1939-1945 Service Medals | Kiwi Medals | Page 7

Archive for the 1939-1945 Service Medals Category

Loyal Service Cross Type 2 Class 3 with Swords

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Romania on August 1, 2011 by The Dude

The Type 2 Loyal Service medal was awarded from 1932 to 1947. It was awarded in three classes. Class I was made in silver gilt, class II in silver, and class III in bronze. Beginning in 1937, the type 2 medal could also be awarded with swords to members of the military.

This example has the yellow bands to the ribbon on the edge indicating it was awarded during a time of war which puts it square into WW2.

The Obverse reads “Serviciu Credincios” (Translation: Loyal Service), surrounded with a wreath of laurel and oak leaves.

In all there were 8 variations of the medal.

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Medal for the Crusade Against Communism

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Romania, WW2 on August 1, 2011 by The Dude

This medal was instituted by Royal Decree No. 1014 of April 1, 1942 and was awarded to military personelirrespective of rank as well as civilians who had distinguished themselves in the battles on the Eastern front. The medal could be awarded without bars, but the following bars were authorized: BUCOVINA, BASARABIA, DOBROGEA, NISTRU, ODESSA, BUG, NIPRU, AZOV, CREMEEA, DONET, MAREA NEAGARA.

The medal is dated 1941, and it was awarded through 1944. After 1944, Romania was occupied by the Soviets, and this award became obsolete. In fact if would have been very unhealthy to be found with this medal under the Communist regime that followed the War.

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Medal for the Liberation From Fascist Subjugation

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Romania on August 1, 2011 by The Dude

This is a post-war commemorative medal from the Communist Romanian People’s Republic. The writing roughly translates as in the title of the post. Undoubtedly stamped out by the million.This medal was awarded in 1949 by the Communist Government to soldiers and civilians who participated in the ‘struggle’ against the Germans in World War II. While Romania was allied with Germany during most of the war, King Michael overthrew Marshal Antonescu (the defacto ruler of Romania) in 1945 and turned Romania’s forces against their former allies. Because there is also a medal awarded by Romania for fighting against Communism (see Crusade against Communism Medal), it is conceivable that some soldiers received both awards.

The medal is suspended by the distinctive communist tri-fold ribbon, and has four red and three white stripes in alternating fashion. The medallion depicts the bust of two soldiers, one Romanian and the other Soviet, side by side. The busts are encircled by the words; “ELIBEREA DE SUB JUGUL FACISTl” translation: Liberation from fascist subjugation.

The reverse is comprised of a laurel wreath surmounted by the letters RPR encircling the words, “IN SLUJBA POPORULUI MUNCITOR”. translation: “Workng for the working people”.

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France & Germany Star with Atlantic Bar

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

This is my stock France and Germany Star, in this case only notable for the additional Atlantic Bar.

The France and Germany Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.
The medal was awarded for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany from 6 June 1944 (D-Day) to 8 May 1945. The qualifying sea area is the North Sea south of a line from the Firth of Forth to Kristiansand (South), in the English Channel and in the Bay of Biscay east of longitude 6° west, provided such service was directly in support of land operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany.

British uniform regulations stipulated that neither the Atlantic Star nor the Air Crew Europe Star would be awarded to a recipient of the France and Germany Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Atlantic Star was denoted by the award of the Atlantic clasp. A clasp for the Air Crew Europe Star was not issued as that Star could not be earned after 5 June 1944.

Army personnel who entered Austria may not qualify for this award, as their service is recognised by the grant of the Italy Star.

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Africa Service Medal

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags South Africa, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

I have three examples of this medal. The first is impressed to 313971 M.L. Schultz, the second to 156658 B.S. Tinderholm (I have his War Medal also) and the third to 572811 J.Daitsh.

The Africa Service Medal was a South African campaign medal for service in World War II. It was instituted by King George VI, in his capacity as South African head of state, on 23 December 1943, and was awarded in addition to the British stars and medals issued for the war. The medal was granted to members of the Union Defence Forces, the South African Police, and the South African Railways Police.
To qualify for the medal, a member of those services must have volunteered for war service outside South Africa, and have served continuously for thirty days, or part-time for a total of eighteen hours, between 6 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. As the name indicates, the medal was originally intended for service in Africa, up to the defeat of the Axis forces in North Africa 1943, but it was later extended to cover service anywhere in the world, right up to the end of the war.
The medal is silver. The design was suggested by Field Marshal J.C. Smuts.

The obverse depicts a map of Africa, surrounded by the name of the medal in English, Africa Service Medal and Afrikaans, Afrikadiens-medalje. The reverse depicts a springbok prancing through the veld.
The ribbon is orange-red (the colour of the shoulder flash worn by South African volunteers), edged in green and gold (the “springbok” sporting colours, which were adopted as the defence force colours).
World War II ex-servicemen referred to the ribbon of this medal as “Ouma’s Garter”. “Ouma” (i.e. “Granny”) Smuts was the wife of the South African World War II prime minister, Field Marshal Jan Smuts. The nickname was a tribute to her unstinting efforts to supply the South African troops with home comforts.

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WRVS Women’s Voluntary Service Long Service Medal

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Civilian Medals, United Kingdom, WRVS, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

On 16 May 1938, the British government set out the objectives of the Women’s Voluntary Service for Civil Defence. It was seen “as the enrolment of women for Air Raid Precaution Services of Local Authorities, to help to bring home to every household what air attack may mean, and to make known to every household [in the country] what it can do to protect itself and the community.”

In the words of the then Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, “as regards their civil defence functions, the Minister regards the Women’s Voluntary Service as occupying … much the same relationship as that of the women’s auxiliary services for the armed forces of the Crown.”

This medal was issued for 40 years of service to this organization.

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The 1939-1945 War Medal with Mentioned in Dispatches Device

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Valour Medals with tags United Kingdom, Valour Medals, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

This medal is identical to my other British cupro-nickel War Medals with the exception of the mentioned in dispatches device which is affixed correctly to the ribbon. The nickel medals were issued to British and other Commonwealth troops with the exception of the Canadians who received a silver one.

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The Africa Star with North Africa 1942-1943 Bar

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags North Africa, United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

The Africa Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.

The Star was awarded for a minimum one day service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943.

The whole of the area between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar is included, together with Malta, Abyssinia, Kenya, Sudan, The Solmalilands and Eritrea. The areas not bordering the Mediterranean only qualified for the Africa Star from 10 June 1940 to 27 November 1941.
Members of the Australian Imperial Force qualified for the Star for service in Syria from 8 June 1941 and 11 July 1941.

The example pictured includes the North Africa 1942-43 bar.

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The Africa Star with 1st Army Bar

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags North Africa, United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

Regulations only allow one clasp to be worn with the Star, being the first clasp the recipient qualified for.

8th Army
Awarded for service with the 8th Army between 23 October 1942 and 12 May 1943. An ‘8’ is worn on the ribbon in undress to denote this bar. This award is controversial because Eighth Army was created in October of 1941 and fought in Africa for a year before the award service requirement. The award dates from the start of the El Alamein battle that ultimately led to the German eviction from Africa. Reportedly General Bernard Montgomery refused to allow Eighth

Army soliders who fought under his predecessor, General Auchinleck, from October of 1941, and even his first few months of service starting in August of 1942 to wear the award.

1st Army
Awarded for service with the 1st Army between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943. A ‘1’ is worn on the ribbon in undress to denote this bar.

North Africa 1942-43
Awarded for service with the navy, merchant navy, or Royal Air Force in specified areas from 23 October 1942 to 12 May 1943. In undress, a rosette on the ribbon denotes this bar.

Use of rosette emblem
During the same dates, inshore service by the merchant navy, certain commands of the Royal Air Force and by the personnel of the headquarters of the 18th Army Group earned a silver rose emblem instead of one of the clasps.

The example here is one with a 1st Army bar.

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The Africa Star with 8th Army Bar

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags North Africa, United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

This example of the Africa Star has an additional 8th Army bar attached. See above for other examples. I have a few more Africa Stars, in groups mostly and a single without any bar.

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The Pacific Star with Burma Star Clasp

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

This is one of my favourite of the stars from WW2. This is because it is part of my grandfathers entitlement as he fought in the Solomon Islands against the Japanese.

The medal was awarded for operational service in the Pacific Theater between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, and also for certain specified service in China, Hong-Kong, Malaya and Sumatra:

Hong Kong – between 8 December 1941 and 25 December 1941
China and Malaya – between 8 December 1941 and 15 February 1942
Sumatra – between 8 December 1941 and 23 March 1942
Second World War service in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and Sumatra after the above end dates was recognised by the award of the Burma Star.
The qualifying sea areas for the award of the Pacific Star are the Pacific Ocean (including the South China Sea) and the Indian Ocean east of a line running due south from Singapore round the South-East coast of Sumatra, through Christmas Island, and southwards along the meridian of 110 deg East.
The Pacific Star was authorized for immediate bestowal to any soldier or sailor who had been killed or wounded in combat.
British uniform regulations stipulated that Burma Star would not be awarded to a recipient of the Pacific Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Burma Star was denoted by the award of the Burma Star clasp.

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The 1939-1945 War Medal

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

The War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.

In the Merchant Navy, the 28 days must have been served at sea.

It is sometimes described as the “Victory Medal” for World War II, although that is not its correct name. Generally these things are unnamed but I have a one orphan that is named.

For those of you hunting down sets it is as follows, 1220764 N.K. Mohd AJAIB.

I otherwise have a trunkful of these.

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1939-1945 Star

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

The 1939–45 Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War. The medal was awarded for operational service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.

Army personnel had to complete 6 months service in an operational command. Airborne troops qualified if they had participated in any airborne operations and had completed 2 months service in a fully operational unit.
Air Force personnel had to participate in operations against the enemy providing that 2 months service had been completed in an operational unit. Non-aircrew personnel had to complete 6 months service in an area of (overseas) operational army command.
Naval personnel qualified if they completed 6 months service, and at least 1 voyage was made through an operational area.
Royal Observer Corps personnel for service of 1080 days.

There were a number of “Qualifying Special Areas” where operational service for “one day or part thereof” qualified for the special award of the 1939–45 Star. These were actions for which a more specific campaign medal was not issued. Examples are: France or Belgium: 10 May to 19 June 1940, St.Nazaire 22-28 March1942, Dieppe: 19 August 1942, Iraq: 10 April to 25 May 1941 and Burma (Enemy Invasion): 22 February 1942 to 15 May 1942.[1] The star was immediately awarded if the service period was terminated by death, disability or wounding. The award of a gallantry medal or a Mention in Despatches also led to an immediate award.

I have a few of these medals.

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The Burma Star with Pacific Bar

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Burma, Empire of Japan, Pacific, South East Asia, United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude

The Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.

The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. This medal was also awarded for certain specified service in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and Sumatra:

Hong Kong – between 26 December 1941 and 2 September 1945
China and Malaya – between 16 February 1942 and 2 September 1945
Sumatra – between 24 March 1942 and 2 September 1945
Second World War service in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and Sumatra after 8 December 1941 but prior to the above start dates was recognised by the award of the Pacific Star.

British uniform regulations stipulated that the Pacific Star would not be awarded to a prior recipient of the Burma Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Pacific Star was denoted by the award of the Pacific clasp.

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New Zealand War Service Medal

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags New Zealand, WW2 on December 4, 2009 by The Dude

This medal was awarded for one month’s full time service or six months’ part time service in any of the Armed Services, the Reserve or Home Guard between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. This medal was the first distinctively ‘New Zealand’ campaign medal, which was emphasised by the use of the fern leaf motif on the reverse and the national colours of black and white in the ribbon.

The New Zealand War Service Medal was issued unengraved, as were other Second World War campaign medals awarded for service for New Zealand.

Being a New Zealander I am especially fond of this medal. My grandfathers medal bar contains one as does the one belonging to the Grand-Uncle that I am named after. I have two examples of this medal.

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Southern Rhodesia Medal for War Service

Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Southern Rhodesia, WW2 on November 28, 2009 by The Dude

Instituted in 1946 and only issued 1700 times.

This is the second rarest Commonwealth service medal to get hold of since the Rhodesians were not allowed to operate as a separate unit. Most of them were either drawn into South Africa units or British formations. If the former, then they were usually awarded the Africa Service Medal.

This medal was only awarded to those Rhodesians who were not eligible for any other stars or service medals. I have only seen a handful of these since I started collecting a decade ago. The most interesting was in a group with the BWM and Victory Medal for some bloke who had served in East Africa in the Great War and then did home service in WW2.

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