Sir Gavin Williamson has called on the Secretary of State for Defence to consider presenting medallic recognition to the service men and women who served on HMS Diamond while stationed in the Red Sea.
As HMS Diamond is recalled from the Red Sea to be replaced by HMS Richmond, Sir Gavin has argued that now is the time to recognise the bravery shown by the service personnel on board, who were stationed on the British naval ship while she endured three attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. HMS Diamond has been relieved of her duties recently, returning to base so that she may be repaired and resupplied after being stationed in the high-threat area almost continuously since December when she joined Operation Prosperity Guardian. The crew have dutifully protected merchant ships in the area from attack, as well as defending the British naval ship itself from three separate attacks, successfully destroying nine drones using a Sea Viper missile system.
In a report on post 1945 medallic recognition protocols commissioned by the Ministry of Defence in 2012, it is stated that campaign medals should be awarded where deployed personnel have been exposed to a significant degree of risk to life and limb, in excess of what might be expected as part of normal service duties. Despite fulfilling this definition, the Ministry of Defence has yet to declare its intention to award campaign medals to those on HMS Diamond.
Sir Gavin said: “The service men and women aboard HMS Diamond have dutifully protected the shipping lane and civilians in the face of incredible dangers in the Red Sea, confronted by Iranian-backed insurgency, supplied with drones and ballistic missiles. Now that HMS Diamond has been temporarily relived of her duties, it is appropriate to give our highest respects to those service personnel who have risked their lives to protect the road towards peace in the region. I am therefore calling on the Secretary of State for Defence to provide medallic recognition, an honour that has been indubitably deserved.”
