Page 6 - QARANC Vol 17 No 1 2019

The QARANC medal awarded to the
4 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Annual Awards and Prizes
The Board of Trustees has reviewed the annual awards funded by the Association. During the course of this review, it was noted that one area without recognition was an outstanding contribution to the Association by a retired member. This has now been rectified and the Board would wish the following to be known by all branch members:
The QARANC Association Medal. The medal is to be awarded annually to the QARANC Association retired
member who has made an outstanding contribution to the Association by fostering esprit de corps, comradeship and the welfare of the Corps, by preserving its traditions or relieving need, hardship or distress. The prize is funded by the QARANC Association and consists of a medal and a purse of £150. The presentation of the Medal will take place at the annual reunion lunch.
It is rightfully fitting that, in the year of the 70th anniversary, this anomaly be
retired member receiving the prize
corrected and the work of the retired members celebrated and rewarded.
Colonel (Retd) John DF Quinn Chair
Introduction of The Regular Army Re- join Bounty
If you have recently left the Regular Army and are thinking of re-joining, you may be eligible to receive a re-join bounty of £10,000. Ex-Regular Army QARANC Registered Nurses ranked from Corporal to Staff Sergeant are eligible for a re-join bounty if they left full time service prior to 3 January 2018.
Individuals receiving a re-join bounty will be required to agree to serve in the trade they re-join in the Regular Army for a minimum of two years. They must re-join between April 2018 and 31 March 2020.
Queries regarding eligibility for the re-join bounty should be addressed to SO3 Soldier Policy in the Department of Manning (Army), email: Army Manning- Pol-Sldr-SO3@mod.uk.
Major Christopher Jordan Recruiting
Correction – Mary Cossey
Jan Todman very kindly wrote some notes about two elderly ex QAIMNS sisters who live near her for the Autumn edition of the Gazette. Jan has informed me of the misspelling of Mary Cossey’s surname in the article. I apologise most sincerely for my error.
Jan continues to keep in touch with these two ladies and informs me that Mary is now 101 years old, and that Yvonne was delighted to be recognised by the Association, even though she had never joined.
Alison Spires, Editor
Sadly, we have been informed just as this edition is being published that Mary passed away peacefully on 28 April 2019 aged 101.
In their letter her family wrote: As a long-time member of the Association Mary valued the contact with you, especially through the Colchester branch and the AGMs in London.
The UK Armed Forces Veteran ID Card
The Ministry of Defence launched a new Veteran’s ID card on 18 February 2019 which will enable public and charitable sector services to recognise
instantly the service of a Veteran,
and the card will provide a tangible reminder to an individual that he or she has served in the Armed Forces. The card will provide proof that a Veteran has served in HM Armed Forces in line with the Government definition of a Veteran, which is one day’s service.
Currently, there is no way for existing
Veterans to prove easily the fact that
they have served, and the administrative
burden on providers, such as the NHS
and charities, when verifying that a person is a Veteran, can be considerable, both in time and cost. This card will provide
verification that someone has served in the Armed Forces. However, the card will not be held by all Veterans just yet as it is being rolled out in tranches in 2019, starting with service leavers. Current Veterans will be able to apply for the card later in the year and the Ministry of Defence aims that all those entitled should have one by the end of 2019. Details of how to apply will be published (if available) in the autumn edition of the Association Gazette. Meanwhile Veterans should continue to use currently available methods of verifying their
service.
The Veteran’s ID card is not intended to
enable access to any military establishment. Veterans UK Helpline: Telephone: 0808 1914 218 Website: https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk
Sample of how the Veteran’s ID card will look