Suez War veterans receive medals |24 April 2006

Those who have passed away were represented by their relatives.
“The recognition was welcome and they were proud to have the medals and it was not too small a gesture coming too late,” the public relations officer of the Seychelles Ex-servicemen Association, Roy Fonseka said.

The British government’s decision to recognise the contribution of those who fought in what has long been termed the “forgotten war fought by a forgotten army,” comes more than 50 years after the conflict of October 1951 to October 1954.

Speaking in the presence of the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vincent Meriton, among other guests, Ms Skingle said that an early initial proposal to have soldiers who took part in the conflict recognised first died down, but efforts for their recognition was renewed in 2002 by British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

“We also honour the many who died during the war and are buried in graves in Egypt and other places,” Ms Skingle said.

Majority of the former soldiers made it to the ceremony although many needed assistance to get to the front of the International Conference Centre’s auditorium, and Ms Skingle had to hand the medals to a number of them while they were seated, too frail to stand by themselves. A good proportion of the ex-servicemen who came to the ceremony were over 70 years old and used walking sticks for support.

Officials of the ex-servicemen’s association pinned the medals on the recipients
Quite a number have already passed away and relatives who took the medals of deceased soldiers were allowed to wear the decorations.