What is the 1939-1943 Star?

Answer 1

The 1939-43 Star is 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 1943. Army personnel had to complete 6 months service in an operational command. The criteria was changed in May, 1945. An official published statement on the WW2 Stars and the Defence medal in May, 1945 granted approval for the prolongation of the currency of the 1939-1943 Star to the 8th of May, 1945, the date of the end of active hostilities in Europe. As this was published prior to the surrender of Japan there may have been further extensions of the dates for some of the medals to include the period between the surrender of Germany and the surrender of Japan, particularly as this would involve the participation of Australian and New Zealand Commonwealth forces who may have been eligible for British Commonwealth campaign medals.

Susan Nanni, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada