Stop Retrospective Awards of Australian Gallantry Medals

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) has been directed to inquire into and report on the appropriate recognition for specific acts of gallantry or valour performed by 13 naval and military personnel who served in WWI and WWII.

The Tribunal has been directed to make recommendations on the eligibility of the 13 naval and military members to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the Victoria Cross for Australia or other forms of appropriate recognition for their gallantry or valour.

One of these people is Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick who is better known as “The man with the donkey,” who was killed in action at Gallipoli 96 years ago. He was awarded a Mentioned in Despatches and contrary to popular opinion he was not recommended for anything higher let alone a VC. Yet the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal has been directed by Senator the Hon David Feeney MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence who was directed by The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Prime Minister of Australia to open this inquiry.

There are no living servicemen from WWI and very few if any from WWII that would be able to give eyewitness evidence regarding the acts of these 13 servicemen whose names have been referred to the Tribunal.

Trying to evaluate "Gallantry" and "Bravery" and decide on an appropriate modern day reward when the recipients of those awards are no longer here, where the witnesses and their reports may no longer be available for questioning or perusal and to try and base them on modern day’s standards and interpretations can’t be done.

Any retrospective awarding of the Victoria Cross for Australia or any other Australian gallantry or bravery medals will only devalue previous awards because it puts into question every single award ever made to every man and woman.