Material: Silk ribbon with metal rosette device
Size: 65mm w x 10mm h
Circa: 1943–1945
Ribbons Represented:
1939–1945 Star (left):
Ribbon colours dark blue, red, light blue. These represent the three branches of the British armed forces Royal Navy (dark blue), British Army (red), and Royal Air Force (light blue). The 1939–1945 Star was awarded for operational service during the Second World War between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
Africa Star (right):
Ribbon design buff (desert sand colour) field with narrow stripes of red, dark blue, and light blue. The buff colour symbolizes the North African desert campaigns. The Africa Star was awarded for service in the North African theatre between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943.
Rosette Device:
The silver rosette on the ribbon indicates the wearer was entitled to a clasp on the actual medal. For the Africa Star these clasps included 1st Army, 8th Army, and North Africa 1942–43. Because only one clasp could be worn on the medal, the ribbon bar uses a rosette to indicate that the recipient qualified for one of these clasps.
Historical Context:
Campaign stars such as these were awarded to members of the British Armed Forces and Commonwealth forces who served in active operational theatres during the Second World War. The North African campaign included famous battles involving forces commanded by figures such as Bernard Montgomery and Erwin Rommel. Fighting occurred across Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and other regions of North Africa.