The Air Crew Europe Star: A prestigious accolade honouring the fearless and devoted aircrew members who valiantly served in Europe during World War II. A true testament to their unwavering bravery and unwavering dedication. Read more..
The Air Crew Europe Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the British and Commonwealth forces in 1945 to recognize the service of aircrew personnel who flew operational sorties over Europe during the Second World War. This medal was awarded to individuals who served for two months or more in an operational unit between 3 September 1939 and 5 June 1944.
The following clasps were awarded with this medal; however, the Air Crew Europe Star could also be awarded by itself:
To be eligible for the Air Crew Europe Star, personnel must have flown at least one operational sortie over Europe during the specified time frame. The medal was awarded alone or with other campaign medals, such as the 1939-45 Star, the Africa Star, the Pacific Star, or the Italy Star.
Design
The design of the Air Crew Europe Star features a six-pointed star made of bronze. The obverse has a central design with the Royal Cypher, surrounded by the words "THE AIR CREW EUROPE STAR". The reverse of the medal is plain, traditionally with the recipient's name and service number engraved on it.
Ribbon
The ribbon of the Air Crew Europe Star is light blue bordered with stripes of black and yellow. These colours symbolise the continual services of the Air Force over day and night.
Any clasps awarded with the Air Crew Europe Star are attached to the ribbon with the medal, and a silver rosette is worn on the ribbon bar.
The Air Crew Europe Star is a symbol of bravery and dedication of aircrew personnel who served in Europe during the Second World War, and a recognition of their contribution to the war effort. This medal is a testament to their courage and commitment, and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served in the Royal Air Force.
If you order your medal unmounted, the medal and ribbon will be supplied as separate components. Miniature medals will be supplied with 15cm of ribbon and full size medals will be supplied with 30cm of ribbon.
The court mounting of medals involves securing medals to a stiff backing board, along with the placement of a brooch fitting on the board. This ensures that the medals remain firmly in place and do not shift or move about while being worn.
It is mandatory for active members of the Australian Defence Force to have their medals court mounted, as it is considered the appropriate method of presenting military honours in a professional and respectful manner. By doing so, the medals are given proper recognition and are displayed in a neat and organized fashion.The swing mounting of medals refers to the attachment of a medal to a ribbon that is allowed to hang freely from a brooch, which in turn is affixed to a uniform or clothing. This mounting style was commonly used for medals from the Boer War up to and including World War II, although there are no fixed guidelines or regulations regarding its use.
Miniature Court Mounted medals are mounted using the same method as Full size medals, yet they are typically worn to ceremonies were wearing full size medals would be impractical. These medals are commonly worn to all ceremonies that take place after 6 pm such as dinners.
Miniature Swing Mounted medals are mounted using the same method as Full size medals, yet they are typically worn to ceremonies were wearing full size medals would be impractical. These medals are commonly worn to all ceremonies that take place after 6 pm such as dinners.
A ribbon bar is a small, rectangular display of ribbons worn on military uniforms to represent various honours and awards earned by the wearer. These ribbons are arranged in a specific order and are attached to a backing, which is then attached to the uniform. Ribbon bars are a compact and convenient way for military personnel to display their achievements and are often used in situations where a full-sized medal or award would be impractical.
