THE official closure of the Army Medal Office in Droitwich is due to take place today.
The office has been in existence since the inception of the first medal which was awarded for the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, but has only been in Droitwich for the past 59 years.
Medal production has now been taken over by the newly formed MoD office at RAF Innsworth, Gloucestershire.
Today's closing ceremony will be attended by Major General Tyler, the deputy adjutant general, and is due to start at 3.45pm.
It will comprise a formal flag-lowering by two of the longest-serving civilian members of staff, Michale Neale and Heather Sanders, who will be watched by their colleagues. An army bugler will play the Last Post.
In addition, the final medal to be produced at the office will be ceremoniously pressed by a stamping machine made in 1912.
A display of historical medals and the records of some famous personalities will also be on show.
It is estimated the office has issued some two million awards, including medals for action seen by armed forces in Korea, Suez, Malaya, the Falklands, East Timor, as well as many other military campaigns.
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