Air Crew Europe Star

Infobox Military Award
name=Air Crew Europe Star


caption=Obverse of medal and ribbon
awarded_by=United Kingdom and Commonwealth
type=Campaign medal
eligibility=2 months operational flying
for=Flying over occupied Europe
campaign=European Air Operations 1939-44
status=
description=Six pointed star
clasps=2
*Atlantic
*France and Germany
established=
first_award=
last_award=
total=
posthumous=
recipients=
individual=
higher=
same=
lower=
related=Atlantic Star
France and Germany Star


caption2=__NOTOC__The Air Crew Europe Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II. Specifically, the medal was awarded to Commonwealth aircrew who participated in operational flights over Europe, from UK bases.

Two months operational flying was required between 3 September1939 and 5 June1945 in order to qualify. The 1939-1945 Star must have been earned before commencing qualifying service for the Air Crew Europe Star. From 6 June1944 (D-Day), operational flying over Europe qualified aircrew for the France and Germany Star.

British uniform regulations stipulated that neither the Atlantic Star nor the France and Germany Star would be awarded to a recipient of the Air Crew Europe Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Atlantic Star or the France and Germany Star was denoted by the award of the appropriate clasp to the Air Crew Europe Star.

Description

* The Air Crew Europe Star is a six–pointed star of yellow copper zinc alloy, with a height of 44mm and a maximum width of 38mm.
* The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher of King George VI, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words ‘The Air Crew Europe Star'.
* The reverse is plain, although Stars issued to Australian and South African personnel have recipient names engraved.
* 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. The sky is represented by pale blue, night flying by the black stripes on the edges, with the yellow stripes representing enemy searchlights..

Clasps

Regulations only allow one clasp to be worn with the Star. When the ribbon is worn alone a silver rosette ribbon emblem is worn to denote the award of a clasp.
* Atlantic:Awarded to those who subsequently became entitled to the Atlantic Star.
* France and Germany:Awarded to those who subsequently became entitled to the France and Germany Star.

ee also

*British campaign medals
*Australian campaign medals

Bibliography

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

References

* [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/AirCrewEuropeStar.htm UK DoD site]
* [http://www.defence.gov.au/medals/Content/+040%20Campaign%20Medals/+100%20World%20War%20II/+030%20Air%20Crew%20Europe%20Star/default.htm ADF Honours and Awards]
* [http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/wwii_medals.htm Stephen Stratford Medals site]
* [http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/acesstar Veterans Affairs Canada site]
* [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/h/h11.html NZDF Medals site]
* [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/warrants/h11-reg.html Air Crew Europe Star Regulations from NZDF site]