- Time Period: World War II
- Institution: May 1945
- Country: Great Britain, Australia
The France and Germany Star is a military campaign medal established by the United Kingdom in May 1945 and awarded to subjects of the British Commonwealth that had served between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945 in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and adjacent sea areas.
The Allies launched their final campaign in Northwest Europe on D-Day on 6 June 1944. Over the next eleven months, the allied forces advanced across Western Europe and liberated German-occupied France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Personnel who qualified for the France and Germany Star, the Atlantic Star or the Air Crew Europe Star were awarded only that star for which they first qualified and a clasp in respect of the first earned of the other two stars.
The France and Germany 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 of the medal has a central design of the Royal Cypher “GRI VI“, surmounted by a crown and the inscription “THE FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR“. The reverse is plain and follows a no-engraving policy (the British Honours Committee decided that WW2 campaign medals would be issued unnamed, except for Indians, South Africans and Australians).
Find This Campaign Medal
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:
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 Canadian Volunteer Service Medal
The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal is a British medal granted to persons of any rank in the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Canada.
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.
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 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.
