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The Defence Medal (United Kingdom)

The Defence Medal is a campaign medal instituted in 1945 awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service during WW2.

The Defence Medal is a campaign medal that was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 and awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for both non-operational military and certain types of civilian service during the Second World War.

The Defence Medal was awarded to British, British Commonwealth, and British Colonial personnel who served from or outside their home countries in a non-operational area or in an area subject to threat, such as attacks from the air; and for non-operational service in the Armed Forces, the Home Guard, the Civil Defence Service and other approved civilian services. The length of qualifying service required for the award of the Defence Medal varied, depending on where and in what role an individual served.

Eligible civilian service in the United Kingdom included civilian services whose members were eligible for Chevrons for war service (Civil Defence services, fire service, police, civil air transport, nurses, lighthouse keeps and Women’s Voluntary Services for Civil Defence among others.)

The Defence Medal Design

The medal measures 36 millimeters (1.42 inches) in diameter. The British issue medals were struck in cupro-nickel, while those awarded in Canada were struck in silver.

The obverse of the Defence Medal shows the bareheaded effigy of King George VI, facing left. Around the perimeter is the legend “GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP.”

The reverse shows the Royal Crown resting on an oak sapling, flanked by a lion and a lioness above stylised waves. At the top left is the year “1939” and at the top right the year “1945”. The exerguehas the words “THE DEFENCE MEDAL” in two lines.

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More WW2 British Campaign Medals

During World War II (1939–1945) British campaign medals were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and civilians for active service in specific military campaigns or operations. These included:

WW2 Medals and Awards: The Africa Star

The Africa Star

The Africa Star is a military campaign medal awarded to those who served in the Second World War specifically in North Africa. 

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WW2 Medals and Awards: The Burma Star

The Burma Star

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Burma Campaign.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Italy Star

The Italy Star

The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for service in the Italian Campaign 1943 to 1945.

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The War Medal 1939-1945 Obverse

The War Medal 1939-1945

The War Medal 1939–1945 is a British campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945. The medal was awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time.

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See all WW2 British Campaign Medals >

The Burma Star

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Burma Campaign.

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Second World War, specifically in the Burma Campaign from 1941 to 1945.

Eight campaign stars and nine clasps were initially instituted for campaign service during the Second World War. No-one could be awarded more than five (now six) campaign stars and no-one could be awarded more than one clasp to any one campaign star.

The Burma Campaign took place between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, when Japanese forces invaded Burma and drove British forces back to the Indian border. The Allies were not in a position to strike back and regain a foothold in Burma until early in 1944. Prisoners of War were forced by their Japanese captors to labour on projects such as railway construction and were frequently tortured and starved. Approximately 13,000 British soldiers and 2,000 civilians died in Japanese prisoner camps.

The Burma Star Design

The set of nine campaign stars was designed by the Royal Mint engravers. They are six-pointed stars, struck in a yellow copper zinc alloy to fit into a 44 millimeters diameter circle. All of them all have a ring suspender which passes through an eyelet above the uppermost point of the star.

The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher “GRI VI”, surmounted by a crown and the inscription “THE BURMA STAR”. The reverse is plain and, as with the other Second World War campaign medals, a no engraving policy was applied.

The ribbon is 32 millimeters wide, with a 3½ millimeters wide navy blue band (representing the British Naval forces), a 4 millimeters wide dark yellow band (representing the sun) and a 3½ millimeters wide navy blue band, repeated and separated by a 10 millimeters wide Army red band (representing the Commonwealth Armies).

The clasp was designed to be sewn onto the medal’s ribbon and struck in a yellow copper-zinc alloy. The frame has an inside edge that resembles the perforated edge of a postage stamp.

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More WW2 British Campaign Medals

During World War II (1939–1945) British campaign medals were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and civilians for active service in specific military campaigns or operations. These included:

WW2 Medals and Awards: The Italy Star

The Italy Star

The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for service in the Italian Campaign 1943 to 1945.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Pacific Star

The Pacific Star

The Pacific Star is a British military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in 1945 for those who served in the Pacific Campaign.

Read More »
The War Medal 1939-1945 Obverse

The War Medal 1939-1945

The War Medal 1939–1945 is a British campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945. The medal was awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time.

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See all WW2 British Campaign Medals >

The Atlantic Star

The Atlantic Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for the Battle of the Atlantic.

The Atlantic Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service in the Second World War. It was awarded specifically to those who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous campaign of the war, which took place between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945, as German U-boats attacked convoys transporting vital supplies from America and the Colonies to Britain.

The Atlantic Star was intended primarily for award to those who served in shipping convoys and their escorts and anti-submarine forces, as well as to those who served on fast merchant ships which sailed alone. 

The Atlantic Star Design

British uniform regulations stipulated that no one person could be awarded more than one clasp to any one campaign star. The set of nine campaign stars was designed by the Royal Mint engravers.

They are six–pointed stars, struck in yellow copper zinc alloy to fit into a 44 millimetres diameter circle. The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher “GRI VI”, surmounted by a crown and the inscription “THE ATLANTIC STAR”. The reverse is plain and, as with the other Second World War campaign medals, a no-engraving policy was applied.

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More WW2 British Campaign Medals

During World War II (1939–1945) British campaign medals were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and civilians for active service in specific military campaigns or operations. These included:

WW2 Medals and Awards: The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal which was instituted for service on the Arctic Convoys north of the Arctic Circle in WW2. 

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Burma Star

The Burma Star

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Burma Campaign.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Pacific Star

The Pacific Star

The Pacific Star is a British military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in 1945 for those who served in the Pacific Campaign.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Italy Star

The Italy Star

The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for service in the Italian Campaign 1943 to 1945.

Read More »
The War Medal 1939-1945 Obverse

The War Medal 1939-1945

The War Medal 1939–1945 is a British campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945. The medal was awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time.

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See all WW2 British Campaign Medals >

The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal which was instituted for service on the Arctic Convoys north of the Arctic Circle in WW2. 

The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal which was instituted by the United Kingdom on 19 December 2012 for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service in the Second World War, specifically on the Arctic Convoys north of the Arctic Circle.

The Arctic Star is a retrospective award and was approved by the Queen and announced in late 2012. The institution of this medal was the end result of a 16-year-long campaign by veterans who stressed that service in the arctic convoys north of the Arctic Circle was entirely different from that in the Atlantic, for which the Atlantic Star had been awarded. This is the first British medal to be instituted and awarded using a dead monarch’s cypher or effigy, who did not give permission for it to be instituted.

The Arctic Star Medal Design

The set of nine campaign stars was designed by the Royal Mint engravers. They are six–pointed stars, struck in yellow copper zinc alloy to fit into a 44 millimetres diameter circle. The obverse has a central design of the George VI Royal Cypher “GRI VI”, surmounted by a crown and with the inscription “THE ARCTIC STAR”. The reverse is plain and follows a no-engraving policy.

The medal was awarded unnamed, although some recipients chose to have their medals privately engraved. The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 3½ millimetres wide Air Force blue band, a 6 millimetres wide Navy blue band, a 4 millimetres wide red band and a ¼ millimetre wide black pinstripe band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 4½ millimetres wide white band. The three colours represent the forces which were involved in the campaign, light blue for the Air Forces, dark blue for the Navy and red for the Merchant Navy, while the central white band, edged in black, represents the Arctic.

As many as 120,000 veterans or their next-of-kin are believed to be eligible for the Arctic Star.

The Arctic Star is therefore worn proceeded by the Atlantic Star and succeeded by the Air Crew Europe Star.

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More WW2 British Campaign Medals

During World War II (1939–1945) British campaign medals were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and civilians for active service in specific military campaigns or operations. These included:

WW2 Medals and Awards: The Pacific Star

The Pacific Star

The Pacific Star is a British military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in 1945 for those who served in the Pacific Campaign.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Burma Star

The Burma Star

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Burma Campaign.

Read More »

See all WW2 British Campaign Medals >

The Air Crew Europe Star

The Air Crew Europe Star is a military campaign medal awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service in the Second World War.

The Air Crew Europe Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945. It was awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service in the Second World War. No-one could be awarded more than five (now six) campaign stars and no-one could be awarded more than one clasp to any one campaign star.

The Air Crew Europe Star commemorated flying operations from the United Kingdom over Europe and was intended primarily for award to air crew. The strategic bombing campaign against German industrial cities, military installations and a wide variety of other targets continued throughout World War Two and made a decisive contribution to Allied victory. 

The Air Crew Europe Star Design

The set of nine campaign stars was designed by the Royal Mint engravers. They are six–pointed stars, struck in yellow copper zinc alloy to fit into a 44 millimetres diameter circle. 

The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher “GRI VI”, surmounted by a crown and the inscription “THE AIR CREW EUROPE STAR”. The reverse is plain and usually shows no engraving.

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More WW2 British Campaign Medals

During World War II (1939–1945) British campaign medals were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and civilians for active service in specific military campaigns or operations. These included:

WW2 Medals and Awards: The Italy Star

The Italy Star

The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for service in the Italian Campaign 1943 to 1945.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Burma Star

The Burma Star

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Burma Campaign.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal which was instituted for service on the Arctic Convoys north of the Arctic Circle in WW2. 

Read More »
The War Medal 1939-1945 Obverse

The War Medal 1939-1945

The War Medal 1939–1945 is a British campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945. The medal was awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time.

Read More »

See all WW2 British Campaign Medals >

The Africa Star

The Africa Star is a military campaign medal awarded to those who served in the Second World War specifically in North Africa. 

The Africa Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Second World War between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 inclusive, specifically in North Africa. No-one could be awarded more than five (now six) campaign stars and no-one could be awarded more than one clasp to any one campaign star. 

Between June 1940 and May 1943 British forces fought in North Africa against the Germans and Italians, who then controlled of large areas of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia (and the Suez Canal). The British eventually secured victory on 12 May 1943 when the remaining German forces surrendered at Tunis.  The operational area of the medal includes the whole of the area between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar, together with Malta, Abyssinia, Kenya, the Sudan, both Somalilands and Eritrea.

The Africa Star Design

The set of nine campaign stars was designed by the Royal Mint engravers. They are six-pointed stars, struck in a yellow copper zinc alloy to fit into a 44 millimeters diameter circle. All of them all have a ring suspender which passes through an eyelet above the uppermost point of the star.

The obverse has a central design of the Royal Cypher “GRI VI”, surmounted by a crown and the inscription  “THE AFRICA STAR”. The reverse is plain and followed a no engraving policy  applied by all but three British Commonwealth countries.

The ribbon measures 32 millimeters wide and has a 5 millimeters wide pale buff band (representing the Sahara Desert), a 1½ millimeters wide Navy blue band (representing the Merchant Navy), a 5 millimeters wide pale buff band, a 9 millimeters wide Army red band, a 5 millimeters wide pale buff band, a 1½ millimeters wide Air Force blue band and a 5 millimeters wide pale buff band.

Regulations issued in 1945 only allow one clasp, the first one qualified for, to be worn with the Africa Star (inscribed “NORTH AFRICA 1942–43”, “8th ARMY” or “1st ARMY”)

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More WW2 British Campaign Medals

During World War II (1939–1945) British campaign medals were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and civilians for active service in specific military campaigns or operations. These included:

WW2 Medals and Awards: The Africa Star

The Africa Star

The Africa Star is a military campaign medal awarded to those who served in the Second World War specifically in North Africa. 

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Burma Star

The Burma Star

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Burma Campaign.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Italy Star

The Italy Star

The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for service in the Italian Campaign 1943 to 1945.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal which was instituted for service on the Arctic Convoys north of the Arctic Circle in WW2. 

Read More »

See all WW2 British Campaign Medals >

The 1939-1945 Star

The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for operational service overseas.

The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted on 8 July 1943 by the United Kingdom to award to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service in the Second World War during specified periods of operational service overseas (between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945). The broad criteria was 180 days of service with more specific criteria depending on the service arm.

The 1939–43 Star was awarded to 1,600,000 officers and men. 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.

The 1939–1945 Star Design

The set of nine campaign stars was designed by the Royal Mint engravers. They are six-pointed stars, struck in yellow copper zinc alloy to fit into a 44 millimeters diameter circle.

The obverse of the 1939-1945 star has a central design of the Royal Cypher “GRI VI“, surmounted by a crown and a circlet in which is inscribed “THE 1939–1945 STAR“. The reverse is plain and, as with the other Second World War campaign medals, a no-engraving policy was applied by all but three British Commonwealth countries (but the recipient’s name was impressed on the reverse for Australians, Indians and South Africans).

The 1939–1945 Star Clasps

There are two clasps for the 1939-1945 Star: The Battle of Britain clasp and the Bomber Command clasp. Both clasps were struck in bronze and had a frame with an inside edge resembling the perforated edge of a postage stamp. The clasps are denoted by a golden or silver-gilt rosette worn on the ribbon bar. There were two clasps instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon: A Battle of Britain clasp and a Bomber Command clasp.

The Battle of Britain clasp was awarded to those who had participated in the Battle of Britain military campaign. This is the rarest one as it was given to aircrew members of stipulated squadrons of Fighter Command who had flown at least one operational sortie between 00.01 hrs 10th July and 23.59 hrs 31st Oct 1940. A total of 2,936 men qualified for it.

The Bomber Command clasp was instituted on 26 February 2013 (belated) and given to those who played a central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II, participating in at least one operational sortie in a Royal Air Force Bomber Command operational unit between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945 inclusive. In total 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 8,325 aircraft were lost in action. 

The 1939-1945 Star Ribbon

The 1939-1945 Star - Ribbon

Ribbon with rosette for the Battle of Britain

The 1939-1945 Star - The Battle of Britain Clasp Rosette
The 1939-1945 Star - The Battle of Britain Clasp

Ribbon with rosette for the Bomber Command

The 1939-1945 Star - The Bomber Command Clasp Rosette
The 1939-1945 Star - The Bomber Command Clasp

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More WW2 British Campaign Medals

During World War II (1939–1945) British campaign medals were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and civilians for active service in specific military campaigns or operations. These included:

WW2 Medals and Awards: The Burma Star

The Burma Star

The Burma Star is a military campaign medal for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Burma Campaign.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Italy Star

The Italy Star

The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for service in the Italian Campaign 1943 to 1945.

Read More »
WW2 Medals and Awards: The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star

The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal which was instituted for service on the Arctic Convoys north of the Arctic Circle in WW2. 

Read More »

See all WW2 British Campaign Medals >

Further Reading

The Distinguished Service Order

The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a United Kingdom military decoration awarded for distinguished service during wartime.

The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is one of the highest military decorations awarded by the United Kingdom, primarily for acts of meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime.

Instituted in 1886 by Queen Victoria and typically awarded to officers ranked major, the first DSOs awarded were dated 25 November 1886. Recipients of the order are officially known as Companions of the Distinguished Service Order and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “DSO”.

The DSO is typically awarded to officers ranked Major and above for meritorious or distinguished service in combat or other significant contributions to military operations. It is often awarded for leadership, courage, and exceptional service under fire.

 Over the years, the DSO has been awarded to numerous officers for their outstanding leadership, gallantry, and devotion to duty in various conflicts, including World War I, World War II, and subsequent military operations. During the First World War, 8,981 DSOs were awarded, each award being announced in The London Gazette.

The Distinguished Service Order Precedence and Clasps

The DSO ranks below only the Victoria Cross (VC) and the George Cross (GC) in the order of precedence for British military decorations. It is considered a prestigious honor and is highly respected within the military community.

In addition to the standard DSO, there are several variants and clasps that may be awarded in recognition of additional acts of distinguished service or multiple awards.

The Distinguished Service Order Design

The DSO is a cross patonce, which means it has arms that narrow towards the center and end in a floriated decoration. It is crafted from silver gilt, enameled white and edged in gold.

In the obverse and the center, within a wreath of green laurel, is the imperial crown in gold upon a red enameled background. The reverse shows the royal cypher in gold upon a red enameled ground, within a wreath of laurel, enameled green. 

The ribbon of the DSO is crimson with narrow dark blue edges.

The Military Cross

The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level military decoration awarded for acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations.

The Military Cross (MC) is a prestigious third-level military decoration awarded in recognition of “an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land to all members, of any rank in Our Armed Forces.”

It is awarded to officers of the British Armed Forces and Commonwealth forces for acts of exemplary gallantry and leadership in combat and it’s one of the highest awards for bravery and valor that an officer can receive. The Military Cross is also open to officers of all ranks, including commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and warrant officers.

The award was created on 28 December 1914 for commissioned officers of the substantive rank of Captain or below and for Warrant Officers. In August 1916, Bars were awarded to the MC in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award and recipients of a bar continue to use postnominal letters MC. In 1931 the award was extended to Majors and also to members of the Royal Air Force for actions on the ground.

Military Cross Awardees

During World War I, Acting Captain Francis Wallington of the Royal Field Artillery was the first person to be awarded the MC. Throughout its history, though, the Military Cross has been awarded in various conflicts, including both World Wars and more recent military operations. Recipients of the Military Cross are recognized for their exceptional bravery and leadership in the service of their country.

Here are five individuals who have received the Military Cross:

  1. Captain Charles Upham – He was a New Zealand soldier who received the Military Cross twice during World War II for his bravery and leadership in the Battle of Crete and the North African campaign.

  2. Captain Tom Moore – Captain Tom Moore, a British Army officer, was awarded the Military Cross during World War II for his outstanding courage and service in the Burma Campaign.

  3. Lieutenant Colonel Herbert “H” Jones – He received the Military Cross posthumously during the Falklands War in 1982 for his exceptional leadership and bravery during the Battle of Goose Green.

  4. Captain Guy Gibson – Captain Gibson was a British Royal Air Force pilot who was awarded the Military Cross for his leadership in the famous “Dambusters” raid during World War II.

  5. Major Charles Whittlesey – An American officer, Major Whittlesey was awarded the Military Cross for his valor during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I.

The Military Cross Design

The Military Cross measures 46 mm max height and 44 mm max width, and shows an ornamental silver cross with straight arms terminating in broad finials.

The obverse is decorated with imperial crowns and the Royal Cypher in the center. The reverse is plain, but from 1938 the name of the recipient and year of issue has been engraved on the lower limb of the cross.

The ribbon for the Military Cross is 32 mm wide and shows three vertical moire stripes of white, purple, and white, all of the same width.

  • Military Cross Without Bar
  • Military Cross With One Bar
  • Military Cross With Two Bars

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The 1914-15 Star

The 1914–15 Star is a British Empire campaign medal awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces during the First World War.

The 1914–15 Star is a British Empire campaign medal awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had served in any theatre of the First World War against the Central European Powers during 1914 and 1915.

Excluded from eligibility for the medal were the people who had already qualified for the award of the 1914 Star, the Africa General Service Medal, and the Khedive’s Sudan Medal of 1910.

The medal was never awarded singly, and recipients were also awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

The 1914-15 Star Awardees

Some 2,366,000 medals were awarded to soldiers and supporting personnel of British military forces and the various forces of the British Dominions, India, and the Colonies. The 1914-15 Star was awarded to a significant number of British and Imperial servicemen who served in specified theaters of World War I, particularly those who served in France and Belgium during the early years of the conflict.

While many received this medal, here are five notable individuals who received the 1914-15 Star:

  1. Winston Churchill: Winston Churchill, who would later become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, served as First Lord of the Admiralty during World War I. He received the 1914-15 Star for his service in the Royal Navy during the conflict.

  2. T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia): Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, served as a British liaison officer in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. He received the 1914-15 Star for his contributions to this campaign.

  3. John McCrae: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was a Canadian physician and soldier best known for writing the famous war poem “In Flanders Fields.” He served as a medical officer and received the 1914-15 Star for his service on the Western Front.

  4. Douglas Haig: Field Marshal Douglas Haig was the commander of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front during World War I. He played a significant role in the early years of the conflict and received the 1914-15 Star for his leadership.

  5. Wilfred Owen: Wilfred Owen is a renowned English poet known for his powerful and poignant war poetry. He received the 1914-15 Star for his service as a soldier on the Western Front, an experience that profoundly influenced his poetry.

The 1914-15 Star Design

The medal is a four-pointed star of bright bronze, ensigned with a crown. It measures 50 millimeters high (62 millimeters including the ring suspension) and 44 millimeters wide.

The central motif of the 1914-15 Star’s obverse features a large, raised, and five-pointed star with the year “1914” on the top arm and “1915” on the bottom arm, separated by a horizontal scroll-like line. The years represent the time period for which the medal was awarded, covering the early years of World War I. There are also two crossed gladii (swords) with their blades upwards and overlaid by a wreath of oak leaves. In the center of the star, beneath the year “1915,” there is a royal cipher. The cipher typically consists of the reigning monarch’s initials.

The reverse is plain, unadorned, and is impressed with the recipient’s number, rank, and name.

Suspension: The medal is attached to a ribbon by a small ring at the top of the star. This ribbon is used to wear the medal, typically on the left breast. 

Ribbon: The ribbon for the 1914-15 Star is a watered ribbon with a central red stripe flanked by two narrow white stripes, which are themselves flanked by two narrow blue stripes. The red stripe represents the British Army, the blue stripes the Royal Navy, and the white stripes the French Republic. The combination of these colors symbolizes the cooperation between British and French forces in the theaters of operation for which the medal was awarded.

Related Medals

The ‘Pip’, ‘Squeak’, and ‘Wilfred’ medals were British military decorations established during World War I. The Pip Squeak was the 1914 Star, the Wilfred was the British War Medal, and the Pip was the Victory Medal. 

WW1 Medals and Awards: The 1914 Star

The 1914 Star

The 1914 Star, ‘Mons’ Star or ‘Pip’ is a British Empire campaign medal instituted in 1917 and presented for service during World War I.

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