Bernard Greenberg (Oxford Mail, May 24) seems to think that I said all servicemen - National Servicemen and regulars - received the General Service Medal with Malaya clasp.

Obviously, the people who received the medal were the ones serving in Malaya (and Singapore).

I agree with him about the Greek Civil War.

The Greeks were pretty nasty to each other and British troops witnessed terrible things, in which they could not intervene.

It was a disgrace a medal was not awarded.

Egypt was, in theory, at peace at that time, even though the Egyptians were being most unpleasant, and there was no way a medal would be awarded.

Mr Greenberg seems to have had unlucky friends. If they had served during the period of declared active service, they would have had the appropriate medal and clasp.

The General Service Medal with 'Suez Canal Zone' was only recently awarded after 50 years - another disgrace.

I see Mr Greenberg isn't very impressed with the Veteran Badge. It is awarded to all servicemen and ex-servicemen for service in war or peace, whether National Servicemen or regulars, before 1995.

I understand Mr Greenberg bought 'replica' medals.

I can't see what they can be replicas of if the original medal does not exist.

Many of these 'medals' were sponsored by the Royal British Legion, with the support of the late General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley.

A general who was in my regiment said he could not believe General Farrar-Hockley would do such a thing -that's my opinion, too.

I served for the first three months in the 1956-62 IRA campaign in Northern Ireland.

No medal was awarded for that, probably because few people heard much about it, but a good service medal was soon awarded for the campaign starting in 1969 which finished in the 1990s and the medal has only just been discontinued.

I hope Mr Greenberg does not think I am knocking him. I have every sympathy being 'between medals,' but it's one of those things.

DAVID YOUD Barlow Close Wheatley