The 1939–1945 Star is a military

campaign medal A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. Campaign medals are very similar to service medals but carry a high ...

instituted by the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

on 8 July 1943 for award to

British and Commonwealth British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

forces for service in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Battle of Britain and Bomber Command.Stephen Stratford Medals site: British Military & Criminal History, 1900 to 1999. 1939–45 Star
(Access date 1 April 2015)Forces War Records, Medals, 1939–1945 Star
(Access date 2 April 2015)

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.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)
(Access date 1 April 2015) 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 The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

or the Bomber Command clasp.New Zealand Defence Force – The 1939–45 Star Eligibility Rules
(Access date 12 April 2015) * Only one of the

Atlantic Star The Atlantic Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous campaign of the Second World War. Two cl ...

Air Crew Europe Star The Air Crew Europe Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British and Commonwealth air crews who participated in operational flights over Europe from bases in the United Kingdom during the S ...

France and Germany Star The France and Germany Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and adjacent sea areas between ...

. 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
(Access date 4 April 2015)
(Access date 12 April 2015)
(Access date 12 April 2015) * The

Arctic Star The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 19 December 2012 for award to British Commonwealth forces who served on the Arctic Convoys north of the Arctic Circle, during the Second World War. The Second Wo ...

.New Zealand Defence Force – The Arctic Star
(Access date 12 April 2015) * The

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 clasp ...

with, if awarded, the first to be earned of clasps for North Africa 1942–43, 8th Army or 1st Army.New Zealand Defence Force – The Africa Star Eligibility Rules
(Access date 12 April 2015) * Either the

Pacific Star The Pacific Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in the Pacific Campaign from 1941 to 1945, during the Second World War. One clasp, Burma, was ...

Burma Star The Burma Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in the Burma Campaign from 1941 to 1945, during the Second World War. One clasp, Pacific, was ...

. 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
(Access date 9 April 2015)
(Access date 12 April 2015) * The

Italy Star The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who served in the Italian Campaign from 1943 to 1945, during the Second World War. The Second World War Stars On ...

.New Zealand Defence Force – The Italy Star Eligibility Rules
(Access date 12 April 2015) All recipients of campaign stars also received the

War Medal A war medal is a military decoration awarded in time of war, as opposed to a service medal. It may refer to, for example: *War Medal (Norway) *Campaign medal *Global War on Terrorism Service Medal *British War Medal, British Empire medal for servi ...

Institution

The institution of the 1939–43 Star (later named the 1939–1945 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 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 and were worn by recipients throughout the remainder of the war.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 1,600,000 personnel had received 1939-1943 Star ribbon bars, with further awards made by the end of the war. The 1939–1945 Star was awarded for operational service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945, and was the only campaign star that covered the full duration of the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, along with rosettes to be worn on the ribbon bar of the medal to denote the award of a clasp:New Zealand Defence Force – British Commonwealth War And Campaign Medals Awarded To New Zealanders – The 1939 – 1945 Star
(Access date 2 April 2015) * The Battle of Britain Clasp was instituted in 1945 for award to air crew members on fighter aircraft who took part in the

from 10 July to 31 October 1940. A total of 2,936 airmen qualified for the clasp. A silver-gilt rosette, worn on the ribbon bar, denotes the award of this clasp. * The Bomber Command Clasp was belatedly instituted on 26 February 2013, for award to air crew members on aircraft who participated in at least one operational sortie in a Royal Air Force Bomber Command operational unit between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945 inclusive. A silver rosette worn on the ribbon bar denotes the award of this clasp.

Award criteria

Broad criteria

The 1939–1945 Star was awarded for specified periods of operational service overseas between 3 September 1939 and either 8 May 1945 in Europe or 2 September 1945 in the Far East theatre. The broad criteria were 180 days of service between these dates, with more specific criteria depending on service arm.GOV.UK – Defence and armed forces – guidance – Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility – 1939 to 1945 Star
(Access date 1 April 2015)Extract from the Regulations: The 1939–1945 Star
/ref> * Naval personnel qualified after 180 days afloat between certain specified dates in areas of operations as laid out in the regulations. * Army personnel had to complete 180 days of service in an operational command. * Airborne troops qualified if they had participated in any airborne operations and had completed 60 days of service in a fully operational unit. * Air Force air crew qualified after 60 days of service in an operational unit, including at least one operational sortie. The 1939–1945 Star was also awarded to crews of transport aircraft who flew over certain specified routes. Air crew of fighter aircraft engaged in the Battle of Britain were also awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp, while air crew of bomber aircraft who participated in at least one operational sortie in a Bomber Command operational unit were awarded the Bomber Command Clasp in 2013. * Ground crew and other Air force personnel qualified upon completion of 180 days of service in an area of operational army command. * Merchant Navy personnel qualified upon completion of 180 days of service with at least one voyage made through an operational area.
(Access date 2 April 2015)

Special criteria

The award of a gallantry medal or

Mention in Dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

qualified the recipient for the award of the 1939–1945 Star, regardless of service duration. Personnel whose qualifying service period was terminated prematurely by their death or disability due to service were awarded this Star. In addition, some special criteria applied when, at certain specified times, just one day's service was required. These latter instances were actions for which a more specific campaign medal was not awarded and the regulations for award made provision for a number of operations in Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific Theatre and India and Burma, in which entry into operational service for one day or part thereof qualified personnel for the award of the 1939–1945 Star. Some notable examples are:Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds), ''British Battles and Medals'', (1988), Spink. p. 248. * The

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

in France or Belgium from 10 May to 19 June 1940. * The

St Nazaire Raid The St Nazaire Raid or Operation Chariot was a British amphibious attack on the heavily defended Normandie dry dock at St Nazaire in German-occupied France during the Second World War. The operation was undertaken by the Royal Navy (RN) a ...

from 22 to 28 March 1942. * The

Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was an Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a regiment o ...

on 19 August 1942. * The

Anglo-Iraqi War The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The c ...

in Iraq from 10 April to 25 May 1941. * The

Japanese conquest of Burma The Japanese invasion of Burma was the opening phase of the Burma campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, which took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign (December 1941 to mid-1942) ...

from 22 February 1942 to 15 May 1942. * The

Battle of Madagascar The Battle of Madagascar (5 May – 6 November 1942) was a British campaign to capture the Vichy French-controlled island Madagascar during World War II. The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial ...

to capture Vichy French-controlled Madagascar from 5 May 1942 to 5 November 1942. In the case of personnel in operational service at the end of active hostilities in Europe on 8 May 1945, the actual operational service requirement period for the award of the Atlantic Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Italy Star and France and Germany Star was reduced to entry into a theatre of operations and the prior six or two months service requirements did not apply. The 1939–1945 Star, however, was not awarded in any of these cases in which actual operational service amounted to less than six or two months.

Description

The set of nine campaign stars was designed by the

Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclus ...

engravers. The stars all have a ring suspender which passes through an eyelet formed above the uppermost point of the star. They are six–pointed stars, struck in yellow copper zinc alloy to fit into a 44 millimetres diameter circle, with a maximum width of 38 millimetres and 50 millimetres high from the bottom point of the star to the top of the eyelet.Free Czechoslovak Air Force – British Medals awarded to Czechoslovak airmen in WW2 – 1939–1945 Star
(Access date 2 April 2015) ;Obverse The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher "GRI VI", surmounted by a crown. A circlet, the top of which is covered by the crown, surrounds the cypher and is inscribed "THE 1939–1945 STAR". ;Reverse The reverse is plain. ;Naming The British Honours Committee decided that Second World War campaign medals awarded to British forces would be issued unnamed, a policy applied by all but three British Commonwealth countries. The recipient's name was impressed on the reverse of the stars awarded to Indians, South Africans and, after a campaign led by veteran organisations, to Australians.A distinction almost denied: the naming of Australia's Second World War medals, Trevor Turner. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, September 2018, pp. 148–157 In the case of South Africans and Australians, this consisted of the recipient's force number, initials and surname in block capitals, with awards to Indians also showing the service arm or corps.Memoirs – My Days With The I.A.F (1940–48) – V S C Bonarjee, IAS
(Access date 14 April 2015)Rear Side of the Medals
(Access date 14 April 2015) ;Clasps Clasp - 1939-45 & Battle of Britain

Both clasps were struck in bronze and have a frame with an inside edge which resembles the perforated edge of a postage stamp. They are inscribed "BATTLE OF BRITAIN" and "BOMBER COMMAND" respectively and were designed to be sewn onto the medal's ribbon. The rosettes, to be worn on the ribbon bar when medals are not worn, are silver-gilt for the Battle of Britain Clasp and silver for the Bomber Command Clasp. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with equal width bands of Navy blue, Army red and Air Force blue, with the dark blue band representing the Naval Forces and the Merchant Navy, the red band the Armies and the light blue band the Air Forces. The equal width bands represent the equal contributions of the three service arms towards victory. The ribbons for this medal and the Defence Medal as well as those of the other Second World War campaign stars, with the exception of the Arctic Star, were devised by

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

Order of wear

The order of wear of the Second World War campaign stars was determined by their respective campaign start dates and by the campaign's duration. This is the order worn, even when a recipient qualified for them in a different order. The Defence Medal and War Medal are worn after the stars. The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal is worn after the Defence Medal and before the War Medal, with other Commonwealth war medals worn after the War Medal. * The 1939–1945 Star, from 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1945, the full duration of the

. * The

from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945, the duration of the

Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade ...

and the War in Europe. * The

, from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945, the duration of the

Arctic Convoys The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...

and the War in Europe. * The

, from 3 September 1939 to 5 June 1944, the period until

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

minus one. * The

, from 10 June 1940 to 12 May 1943, the duration of the North African Campaign. * The

, from 8 December 1941 to 2 September 1945, the duration of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

. * The

, from 11 December 1941 to 2 September 1945, the duration of the Burma Campaign. * The

, from 11 June 1943 to 8 May 1945, the duration of the Italian Campaign. * The

, from 6 June 1944 to 8 May 1945, the duration of the

North-West Europe Campaign The North West Europe campaign was a campaign by the British Commonwealth armed forces in North West Europe, including its skies and adjoining waters during World War II. The term Western Front has also sometimes been used informally. The United S ...

. * The Defence Medal, from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945 (2 September 1945 for those serving in the Far East and the Pacific), the duration of the Second World War.New Zealand Defence Force - The Defence Medal Eligibility Rules
(Access date 21 April 2015) * The

, from 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1945, the full duration of the Second World War.New Zealand Defence Force - The War Medal 1939-45 Eligibility Rules
(Access date 22 April 2015) The 1939–1945 Star is therefore worn as shown: Ribbon - 1939-45 Star

* Succeeded by the

South Africa

On 6 April 1952 the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Trans ...

instituted its own range of military decorations and medals. These new awards were worn before all earlier British decorations and medals awarded to South Africans, with the exception of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, which still took precedence before all other awards. Second World War medals awarded to South Africans continued to be worn in the order shown above, with the

Africa Service Medal The Africa Service Medal is a South African campaign medal for service during the Second World War, awarded to members of the Union Defence Forces, the South African Police and the South African Railways Police. The medal was originally intende ...

worn after the

.Government Notice no. 1982 of 1 October 1954 – ''Order of Precedence of Orders, Decorations and Medals'', published in the Government Gazette of 1 October 1954.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005,

External links

1939-45 Star on the UK Parliament website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1939-1945 Star British campaign medals Australian campaign medals New Zealand campaign medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa Military decorations and medals of South Africa pre-1952 1943 establishments in the United Kingdom Awards established in 1943 Military awards and decorations of World War II