Duke of Gloucester Honors Men and Women of the Royal Air Force

The Duke of Gloucester paid a visit to the RAF Oldham recently, where he honored several members of the Royal Air Force with medals, commendations, and awards for length of service. The Duke serves as the Honorary Commodore for the RAF station, and is known for his commitment to honoring the men and women of the British military.

According to an article from This Is Hampshire, the Duke said to the honorees that, “Your role is absolutely vital for so many of the tasks that the British forces are carrying out”. The Duke presented medals and commendations in twelve different categories. Among the award winners was Flight Sergeant Lee Renard, of the 27th Squadron, who airlifted six injured civilians in a Chinook after they had been caught up in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2008. One of the civilians died on the way to the hospital, but five other lives were saved because of his actions.

After giving out the awards, the Duke watched as a RAF display team performed stunts in a Chinook helicopter. He also helped to plant a cherry tree at the helicopter support memorial in honor of Armed Services Day.

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Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Military, Royal Air Force, The Duke of Gloucester.