General Service Medal 1918-1962, awarded to Trooper Fred Hamer, Parachute Regiment and 22nd Special Air Service

Fred Malwyn Hamer was called up for National Service in July 1951 and posted to The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding). In September he transferred to The Parachute Regiment and from January 1952 he served with Middle East Land Forces in Suez until July 1953, when he was discharged from full-time National Service.

In August 1953 he reenlisted into The Parachute Regiment (TA) as a part-time National Serviceman and joined the Regular Army in May 1956. He served with The Parachute Regiment in Cyprus and the Near East and with the Special Air Service (SAS) in Malaya and the Arabian Peninsula. In 1959 he was severely wounded in Oman during the SAS attack on the Jebel Akhdar or Green Mountain. Hamer was discharged on medical grounds in 1965. His General Service Medal includes the clasps, 'Near East', 'Cyprus', 'Malaya', and 'Arabian Peninsula'.