From Fitzroy's Private Diary (Extract 55)

It sometimes strikes me that a great many of the men who join the services, particular Navy men, must have been denied dress-up boxes as children. The importance placed on uniforms and dress uniforms, with their braiding, fringing, feathers, and golden details, are beyond the dreams of most young debutantes. And don’t get me started on medals. I’m as keen as any officer on rewarding bravery and, even more, rewarding intelligent behaviour under difficult circumstances. It’s heartwarming for any loyal member of His Majesty’s Services to receive acknowledgement of his (or her) excellent work. However, a small ribbon on a uniform, rather than some hulking great piece of metal, is more than enough to remind everyone of that special distinction. Anything more is a vulgar display of soldiering.

We all know that some medals are awarded for surviving a conflict and are as much in honour of the fallen as they are of the recipient. Bravery medals are well earned and deserved, but a man who has acted selflessly, above and beyond his duty, in the service of his country and colleagues, is a man who, if he has any sense, will find a different way to pass the next major conflict. There is putting trust in luck and there is abusing it.

A man who wears every available gong is not a man I am inclined to trust. He is either of an unnaturally fortunate disposition, which may not bode well for those around him - bullets have to hit someone after all, or, secondly, he is a vain man, who often boasts of his personal efforts yet is frequently carried by his comrades. Neither is someone I would choose to have at my back.

The few men I have met who have shown extraordinary bravery, have also shown a humble modesty and a hope to never be in such a situation again. In other words, be they brave, lucky or more selfless than most, they know that war is a terrible event, and wish to be out of it as soon as possible. They will always do their duty, but they know survival is most often in the hands of the fates (or their superior officers) than it is in their own efforts.

Personally, I value the man inside the uniform rather than the uniform itself. I know that for every man whose bravery has been rewarded, another hundred’s bravery goes unnoticed. I will test a man (or woman) to their limits if need be. Usually I only recommend any of my people for a medal posthumously. I don’t want to work with people who count their merits like overeager Boy Scouts. My people are not in competition, they have to work together. They are here to serve King and Country until their demise, silently and discreetly.