British Medal Eligibility

[Allan H.]

This is what it is like for me trying to decipher the rules surrounding awards of the British and Commonwealth campaign stars in World War II.

Perhaps you fellows could answer some questions that I have regarding awards of these stars? I have tried to do the research, but am still in a knot over a couple of issues.
First, I understand that in order to qualify for a campaign star, that you had to spend six months of service in the theater of operations. However, I am puzzled over a couple of RAF/ RCAF medal groupings that I have.
One of these groupings lists the man's awards as the France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Canadian Volunteer medal with overseas bar. The question would be why this airman was not eligible for the 1939-45 star? There is no mention of the award and it is lacking from his ribbon group.
Second, I have a grouping to another RCAF pilot who enlisted in 1942 and was assigned to a flight school as an instructor after he himself graduated from flight training. He ended up with operational flights in India, Pakistan and Burma starting in March of 1945. His medal trio is the Defence medal, War Medal, and CVSM with overseas bar.
Any insignhts, or further sources where I can go to better understand the awards system?
Thanks,
Allan

[Tony Farrell]

Oooh, there are dark forces at work here, be careful! I would've thought yer man would have qualified for a 39/45 star, but? Despite the vast numbers issued, the issuing authority was very particular about who qualified, with any service shortfall discounting eligibility - even if was a day. Just breathe deeply, pretend it's not there and go down the pub. There, much better now, eh?

[leigh kitchen]

I hate thes. I'll print this out & sit & work it out.

[leigh kitchen]

Okay, as far as I can work out - Air Force qualification for the 1939 - 45 Star:

Awarded to all air crew who took part in ops against the enemy, subject to the completion of 2 months in an ops area.

Air crew service in ops against the enemy between 8<SUP>th</SUP> May 1945 - 2<SUP>nd</SUP> September 1945 in the below areas qualify, subject to completion of 2 months service in an operational unit:

Specified zones within the area bounded on the east by the West coast of the American Continent & on the west by a line running along the Western & then the Southern frontier of the Chinese Republic to the point where the Dihang River crosses the latter into Assam, along the left bank of this river & the Brahmaputra & Meghna Rivers, down the east coast of india to Point Calimere, to the northernmost point of the Ceylon & down the east coast of Ceylon to the southernmost point of the Island, then along a line 300 miles south, thence to a point 300 miles west of the southernmost point of Sumatra, & continuing east to the Western side of Sunda Strait, thence through Christmas island & southwards along the Meridian of 110 degrees East.

In addition, non-air crew personnel serving in the area of an Army operational command qualified, 6 months service in the area of the operational command being the qualification & special exception being given for those evacuated, eg from Dunkirk, under the same criteria as for the army.

Non-air crew personnel serving afloat qualified under the same conditions as the Navy & Merchant Navy.

Operational service for a period less than 6 months & 2 months respectively, but brought to an end by death, wounds or other disbility due to service qualified for grant of the star, as did the grant for services in operations of an Honour, decoration or Mention in Despatches or King’s Commendation

The army qualification included service on passage to an operational command through dangerous water counting towards qualification, although there’s no reference to this applying to air force personnel.

Also for the army, with no reference to air force personnel though:

The Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, & India (except parts of Assam & Bengal, for the purpose of the Burma operations) were not regarded as having been in the area of operational commands, & among the other territories in which service was not a qualification were Ceylon, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Fiji Islands, Tonga Island, Phoenix Island, & Fanning Island.



Now I’ve typed it all up I’ve confused myself, having lost the plot I'll sit & consume beer for a while until it all makes sense.

[Darrell]

You did not have to receive the 1939-45 Star to get the France & Germany Star (or prior time if you will).

Take a look here:

http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/Wo...nStarsand.html

It explains the answer to your question at the bottom for the France and Germany Star

[Allan H.]

Thanks to all of you for your help on the subject. It is so iritatingly confusing to me as one would expect a man who served honourably for over three years in the armed forces would not qualify for what I would consider to be an "all inclusive" medal like the 1939-45 Star. I know that I have seen groups where the only star was a 1939-45 star and no campaign stars, then to turn around and have a grouping with a France and Germany Star but no 1939-45 Star just boggles my limited ability to grasp the awards criteria.
I really need a book that I could study to better understand the criteria and work them out in my mind. Leigh, if you could tell me what you were using to try to figure this out, I would appreciate it.
Again, thanks for the help, it means a lot!
Allan

[leigh kitchen]

You did not have to receive the 1939-45 Star to get the France & Germany Star (or prior time if you will).

Part of the problem with the Stars etc is that the authorities did a double take & changed the award criteria in 1946.
eg for land forces The Pacific, Burma, Italy & France & Germany Stars originally required 6 months & 1 day service in the relevant theatre of operations,
ie that the 1939-45 Star be earned by 6 months service before a further day earned one of these 4 Stars.

In 1946 this changed, the requirement of 6 months service (& the earning of the 1939-45 Star) being cancelled, & the qualification for these 4 Stars was reduced to one day, although visits, tours of inspection etc required at least 30 days & special authorisation.

Originally, The France & Germany Star was earned by air crews by 2 months service in an operational unit followed by 1 operational sortie (2 months got them the 1939-45 Star).
Later the 2 months qualification was cancelled, one operational sortie earning them The France & Germany Star.

There were so many different criteria for the award of different Stars, with different requirements for land forces, Navy, Merchant Navy etc, & for different personnel such as navy, army, air force ground crew, air crew etc on board naval or Merchant Navy vessels, ashore, in the air, whether a POW or casualty, it goes on forever, & then there's the ammendment of 1946 that changed a lot of qualification criteria.

It's interesting to note that in reducing the qualification period of certain Stars to 1 day, a specific exclusion were the crews of estuary vessels & the like (I suppose we'd call them "riverine" nowadays - can you imagine them being excluded from campaign medal qualification in Vietnam?).
It was thought that as there was no way of properly establishing whether claiments had actually sailed in & out of the various areas of operations then they would'nt qualify as, the Stars would be devalued.

It's also interesting that one of the reasons for specifying only 1 days service as a requirement for The France & Germany Star was that otherwise many crews of landing craft would'nt qualify.

Again, it's noteworthy that an attempt was made to prevent the award of Stars which required only 1 days qualification etc to "military tourists" who may just visit for a day from a HQ formation or wherever, perhaps merely to get a gong.