Medals

 Ken Moses' Military Medals

My grandson has shown interest in my father's military medals from the Second World War. The medals help tell the story of a soldier's service in the Army - in this case from January 1940 until he was discharged for medical reasons in September 1942.

The 1939-1945 Star

The 1939-45 Star is awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945 for:a period of six months (180 days) operational service for RAN and Army personnel and RAAF non-air crew personnel.

The six–pointed star is yellow copper zinc alloy. The obverse has a central design of the Royal and Imperial cypher, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words ‘The 1939-45 Star’.

Stars issued to Australian personnel have recipient names and service number engraved on the plain reverse.

The ribbon has three vertical stripes of dark blue, red and light blue. The dark blue stripe represents the Naval Forces and the Merchant Navy, the red stripe the Armies and the light blue stripe the Air Forces.

The Africa Star

 

The Africa Star was granted for operational service in North Africa from the date of the entry of Italy into the war on 10 June 1940, up to the date of the cessation of operations against the enemy in North Africa on 12 May 1943.

 

Stars issued to Australian personnel have recipient names and service number engraved on the plain reverse.  

The ribbon colours represent the desert and the service of the Armies, Naval Forces, Merchant Navy and the Air Forces.

Defence Medal

 

The Defence Medal is awarded for six months service in a prescribed non-operational area subject to enemy air attack or closely threatened, in Australia and overseas, or for 12 months service in non-prescribed non-operational areas.

 

Overseas service includes the Middle East, east of the Suez Canal (less the period of the Syrian Campaign) or Malaya prior to the Japanese invasion on 8 December 1941.

 

The ribbon is orange with green outer stripes, each green stripe having a black pin-stripe running down the centre. The green represents the Islands of the United Kingdom, the orange represents enemy attacks, and the black represents the black outs.

War Medal 1939-1945

The War Medal 1939-45 was awarded for 28 days full-time service in the Armed Forces between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.

The reverse has a lion standing on a double-headed dragon. The top of the reverse shows the dates 1939 and 1945

The ribbon colours of red, white and blue represent the colours of the Union Flag.

 Australia Service Medal 1939-1945

The Australia Service Medal 1939-1945 was instituted in 1949 to recognise the service of members of the Australian Armed Forces and the Australian Mercantile Marine during World War II.

The medal was originally awarded to those who served at home or overseas for at least 18 month full-time service, or three years part-time service, between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. 

The reverse has the Australian coat of arms, placed centrally, surrounded by the words ‘THE AUSTRALIA SERVICE MEDAL 1939-1945’.

 The ribbon has a wide khaki central stripe, flanked by two narrow red stripes, which are in turn flanked by two outer stripes, one of dark blue and the other of light blue. The khaki represents the Australian Army, and the red, dark blue and light blue represent the Merchant Navy, Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force respectively.

 Greek Military Medal - War of 1940-41

The Medal for the War of 1940–1941 was instituted by Royal Decree of August 19th 1947 to recognize the actions of the Royal Greek Armed Forces who took part in the war efforts from the outbreak of the war in Greece in 1940 until the fall of Crete in 1941 (it covers the campaigns in Epirus, Albania, Macedonia, Thrace and Crete.) The medal was also awarded to foreign forces that fought on Greek soil.

The obverse bears the head of King George II, surrounded with a laurel wreath. The wreath is at the top joined by a crown. The reverse has original a Greek inscription meaning “1940-41 Eprius, Albania, Macedonia, Thrace, Crete” for Army medals.

 The riband is of a dark blue color with a pale blue center stripe and two narrow white edge stripes.

2/4 Battalion Medal

The medal features the battalion colours of white and green.The medal was presented to all soldiers who served in the battalion.

The bars on the ribbon show the countries where the battalion was stationed between 1940 and 1942 when Ken Moses was in the Army.

 

References:

Australian Government Defence - World War Two 1939-1945 (Medals)

University of Melbourne - Medal Identification

Identifying medals - Greece