1939-1945 Star

Infobox Military Award
name=1939-1945 Star


caption=Obverse of medal and ribbon
awarded_by=United Kingdom and Commonwealth
type=Campaign medal
eligibility=6 months operational service (2 months for Aircrew)
for=Service
campaign=World War 2
status=
description=Six pointed star
clasps=1 - 'Battle of Britain'
established=
first_award=
last_award=
total=
posthumous=
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higher=
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caption2=__NOTOC__

The 1939/45 Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II. The medal was awarded for operational service between 3 September1939 and 2 September1945.

* Army personnel had to complete 6 months service in an operational command. Airborne troops qualified if they had participated in any airborne operations and had completed 2 months service in a fully operational unit.
* Air Force personnel had to participate in operations against the enemy providing that 2 months service had been completed in an operational unit. Non-aircrew personnel had to complete 6 months service in an area of operational army command.
* Naval personnel qualified if they completed 6 months service, and at least 1 voyage was made through an operational area.
* Royal Observer Corps personnel for service of 1080 days

The star was immediately awarded if the service period was terminated by death, disability or wounding. The award of a gallantry medal or a Mention in Despatches also led to an immediate award. [British Battles and Medals, p248]

Description

* The 1939-45 Star is a six–pointed star of yellow copper zinc alloy, with a height of 44mm and maximum width of 38mm.
* The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words ‘The 1939-45 Star'.
* The reverse is plan, with the recipient's name engraved only for Australians and South Africans.
* The ribbon has three vertical stripes of dark blue, red and light blue. The dark blue stripe represents the Naval Forces and the Merchant Navy, the red stripe the Armies and the light blue stripe the Air Forces. The ribbon for this medal, along with those of the other Second World War campaign stars, is reputed to have been designed by King George VI, with the three equal bands representing the equal contributions towards victory of the Royal Navy, Army, and the Royal Air Force respectively.

Clasp

* Battle of Britain:"10 July - 31 October1940." Members of fighter aircraft crews who took part in the Battle of Britain were awarded this bar. In undress uniform, a silver-gilt rosette was worn on the medal ribbon to denote the award of this clasp.

Bibliography

* Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - "Medals Yearbook - 2006", (2005), Token Publishing.
* Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds), "British Battles and Medals", (1988), Spink

ee also

*British campaign medals
*Australian campaign medals

References

* [http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/wwii_medals.htm Stephen Stratford Medals site]
* [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/19391945Star.htm UK MoD site]
* [http://www.defence.gov.au/medals/Content/+040%20Campaign%20Medals/+100%20World%20War%20II/+010%201939-1945%20Star/ ADF site]
* [http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/45star Veterans Affairs Canada site]
* [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/h/h9.html NZDF site]
* [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/warrants/h9-reg.html 1939-1945 Star Regulations on NZDF site]