Bit random but there's always someone on here who knows the answer!
I was talking to an elderly neighbour recently about my children who march every Remembrance Day with their school who have a brass and pipe band. The school pupils also march, parade, whatever. I was telling her how my kids and nephews take turns to wear my grandfather and great-uncle's medals on Remembrance Day.
She said she has both her father and grandfather's medals in a drawer in her house. She's the last in her family and no-one will ever see these medals on parade ever again and that makes her sad. She said they would probably end up in a junk shop when she goes.
I thought later on that I could offer for one of my kids to take her medals on parade.
But I don't know.
The kids would happily do it, they know her and I'd get them to find out a bit about the medals and her family beforehand.
Is it weird to offer? I don't want to sound like I'm trying to take her medals away, I'd give them straight back. And it's not so my kids can have more medals to wear or anything, it's just because she looked really wistful when she was talking about them. I thought she might appreciate it. But maybe she would think it was odd.
I know her to chat to in the passing, I'd always stop and chat if she's in her garden, but I've never been in her house or anything. I was surprised she mentioned her family and their medals, she usually doesn't give much personal away. She said her grandfather was a bugler in WW1 so my son who plays cornet could wear them. (Oh now I sound like I'm stealing this woman's grandad, that's not what I mean to do at all).
But also is there some military rule about wearing medals that are not from your relatives? We know about wearing them on the right, not wearing them with military uniform, scout uniform etc. But can you just wear anyone's medals if you're not connected to them? I wouldn't want to offer then it be against the rules so they can't do it.
Does anyone know if it's allowed?
Should I offer?