Africa Star

The Africa Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 during the Second World War.

Three clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon: North Africa 1942–43, 8th Army and 1st Army.

The Second World War Stars

On 8 July 1943, the Star (later named the Star) and the Africa Star became the first two campaign stars instituted, and by May 1945 a total of eight stars and nine clasps had been established by the United Kingdom to reward campaign service during the Second World War. One more campaign star, the Arctic Star, and one more clasp, the Bomber Command Clasp, were belatedly added on 26 February 2013, more than sixty-seven years after the end of the war.Stephen Stratford Medals site: British Military & Criminal History, 1900 to 1999. 1939–45 Star
(Access date 1 April 2015)War Service (Decorations) – Statement in the House of Commons by Winston Churchill on 3 August 1943 (HC Deb 03 August 1943 vol 391 cc2091-3)
(Access date 9 April 2015)
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Including the Arctic Star and the Bomber Command clasp, no-one could be awarded more than six campaign stars, with five of the ten clasps awarded denoting service that would have qualified for a second star. Only one clasp could be worn on any one campaign star. The maximum of six possible stars are the following:

* The 1939–1945 Star with, when awarded, either the Battle of Britain or the Bomber Command clasp.New Zealand Defence Force – The 1939–45 Star Eligibility Rules
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* Only one of the Atlantic Star, Air Crew Europe Star or France and Germany Star. Those earning more than one received the first qualified for, with the second denoted by the appropriate ribbon clasp.New Zealand Defence Force – The Atlantic Star Eligibility Rules
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(Access date 12 April 2015)
(Access date 12 April 2015)
* The Arctic Star.New Zealand Defence Force – The Arctic Star
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* The Africa Star with, if awarded, the first earned of clasps for North Africa 1942–43, 8th Army or 1st Army.
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* Either the Pacific Star or Burma Star. Those earning both received the first qualified for, with the appropriate clasp to represent the second.New Zealand Defence Force – The Pacific Star Eligibility Rules
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* The Italy Star.New Zealand Defence Force – The Italy Star Eligibility Rules
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All recipients of campaign stars also received the War Medal.

Institution

Between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 British forces fought in North Africa against the Germans and Italians, who had control of large areas of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia and therefore threatened the Suez Canal and the approaching sea lanes. During the desert conflict the balance of power alternated between the two sides, until the remaining German forces surrendered at Tunis on 12 May 1943. Some historians consider the victory over the German forces in North Africa to have been the turning point in the war which led to the eventual defeat of Germany.GOV.UK - Defence and armed forces – guidance - Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility - Africa Star
(Access date 9 April 2015)

The institution of the Africa Star was announced on 8 July 1943 and in August it was announced that the first uniform ribbon bars would be issued to qualifying personnel later in that year. The medals themselves were not intended to be available until after the cessation of hostilities. Some ribbon issues to overseas troops were delayed, but many had been received by the end of 1943.Overseas Service (Recognition) - Statement in the House of Commons by Clement Attlee on 8 July 1943 (HC Deb 08 July 1943 vol 390 c2250)
/ref> By March 1944 1,500,000 personnel had received Africa Star ribbon bars, with further awards made by the end of the war.

Three clasps were instituted: 'North Africa 1942–43', '8th Army' and '1st Army', of which only the first to be earned may be worn on the ribbon of the Africa Star.

Award criteria

Medal

The Africa Star was awarded for a minimum of one day's service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. The operational area includes the whole of the area between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar, together with Malta, Ethiopian Empire, Kenya, the Sudan, both Somalilands and Eritrea. Areas not bordering on the Mediterranean only qualified for the Africa Star between 10 June 1940 and 27 November 1941 inclusive.
* Royal Navy and Merchant Navy personnel qualified for the award of the Africa Star through service in the Mediterranean between these two dates, or for service in the campaigns in Abyssinia, Somaliland and Eritrea between 10 June 1940 and 27 September 1941. Merchant Navy personnel also qualified with service in operations off the Moroccan coast between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943. For sea-going service there was no condition that the 1939-45 Star should already have been earned before the Africa Star could be awarded.
* Army personnel had to enter North Africa on the establishment of an operational unit, while service in Abyssinia, Sudan, Somaliland and Eritrea also qualified.
* Air Force personnel had to land in or have flown over any of the operational areas. The Africa Star was also awarded to crews of transport aircraft that flew over certain specified routes.
* Members of the Australian Imperial Force qualified for the award of the Africa Star for service in Syria between 8 June and 11 July 1941.Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S134 dated 10 April 1995

Service in West Africa did not qualify for the award of the Africa Star.

Clasps

Regulations issued in 1945 only allow one clasp, the first one qualified for, to be worn with the Africa Star. Despite this, both the 8th Army and 1st Army clasps were awarded to and worn by, inter alia, General Dwight Eisenhower and Field Marshal Harold Alexander.The Churchill Society, London - As visible in Alexander's photograph on the Churchill Society website
/ref>As visible in a photograph of Field Marshal Alexander
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* The North Africa 1942–43 Clasp was awarded for service with the 18th Army Group Headquarters between 15 February 1942 an