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You need to put some details of you Father up, such as what branch of the RN was he in, what ship was he serving on and if you can get it his official number.

16 year olds went everywhere in those days, things have changed nowadays so that people are supposed to be over 18?? before they go into a war zone.

on my birth certificate he is down as able seaman C/MX 911491 , I understand that he may well have been in the un force after what you say but 15 in the war zone ? even then i find that hard to believe even then and he didnt join until 1952.

Welcome to Rum Ration, Elainey.

Sea Your History - United Nations Korea Medal

Note the part which says that eligibility extended up to a year after the Panmunjom truce, so that means that your father would be eligible.

Originally Posted by ELAINEY3

on my birth certificate he is down as able seaman C/MX 911491 , I understand that he may well have been in the un force after what you say but 15 in the war zone ? even then i find that hard to believe even then and he didnt join until 1952.

There were boys as young as 14 listed as KIA in WW2 so it isn't a complete impossibility that your father served in a war zone at age 15-16.

Hello Elainey,
I too joined (as a junior of 16, not a boy) in 1952, in fact my official number, 916xxx, is not too far removed from your Dad's.
As far as I am aware, there was at the time no embargo on under age ratings serving in war zones, and as the medal conditions, posted by Sol, state, he could have earned his medal by serving in Japanese waters and not in the actual shooting zone.
A few years previously, HMS Amethyst was under, and returning, fire in the Yangtse Incident (very good film if you get a chance to see it), and there was certainly a full complement of Boy Seamen aboard at the time.

As an aside, I was under the impression that all medals awarded after WWII would have had the recipient's name, ship, and official number engraved round the edge, I may be wrong but there are a few medal "boffins" on this site who will no doubt correct me if this is so.
I hope you are successful in your search. Bring on the questions, this site loves 'em.

Best wishes,
2BM

ok another question , i have been told he was invalided out of the navy in 1962 following an injury sustained playing football , he tells me that he then re-inlisted in 1963 and he says he went to belize as part of the SBS/SAS ? and was injured by shrapnel ? not sure about any off this and also he was in northern ireland , i am sorry gents but this all seems a bit walter mitty ! anybody shed any light on any off this xx

Is he from Devon?

I'm not sure when British Honduras (sP) became Belize but I thought it was nearer 1970