A
very pleasing ceremony took place at the Royal Court House on Friday, December
2nd, 1921 at 8 o'clock, when Sir Edward Ozanne, K.B.E., presented medals to those
Special Constables who served the required period to earn them during the Great
War.
The Specials were accommodated on the right of the gallery, the other
portion being filled with their wives and friends. Lady Ozanne, Mrs. Sheldon,
Mrs. P.B.
Thompson, Colonel W. Grant de Jersey, O.B.E., and Mr. W.W. Watkin,
Constables of St. Peter-Port, and Messrs. J.A. Tostevin and George F. Le Le Couteur,
Constables
of St. Peter-in-the-wood, were accommodated with seats on the Bench.
Sir Edward,
who wore the Insignia of his Order (as did also Colonel de Jersey), speaking from
H.M. Greffier's table, commenced by reading extracts from a letter received by
him from His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, which included the following:- "The
Secretary of State has expressed his high appreciation of the services performed
and devotion to duty displayed by the Guernsey Special Constabulary during the
War. The medal is to be worn on the left breast suspended by the riband, and His
Majesty has been pleased to direct that the medal shall have precedence next to
but after the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service Medal, and before the
following medals:- Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal (Gold or Silver),
Imperial Service Medal, Medal of the Royal Victorian Medal (Bronze) and all Foreign
Orders, Decorations and Medals."
Extract from the Royal Warrant
of 31st January, 1920:-
"VI. It is ordained that if any person
to whom this medal is awarded shall be guilty of any crime or disgraceful conduct
which in our judgement disqualifies him for the same, this medal shall, by Order
of our Principle Secretary of State for the Home Department or of our Secretary
for Scotland, be forfeited, and the name of such person shall be erased from the
record of those to whom the medal has been awarded. It is herby further declared
that we, our heirs and successors, shall be the sole judges of the circumstances
demanding such forfeiture, and that every person whose medal shall be so forfeited
shall on being required so to do by our said Secretary of State or Secretary of
Scotland, deliver up his medal to such person as our said Secretary of State or
Secretary of Scotland may direct."
The
Bailiff's speech |
