The Service Star (French ''Étoile de service'') was a

civil decoration Civil awards and decorations are awarded to civilians for distinguished service or for eminence in a field of endeavour. Military personnel might also be eligible for services of a non-military nature. There are various forms of civil awards and d ...

in the Congo Free State (and later the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

) created by a decree of the king-sovereign, Leopold II, on 16 January 1889. It was given to those non-natives who faithfully and honorably completed a term of service in the Congo. It was the second decoration in terms of precedence after the

Order of the African Star The Order of the African Star ( nl, Orde van de Afrikaanse Ster; french: Ordre de l'Étoile africaine) was established by Leopold II of Belgium on 30 December 1888, in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State, and was awarded for services t ...

, introduced seventeen days earlier.. The award consisted of a five-sided silver star 30 millimetres in diameter. On one side, in the centre, was a smaller five-sided gold star, while on the other was the Free State motto, ''Travail et progrès'' (work and progress). It came with a blue ribbon with horizontal silver bars attached to indicate the number of terms of service in the Congo. Vice-Governor General

Paul Costermans Paul-Marie-Adolphe Costermans (2 April 1860 – 9 March 1905) was a Belgian soldier and colonial civil servant. After a brief career in the Belgian Army, Costermans enlisted for service in the military of the Congo Free State, the ''Force Publiqu ...

, for example, wore the star with four bars..

References

Awards established in 1889 Colonial orders of chivalry Orders, decorations, and medals of Belgium Long service medals 1889 establishments in the Congo Free State {{Orders-medals-stub