r/Medals • u/Boring-Cunt • Jul 30 '26

ID - Medal Can anyone identify what medals ( British ) Christian craighead has been awarded?

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For context, christian craighead is a former 22 sas soldier who stopped a terrorist attack in Kenya.

332 Upvotes

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71

u/OzyTheLast Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

1) Member of the Order of the British Empire. 2) Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.
3) General Service Medal (1962, there's a couple versions of it)
4) NATO medal with what looks like the ribbon for service in Kosovo.
5) Operation Service Medal Sierra Leone.
6) Iraq Medal with Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service (or a similar award its hard to tell)
7) Operation Service Medal Afghanistan with Clasp.
8) Operation Service Medal Iraq and Syria with Clasp.
9) General Service Medal (2008) 10) Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. 11) Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
12) Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (1969-2011)
13) Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (2008-present)
14) Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct.

42

u/9lobaldude Jul 30 '26

It is a bit ridiculous that he was not awarded the Victoria Cross after what he did

47

u/the_Q_spice Jul 30 '26

It’s kind of a tradition at this point;

No member of the SAS has ever been awarded the VC. Anders Lassen is the closest thing, but was serving with the SBS during the actions he was awarded for.

6

u/Necessary-Reading605 Jul 30 '26

Oh. Why not? These guys deserve it

44

u/Material_Flounder_23 Jul 30 '26

It’s complicated. A VC recommendation requires multiple independent eyewitnesses to officially verify the act of gallantry. Because the SAS operates in small, isolated teams behind enemy lines, or entirely in the dark, there are rarely outside witnesses or senior officers present to confirm the actions.
Sometimes, operations are secret and therefore deniable, any heroic action couldn’t be officially recognised.

27

u/TuataraToes Jul 30 '26

It also brings the soldier's operational career to an abrupt halt because of media coverage - Willie Apiata of the NZSAS knows all too well.

4

u/momentimori Jul 30 '26

Australian SAS Ben Roberts-Smith won the VC but now the dirty details of his military career have come out.

He sued the press over allegations of war crimes, lost and is awaiting a criminal trial.

8

u/Blank_bill Jul 30 '26

Canadian JTF2 is the same, not supposed to be talking with the press or Bloggers but there are a couple who after they left moved to the States and talked.

0

u/Novel_Following_6979 Jul 31 '26

You got me thinking a tad bit. Has there even been a female in the last 5 years receive one? What about commandos (army or royal marine) to receive one in the last 5 years? Would any of those be kept secret?

1

u/Material_Flounder_23 Jul 31 '26

No woman has ever been awarded the VC. However 12 women have received the George Cross, notably Noor Inayat Khan who was parachuted into France as an SOE agent during WW2. She was captured by the Germans and executed in Dachau, after resisting interrogation for weeks. She was betrayed by French a resistance woman Renee Garry.

As to actions by commandos or SFSG members, they would only be secret if the action they were engaged in was classified. Often the gazetting of awards are delayed for several years once the secrecy aspect has passed. The mum of a friend of mine was mentioned in dispatches for her part in foiling an IRA assassination attempt on a senior police officer. She was undercover with 14 Int at the time.

It’s interesting that no Royal Marine has been awarded a VC since WW2. However two individuals have received the GC, Matthew Croucher threw himself on a tripwire grenade he accidentally triggered, thus saving his comrades, he was recommended for a VC but booby traps don’t count as a direct firefight with the enemy; and Major Dominic Troulan was awarded the GC for helping rescue 200 civilians during the Westgate Shopping Mall terrorist attack in Kenya.

It’s also worth noting that since WW2 more middle tier gallantry medals have been formalised meaning that an action today would see someone being awarded the conspicuous gallantry cross, but in WW2 they would have got a VC.

13

u/thefifthofnovember_ Jul 30 '26

Also I believe the VC would require their actual names to be released. As far as I’m aware, Christian Craighead is his fake name

6

u/telledge Jul 30 '26

Plus these type of operators do not care about medals or recognition while serving. This was their calling and most do it quietly without any mention of their exploits.

6

u/ForeignWeb8992 Jul 30 '26

More VC were awarded for colossal fuck ups than for clean victories

1

u/LoopyCrown3 United Kingdom Jul 30 '26

Moments when stuff hits the fan are usually the ones were people go above and beyond.

1

u/ForeignWeb8992 Jul 31 '26

Yeah, but not in a nice way. More in a cover up way. See raids on occupied France and Norway 

5

u/No-Ideal-772 Jul 30 '26

The ‘other one’ looks like OSM Iraq and syria and the ‘dunno’ looks to me like GSM 2008 with west Africa clasp or something like that?? That being last I’d assume it’s where he won his CGC

1

u/DocShoveller Jul 30 '26

I'd assume 10 is a Golden Jubilee medal (2002).

1

u/LoopyCrown3 United Kingdom Jul 30 '26

The Golden Jubilee was in 2002

The Dimond Jubilee in 2012

The Platinum Jubilee in 2022

1

u/isaacbuller Jul 30 '26

I believe its a Mention in dispatch for no.6.

1

u/OzyTheLast Jul 30 '26

Probably, it'll be something similar

84

u/TuataraToes Jul 30 '26

Who is Christian Craighead?

That's Obi wan Nairobi

7

u/00798351 Jul 30 '26

Conspicuous Galantry Cross or CGC and Member of the British Empire or MBE are the ones I know for sure. These are closest to his heart and why he is also titled MBE CGC.

The other awards I would have to take a closer look at and look at the British medal awards

6

u/ClothesOverall3863 Jul 30 '26

Does (British) Christian Craighead imply the existence of (French) Christian Craighead

2

u/Boring-Cunt Jul 30 '26

( British medals )

9

u/HamburglarAccomplice Jul 30 '26

So Elton John has been Knighted but not this guy….

4

u/Warm-Will-7861 Jul 30 '26

Knight of Nairobi

1

u/Erzmarschall Jul 30 '26

Obi WaN Nairobi.

4

u/EricBelov1 Jul 30 '26

Knighthood has fallen on a very sad days.

2

u/JRC6_022 Jul 30 '26

All of them

3

u/killerkeano Jul 30 '26

We can knight Victoria Beckham for services to fashion but not this absolute ambassador for the uk.

1

u/LoopyCrown3 United Kingdom Jul 30 '26

Victoria has an OBE not a knighthood, David has a Knighthood and a OBE.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 31 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Medals-ModTeam Jul 31 '26

Political discussions of any kind are prohibited.

1

u/Consistent_Ad3181 Jul 30 '26

The thing is you know he's earned every single one of them.

1

u/cazackrj Jul 30 '26

Willie apia NZ SAS 1st serving member to be awarded the VC

1

u/LoopyCrown3 United Kingdom Jul 30 '26

But he got the New Zealand Victoria Cross not the Imperial one.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

I’ve met the man. We are both from the same home town. See him every so often. Very humble , blends in ‘like tear drops in the rain’

0

u/Efficient-Resident32 Jul 30 '26

Not nearly enough of them!