Paying Compliments (Saluting, Verbal Address)

[gaspasser]

Slap me if I'm wrong, but I remember some time ago that you were to salute a veteran with a VC.  Much like the Americans and their CMH.  If not, I'll be hell bent if I don't if I ever see one on a live person.
ORs are to salute an officer out of uniform IF they recognize said officer.
Wrong??!! 

 

[kratz]

You are not entirely wrong. There may be some mixing of policy with some tradition and custom IMO.

I would consider the current policy quoted above para 25b to cover VC winners.

If I was jacked up for not saluting an office in civvies who thought I should recognize them, I'd never leave the Coxn's office. Some trades see so many people it is hard to keep track of who everyone is.

I'm confident as a professional member it is sharp to salute an office out of uniform should you recognize them as such. That is just an opionion.

 

[danchapps]

Slap me if I'm wrong, but I remember some time ago that you were to salute a veteran with a VC.  Much like the Americans and their CMH.  If not, I'll be hell bent if I don't if I ever see one on a live person.
ORs are to salute an officer out of uniform IF they recognize said officer.
Wrong??!!

I've heard stories of Smokey Smith jacking up officers from his chair for not saluting his VC. Of course he always did have a hate on for officers and authority figures if the stories were true.

 

[Michael OLeary]

And he was wrong if he did, there is no requirement to salute a VC recipient (unless they are to receive compliment for other reasons, such as being a commissioned officer).

I think we can be confident that if there was such an expectation that it would be firmly entrenched in the Manual of Drill and Ceremonial.

 

[medaid]

I saluted Smokey... Out of respect for him.

 

[kratz]

I never had the privilege of meeting Smokey, but I would have saluted him out of respect as well. He was a legend who lived life without accepting people's garbage.

 

[Michael OLeary]

I saluted Smokey... Out of respect for him.

Which is not the same thing as saluting because you are required to.  The original poster was seeking factual guidance on when he is expected to pay compliments.

I met Smokey too, and chatted with him on the occasion of a VC commemorative conducted by the Nova Scotia Tattoo a few years ago, and there was no appearance on his part that he expected all and sundry to salute him.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I also met Smokey once - in Normandy during the 50th anniversary of D-Day.  I don't think he stood on ceremony too much, though he didn't mind it.  He may have (mischieviously) jacked up naive junior officers on occasion; he seemed the sort.  I doubt he expected salutes, he seemed to prefer a different method of recognition - being treated to free drinks.

 

[a_majoor]

4. Service individuals receiving a compliment shall acknowledge it.

Does not mean saying "Thank you" when receiving (and returning) a salute. This is the number one pet peeve of mine, since the salute is an acknowledgment of the Queen's commission, not the recipient of the salute....

 

[gcclarke]

Does not mean saying "Thank you" when receiving (and returning) a salute. This is the number one pet peeve of mine, since the salute is an acknowledgment of the Queen's commission, not the recipient of the salute....

Ooooh god yes, that is quite annoying. The proper bloody response is to return the salute and say either "Good Day", "Good Morning", or "Good Evening", or some variation thereof.

As for the concept of saluting officers who are out of uniform, from what I've seen, that regulation being enforced varies from element to element. The navy pretty much ignores it completely, the sole exception being when an officer is crossing the ship's brow. The army NCO's I've worked with since coming to Ottawa have definitely made a point to do so. Of course, your milage may vary.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

I have always liked the custom of "saluting ladies of one's acquaintance".

They seem to as well  :-*

 

[medaid]

Which is not the same thing as saluting because you are required to.  The original poster was seeking factual guidance on when he is expected to pay compliments.

I met Smokey too, and chatted with him on the occasion of a VC commemorative conducted by the Nova Scotia Tattoo a few years ago, and there was no appearance on his part that he expected all and sundry to salute him.

He didn't expect it. I just tossed that in there since everyone else was talking about VC winners and Smokey

 

[mariomike]

Much like the Americans and their CMH. 

"Snuffy" Smith proved "You Don't have to be a Saint To Become A Hero":
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:_1mHvYdVe1gJ:www.homeofheroes.com/wings/part2/06_smith.html+snuffy+smith+maynard&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a

Regarding the V.C., King George V  wrote in 1920: "Even were a VC to be sentenced to be hanged for murder, he should be allowed to wear the VC on the scaffold".

 

[kratz]

[quote author=mariomike]Regarding the V.C., King George V  wrote in 1920: "Even were a VC to be sentenced to be hanged for murder, he should be allowed to wear the VC on the scaffold".
[/quote]

Imagine if such a thing were to have to happen today. The public would be offended and screaming to have said person stripped of the VC before the hanging.  :tsktsk:

 

[medaid]

Imagine if such a thing were to have to happen today. The public would be offended and screaming to have said person stripped of the VC before the hanging.  :tsktsk:

Its a good thing that the public has no say over the presentation and awarding of the VC, and who it is awarded to, or what to do with it.

 

[mariomike]

Imagine if such a thing were to have to happen today. The public would be offended and screaming to have said person stripped of the VC before the hanging.  :tsktsk:

I think know I would be happy to hand it back to them, if they would let me off the hook "for old times sake".
http://www.entertonement.com/collections/6141/Abe-Vigoda

 

[Pelorus]

Somewhat silly question, but does one generally salute a superior officer who is walking in their direction, but on the other side of the street?

 

[Edward Campbell]

Somewhat silly question, but does one generally salute a superior officer who is walking in their direction, but on the other side of the street?

It certainly was if you were within "range" of the current CLS' father, BGen EMD (Teddy) Leslie DSO, CD.

 

[George Wallace]

Somewhat silly question, but does one generally salute a superior officer who is walking in their direction, but on the other side of the street?

I remember "Joe the Buck" the Camp RSM in Aldershot enforcing the rule that if you were within 100 m of the Parade Square, you would salute all officers, even if they were 100 m on the opposite side of the Parade Square. 

 

[Loachman]

I have always liked the custom of "saluting ladies of one's acquaintance".

They seem to as well  :-*

Quite. It seems to have been replaced by the gender-neutral "individual civilians", which sounds far too boring.

I am pretty sure that neither the PM nor MND were entitled to a salute when I was last receiving saluting lessons. I do not think that any politician should be automatically accorded a salute.