguished Conduct Conspicuous Gallant~ Medal Medal Medal ~lylng) a. Officers and Distlnguashed Service Military Cross Dlshnguished Flying Warrant Officers Cross Cross Medal for b Warrant Offi- Distinguished Service Military Medal Distinguished Flying Gallantry cers and below Medal Medal Commendation 4 All Mention in Dxspatches Mention in Dispatches Mention in Dispatches for Gallantry The Panel’s Recommendations c. The Australian Medal for Gallantry was the equiv- alent of the British Military Cross and the obsolete On 25 August 1999, the panel made its extensive and British Military Medal. important recommendations to the Australian govern- ment. The panel also submitted a four-tiered equivalency d. The Vietnam End-of-War List option to pursue the table that merged the Imperial British and new Australian retroactive awards of British decorations was correctly gallantry awards. This table is reproduced above as rejected, and Table"D. e. The awards of the Australian Commendations for The creation of the equivalency table was largely predi- Gallantry and Distinguished Service were arguably higher cated on the fact that while the Order of Wearing was an decorations than the British Mention in Dispatches. important, authoritative statement regarding the relative merits of the British and Australian gallantry awards, it Conclusion was not the sole criterion for such matters, nor was it singularly appropriate in resolving the Vietnam End-of- It took the wisdom of an independent panel conducting a War List. In the view of the panel, an over reliance on second review to unravel the Vietnam End-of-War List. the Order of Wearing coupled with a requirement to not An important lesson from the entire process is not to promote an Australian award over its British counterpart postpone the End-of-War List review some 25 years after created the issues in the initial Vietnam End-of-War List. the event. Over an extended period of time, it is inevi- table that award criteria will change, new awards will be As for the Vietnam End-of-War list, the government con- introduced, and some awards will be declared obsolete. curred with the panel’s recommendation that the six The longer the review is delayed, the more difficult will Commendations for Gallantry should be upgraded to be the task. Medals for Gallantry. In making this recommendation, the panel also concluded that The author wishes to thank and acknowledge Mr. Clive Mitchell-Taylor, JP, the immediate past National Presi- a. The award of the six Medals for Gallantry had no dent of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, impact on the integrity of the Australian honors system. for his valuable help and assistance in the preparation of this article. For further information on this and related b. Modern Australian gallantry awards can be topics, see the web site www.vvaa.org.au. directly equated to Imperial British gallantry awards in the British four-tier system. 29 Volume 52 Number 6 Appendix The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 208, 17 June 1996 (Australian awards are in italics) Victoria Cross 1 Australian Fire Service Medal George Cross Medal of the Order ofAustralia Cross of Valour Order of St. John Knight of the Garter Distinguished Conduct Medal Knight of the Thistle Conspicuous Gallantry Medal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath George Medal Order of Merit Conspicuous Service Medal Knight of the Order of Australia Antarctic Medal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry George Queen’s Fire Service Medal for Gallantry Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Service Medal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Military Medal 2 Companion of the Order of Australia Distinguished Flying Medal Companion of Honour Air Force Medal Knight Commander of the Order of Bath Queen’s Gallantry Medal Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. Royal Victorian Medal George British Empire Medal Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Queen’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service Knight Bachelor Commendation for Gallantry Officer of the Order ofAustralia Commendation for Brave Conduct Companion of the Order of Bath Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George Commendation for Distinguished Service Commander of the Royal Victorian Order War MedalslAustralian Active Service Medal a, 4 Commander of the Order of the British Empire Australian Service Medal 1945-1975/Australian Service Star of Gallantry Medal/Rhodesia Medal 3 Star of Courage Police Overseas Service Medal Companion of the Distinguished Service Order Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945 Distinguish ed Service Cross Polar Medal Member of th e Order ofA ustralia Imperial Service Medal Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order Coronation and Jubilee Medals s Officer of the Order of the B ritish Empire Defence Force Service Medal Companion of the Imperial Service Order Reserve Force Decoration Member of the Royal Victorian Order Reserve Force Medal Member of the Order of the British Empire National Medal Conspicuous Service Cross Champion Shots Medal Nursing Service Cross Long Service Medals Royal Red Cross 1st Class Independence and Anniversary Medals s Distinguished Service Cross Foreign Awards 6 Military Cross Distinguished Flying Cross Notes: Air Force Cross 1 On 15 January 1991, the Victoria Cross for Austraha superseded Royal Red Cross 2nd Class the Victoria Cross inshtuted by Queen Victoria m 1856. 2. Obsolete Medal for Gallantry 3. In order of date of qualifying service Bravery Medal 4. Includes hnpenal British efficiency and long-service awards Distinguished Service Medal 5. In order of date of receipt Public Service Medal 6. In order of date of authorization to accept and wear the awards Australian Police Medal Note that the Imperial British MID does not appear on the list 3O .