Thai cave diver John Volanthen awarded George Medal by Queen

 

Mr Volanthen was honoured in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace//BCA

 

A cave diver who helped to rescue 12 Thai footballers and their coach has been awarded the George Medal by the Queen for showing "great courage".

 

Diver John Volanthen and his colleague Richard Stanton were the first to find the stranded team, which led to their eventual rescue last year.

 

Mr Volanthen, 47, said he was "highly honoured" to receive the award. He said: "The biggest reward I could have was knowing all the children survived."

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-47375687

 

-- BBC 2019-02-27

Better than just a letter saying thanks and a no show dinner party

The civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross!

 

Well done that man and all who participated in the rescue.

A well-deserved honour John, myself and many others salute your bravery.

Not often I get a surge of patriotism. 

But this does it for me .

Well done sir. Take a step forward.

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

The civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross!

 

Well done that man and all who participated in the rescue.

The George Medal is not the same as the George Cross.

 

The George medal is awarded for gallantry (but not in the face of the enemy) while the George Cross is the second highest medal awarded in the UK.

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

The civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross!

 

Well done that man and all who participated in the rescue.

Almost but not quite... it's demarcation is that is an act of that bravery taken, whilst  not in the line of fire. 

 

A G.M. can even be awarded to a soldier during wartime, whilst at the time he was not in a direct military action. 

And not firgetting there us a relatively higher level- the George Cross; 

which itself is more in line with your intended cross referencing?

John and all the other brave rescuers are commemorated forever in the large "The Heroes" mural now on display in the Exhibition Hall at the Tham Luang site. A large statue of the Thai Navy Seal Saman Gunan who sadly lost his life is also on display outside the Hall.

Well deserved......

5 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

The George Medal is not the same as the George Cross.

 

The George medal is awarded for gallantry (but not in the face of the enemy) while the George Cross is the second highest medal awarded in the UK.

That is not entirely correct.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal is second to the VC in military conflict. It has various names depending on the military service involved

George Cross may be awarded for gallantry in a military conflict to non service persons.

George Medal is the highest award given to anyone for gallantry in a non military action.

Regardless of that, well done to all of those associated in the rescue, from locals providing food to all the support members of this chap from many countries

16 minutes ago, Prissana Pescud said:

That is not entirely correct.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal is second to the VC in military conflict. It has various names depending on the military service involved

George Cross may be awarded for gallantry in a military conflict to non service persons.

George Medal is the highest award given to anyone for gallantry in a non military action.

Regardless of that, well done to all of those associated in the rescue, from locals providing food to all the support members of this chap from many countries

The Distinguished Conduct medal was discontinued in 1993. It was replaced with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.

 

But, as you say, regardless of all that, well done for the recognition, and hope that he doesn't forget the support received.

Edited February 27, 20197 yr by chrisinth

6 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

The Distinguished Conduct medal was discontinued in 1993. It was replaced with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.

Does all this bickering help ?  The point of the matter is that this cave diver was awarded one of the UK's most prestigious awards for how he helped in rescuing those children from the cave. A very skilled diver and a brave man indeed.

Edited February 27, 20197 yr by geoffbezoz

Why all the pathetic nitpicking?

The man is a hero, lets just remember that, and please stop this nonsense.

 

1 minute ago, geoffbezoz said:

Does all this bickering help ?  The point of the matter is that this cave diver was awarded one of the UK's most prestigious awards for how he helped in rescuing those children from the cave. A very skilled diver and a brave man indeed.

Cherry picking at people's posts? Why didn't you add the rest as below?

 

7 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

But, as you say, regardless of all that, well done for the recognition, and hope that he doesn't forget the support received.

 

Well done Sir, you are a hero.

 

Salutations

CONGRATULATIONS and who cares about what that “Charming” Musk/ STENCH chap has to say... Sue the “P. RICK” for a fortune !

Some good news or reasonably good news for a change, if nothing else, but to shove it up Elon Mustard's snout!

A troll post has been removed. 

is this the same guy who was verbally abused by Elon Musk? If so it all went quiet on that story....and more importantly good to see someone who actually deserves recognition from our country's severely flawed hand me outs a knighthood, and any other xBE you can think of at the flash of a smile on TV

22 minutes ago, eastendanto said:

is this the same guy who was verbally abused by Elon Musk? If so it all went quiet on that story....and more importantly good to see someone who actually deserves recognition from our country's severely flawed hand me outs a knighthood, and any other xBE you can think of at the flash of a smile on TV

No, that's Vern Unsworth, the Thai based expat who first alerted the authorities about the boys trapped in the cave. His court hearing is scheduled for 1st April this year.

 

Both John Volanthen and Rick Stanton received the George Medal, and Unsworth received an MBE in the new year's honours list. Very satisfying to see proper recognition given where it's so richly deserved. The full list of awards is here, from a recent BBC report:

 

"John Volanthen, from Bristol, and Richard Stanton, from Coventry, were both awarded the George Medal.

Vern Unsworth, 63, has been appointed MBE, alongside Joshua Bratchley and L/Cpl Connor Roe, 26, from Scotland.

Christopher Jewell, from Cheddar, and Jason Mallinson, from Huddersfield, received the Queen's Gallantry Medal."

1 hour ago, Torrens54 said:

CONGRATULATIONS and who cares about what that “Charming” Musk/ STENCH chap has to say... Sue the “P. RICK” for a fortune !

Wrong guy. But re Musk v. Unsworth, agree 200%

A true hero.

 

Let’s hope the Thai government doesn’t try to lay claim on the medal.

And, where Is the Thai gong? 

 

Although it would be of as much worth as the parachute wings they all wear, after jumping off a ten foot tower - without a parachute!

(My tablet wants it to be a parashite)

6 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

Does all this bickering help ?  The point of the matter is that this cave diver was awarded one of the UK's most prestigious awards for how he helped in rescuing those children from the cave. A very skilled diver and a brave man indeed.

As were all the persons involved. He found them, others rescued them.

It was a concerted effort in a truly dangerous environment. Medals mean little too me.

Far too many persons have chestfulls of medals when they sat behind a desk all their lives.

The Thai people who pumped away the rising water and had their fields flooded,

who gave food and services freely also helped. It was a multi national effort and

thankfully had a totally positive outcome. It is not bickering. This chap could not

have completed his brave mission, were it not for all the support that the rescue mission needed.

This must be a pommy website nobody has reported that the Australian doctor became Australian of the year

 

25 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

This must be a pommy website nobody has reported that the Australian doctor became Australian of the year

 

2 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

This must be a pommy website nobody has reported that the Australian doctor became Australian of the year

Actually, it's wholly accepted in the UK that Aussie Doctor Harry was the lynch pin in the operation and it would never have happened without him. 

It was the British honours in the story but doesn't diminish his involvement. Everyone in the UK know his name.

So stop bleating Aussie 

36 minutes ago, Nsp64 said:

Actually, it's wholly accepted in the UK that Aussie Doctor Harry was the lynch pin in the operation and it would never have happened without him. 

It was the British honours in the story but doesn't diminish his involvement. Everyone in the UK know his name.

So stop bleating Aussie 

As Aussie, I agree. But not for the reasons you espouse.

 There were many northern Europeans and others involved in this fantastic result.

It was a multinational effort and despite the extreme danger, all the kids were rescued.

I suspect the heroes in this effort do not seek any plaudits. They did not do this

for their country or for medals, they did it because they were qualified to be humanitarian.

Everybody played their part. It is not a chest beating event, rather the skills of a multinational task force.

And we should celebrate that. Not Nationalism

10 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

This must be a pommy website nobody has reported that the Australian doctor became Australian of the year

Actually I did read this somewhere - it might have been on the BBC Australia site.

I did think it was a most fitting honour.

Kudos to ALL involved.

Good to see a foreigner, who helped rescue so many Asian (Thai) life's with his own accumulated and extensive knowledge of the caves, plus expertise, be awarded such a distinction, but sadly, Thai still look down upon FARANG as low life, lazy, no good, sex crazed, litter dropping underdogs.

 

I can't recall a Thai or rescue team operating  in Europe or any other country outside of Thailand, but could I be wrong? Personally, I doubt it.