What were WW1 General Melchett's 10 Campaign Medals?

The eccentric General Melchett was a fictional character and grossly incompetent military commander from the hit series Blackadder Goes Forth.
In this video, in a lighthearted fashion, we uncover the military campaign medals awarded to General Melchett who we can imagine planning great battles alongside Field Marshal Douglas Haig or trying to outsmart German opponent Erich Ludendorff.
We discover Melchett had a military career typical of many British senior officers of WW1 campaigning in the Northwest Frontier of India and also fighting in the Anglo-Zulu War and the conflict in Afghanistan.

[@truckerallikatuk]

So, he had several medals with a bar, but none with a drinks cabinet?

[@lonewolf4215]

Field Marshall haig was trying to push it 2 feet closer to Berlin

[@roelkomduur8073]

The incredible research the Blackadder team did. Respect!

[@Marshal_Dunnik]

General Melchett is also a Knight-Commander of the Honourable Order of the Mustache

[@BadgerOfTheSea]

It would be interesting to see Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond from Carry On Up the Khyber. They baubled him up so it would be curious if they got it right.

[@Vetradraug]

What a great concept - love Blackadder! Cheers from The Royal Danish Navy!

[@ClaspsofCourage]

Royal Danish Navy - fantastic! Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@BrianMoore-uk6js]

I like to think General Melchett was a capable and brave junior officer serving in Africa, India, and Afghanistan. But at some point he suffered a traumatic brain injury, and became somewhat doolally (as you Brits say). But because of his past record and family connections, continued to rise up through the ranks.

[@georgielancaster1356]

I think.you'll find most of the Aristocracy brayed and shouted with no recognisable intelligence, from toddlerdom, with Nanny.

[@sasropakis]

Blackadder Wiki gives this information: General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC, KCB, DSO. So the first crimson ribbon is for Victoria Cross. Full set of his medals can be seen in a scene where he is wearing a red evening uniform.

[@ClaspsofCourage]

Thanks for your comment, I will have to watch that episode again.

[@darkjudge8786]

​@@ClaspsofCourageDon't bother. The wiki is wrong. In the episode it is clearly KC. Which of course only makes sense if he was a barrister so was clearly just making shit up and they meant Knight Commander but never said which order. Never trust a fan Wiki

[@georgielancaster1356]

Admirable observation. Most of us are locked in awe, on his moustache, or checking for a flash of skirt.

[@sladelerch6686]

It would be great to see a video on Flashman’s medals!

[@Eserchie]

Seconded. Be a loong video too, given the books only list the important gallantry medals, and it still takes a few lines, and he finds himself in far too many campaigns and battles for his liking.

[@ClaspsofCourage]

Thanks for the suggestion. Judging by his incredible service, I might have to break it down into a few videos! I appreciate your comment.

[@saadkhan1128]

Thank you sir for another excellent video.

[@ClaspsofCourage]

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated.

[@jonpick5045]

The Ashantee medal could be the East & West Africa medal as it's exactly the same. If he was in Sierra Leone in 1887 & 1888 and then in Egyptian Sudan at Gemaizah or Tofrek, in 1889 the medal chronology actually works. Edit: Khedives Star issued 1882-1891 so that's ok as well!

[@Chrisjames504]

He wouldn’t like someone poo-pooing his medals

[@chriswareham]

Never, ever poo-pooh a poo-pooh.

[@cuttingbored4195]

I'd love to see your assessment of the medals of General Rufus d'Ascoyne from the 1949 Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets - as it's in black and white there is some room for interpretation, but we know he served in the Crimean War and fought 'the most calamitous campaign of the [first?] South African War'!

[@Djarra]

Have you ever thought about the medals of Brigadier Lefbridge Stewart from ‘Doctor Who’?

[@RogbodgeVideo]

What about the Captain from the UK version of Ghosts?

[@kimbledunster]

I'd love to know. There's several fairly clear shots of them on the web.

[@mjspice100]

@@RogbodgeVideothey actually weren’t his. He took them off another officers uniform at a function for decorated officers who served overseas. He wanted to see his boyfriend who volunteered to serve overseas. Because he served on the home front he didn’t receive any medals so wasn’t invited, he took the ribbons to try and blend in, he was rumbled when no one recognised him and saw the ribbons were the wrong way round. In reality he would’ve been entitled to the War Medal, the 1939 - 1945 Star and the Defence medal.

[@stevetaylor8298]

I love these but please consider raising the camera height to chin level.

[@deano12316]

Lovely video, Would love to know if LCpl Jones Medals from Dads army are accurate

[@MagiTailWelkin]

The History Chap has done a video on it already. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX3Cd2Z7bpxmmLc

[@Andy85uk]

They are indeed accurate, starting to wonder if Jones served with Melchet 😂

[@davidhorsley2717]

When he is seen in mess dress in the episode Major Star "Sir Anthony" wears his star and neck-badge of Military Division KCB (exactly what one would expect for a three or four star general -then or even now) but does not (and would not) wear the neck badge of of his CVO, The fact the Royal Victorian order ribbon ranks senior to the DSO on the ribbon bar means it must be at least (probably is) grade III Commander Rank, because when in mess dress he did not wear a KCVO star, under WW1 regulations in that order of dress he would have worn both stars.

[@simonbrooke7185]

Love this video, I will admit I check medals and ribbons on British military characters on tv and in films. One I would really like to see checked is Dr Donald Mallard in NCIS! (Season 3, episode 8, @40:56). Looks a bit suspect to me… Thanks!

[@TeamBonkersConkers]

.Disappointed that you didn't attempt a Melchett "BMAAAAAAGHR!" Not sure of the spelling sorry

[@SidneyBroadshead]

"MBAAAAAAH!" The Renaissance Lord Melchett supposedly had relations with a sheep. The later Lords Melchett bleat after laughing due to their Ovine ancestry.

[@bikkiikun]

Do you also have a video in Major Darling??

[@paulgeoffreybrown1]

Anyone got video of "Speckled Jim" on parade?

[@captaintyrrell6428]

@ClaspsofCourage... Please could you tell me what the medal board of 'Blakey' the jobsworth bus conductor from the once popular British tv series 'On the Buses' signify? Thankyou. I only found your channel, I love it and have subscribed.

[@ClaspsofCourage]

Gosh I've not seen that classic series in years. Perhaps another viewer may be able to answer your question? Thank you for subscribing and I'm glad you enjoy the channel.

[@mjspice100]

It’s surprisingly difficult to find a picture of Blakey with his medal ribbons as he wore a Mac most of the time. From what I can see he has three ribbons representing The War Medal 1939 - 1945, The 1939 - 1945 Star and the Defence Medal, that’s what I can see from the only unclear image I could find. This would suggest that he served the duration or most of the duration of WW2 on the home front. Stephen Lewis in an interview said that he portrayed Blakey as a frustrated former army sergeant who had lost his authority.

[@captaintyrrell6428]

Thank you kind stranger...

[@mjspice100]

@@captaintyrrell6428you’re welcome..

[@barrythatcher9349]

Dear Speckle Jim. Bravest pigeon ever, never to be recognised.

[@Kamina1703]

But was considered to be delicious. For this gallant sacrifice, Speckle Jim received the Michelin award -crossed knife and fork with spoon clasp.

[@barrythatcher9349]

@@Kamina1703 Hahahaha, the Michelin award from Captain Blackadder. However, Private Bladrick stated that no one ate that delicious pigeon.

[@MeatisFreedom]

Coffee and cake? Tea and stickies, surely.

[@alganhar1]

No idea why the Royal Victorian Order again! Both Flashheart and Melchett? The Royal Victorian Order at the time was the only Order awarded entirely at the discretion of the Monarch, and was generally awarded for services to the Monarch and the Royal Family. Indeed I believe the Royal Victorian Order is still the only Order awarded at the sole discretion of the Monarch, all the others require ministerial or Governmental input to one degree or another, from 'suggestions' in the case of say the Garter, to outright deciding who is admitted with essentially no input from the monarch in the case of the Order of the British Empire.... Its literally why it was created by Queen Victoria in the first place, to give her an Order, albeit a Junior one, that she and the monarchs who followed her had direct control of. As a result it tends only to be awarded for services to the Monarch or the Royal Family directly. The kind of people you would typically see awarded the order were those either acting in the Monarchs name who did, in the Monarch opinion, a fine job, such as Viceroys for example, or members of the Royal Household (the Household it the entire organisation around the Royal Family, so includes servants, advisors etc etc), or occasionally foreign dignitaries the Monarch thought worthy of recognition but for whom no existing award was suitable. Its not typically one you would see awarded to a soldier as there were already a series of awards in place that would recognise excellence in service to the Crown for serving soldiers. The Distinguished Service Order for example, as this could be awarded for both combat and non combat related services.

[@trooperdgb9722]

The MVO is also generally awarded to Officers appointed as ADC's to the Monarch during State visits in Commonwealth countries. In my time in the RAN I saw one LEUT with an MVO for that reason...

[@alganhar1]

@@trooperdgb9722 Huh, did not know that. Every day is a school day. Makes sense though, kind of wondering if the same might be the case for a British Officer attached as a Military Aid or advisor then. Given what you told me its the kind of thing that would make most sense.

[@brucetheloon]

Well, Lord Flashheart probably would have earned his for "servicing" the Crown. WOOOF

[@surters]

So how many did not receive the 1914 medal due to being dead?

[@jonpick5045]

None. It's awarded regardless of mortal status.

[@davidlosey431]

BAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

I don't think any of the ribbons had one of those.

[@josephturner7569]

Tactically talentless 😂. What is the scale of this map Darling? One to one sir.

[@Jarumo76]

Melchett: "Oh, yes. So the actual amount of land retaken is... ? " Darling: " Seventeen square feet, Sir." Melchett: " Excellent! So you see, young Blackadder didn’t die horribly in vain after all."

[@brucetheloon]

@@Jarumo76 "Look, there's even a little worm"

[@alittlebitofhistory]

'"All The Kings Men " from 1999 could be an interesting film to look at in this series. David Jason's character wears medals I have never seen anywhere else, mostly jubilee/ coronation medals I guess given his character but would be nice to see how correct they and others are.

[@joebutterman3084]

Again, where is the British War Medal and the Victory Medal (AKA the Inter-Allied Victory Medal). He's wearing thye 1914 Star.

[@josefrietveld219]

I‘am a foreigner from the continent but i guess the two medals you mentioned were issued/awarded after the armistice? So they don‘t show up on uniforms during the war? Just my 2 cents

[@joebutterman3084]

@@josefrietveld219 You may very well be right. However, his medals are still not correct as he's not wearing the Edward VII Coronation Medal and the George V Coronation Medal nor the Durbar medals for both monarchs. He might even be eligible for the Queen Victoria Jubilee Medal. These medals are worn before the campaign medals until 1918, after which they're worn as they are today. I find it difficult to believe that Knight of two orders wouldn't be wearing these.

[@SenorTucano]

@@josefrietveld219correct. They were issued post-victory.

[@johncook3817]

Another great video. I enjoyed it immensely! Instead of the ashanti medal it might have been the east and west Africa medal 1892. That would place it before the india medal1896. 😊

[@ClaspsofCourage]

Yes good point it could possibly also work. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I appreciate your comment.

[@lonewolf4215]

9:43, would these plans involve getting out of our trenches and walking very slowly towards the enemy?

[@paulwee1924dus]

Melchett was a Hero....? Haha