Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1110682

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AUSTRALIANS WHO WILL RECEIVE

NEW CAMPAIGN STARS

Details of Australian personnel who will be eligible for one or more of the six new campaign stars which the King has instituted (see page 1) were announced in Parliament yes- terday by Mr Chifley, Acting Prime Minister He said that conditions governing the issue of the awards were contained in a White Paper being tabled in the House of Com- mons that day

The 8th Division, still in Japanese hands, becomes eligible for the 1939 43 star and the Pacific Star.

Mr Makin, Navy Minister, in reply to points raised by Captain Harri son, deputy Opposition leader, said he could assure the House that every Australian soldier, whether AIF ,or Militia who had served or was serv- ing in an operation area, including Timor Malaya, Ambon, New Guinea, New Britain, Bougainville, the Solo- mons Java, and Borneo, would be entitled to the 1939 Star and to the Pacific Star, subject to completion of six months' service

Mr Makin said in regard to prison, ere that time spent as a prisoner m consequence of capture in operations might be counted towards the qualifying period for the 1939 Star

Mr Chifley, speaking again, said the Commonwealth Government had ex- pressed its general agreement with the scheme, but on the recommen- dation of its service advisers had made a number of reservations on important questions of principle.

OPERATIONAL SERVICE

Mr Chifley outlined these reserva- tions He said the earning of the stars should not be dependent upon the prior fulfilment of the qualifica- tion for the 1939-45 Star by six, or in the case of air crew, two months' operational service. The UK, Palestine and Sinai should be opera- tional areas for the 1939-45 Star, and there should be a discretionary power to make awards in exceptional cases of operational service which did not fall precisely within the pre- scribed conditions

Emblems corresponding to the "eight" and "one" for service with the 8th and 1st Armies respectively in North Africa should be awarded for other service in North Africa and for service in Greece, Crete, and Syria Another reservation was that the Defence Medal was not regarded as a satisfactory alternative to con- stituting the UK, Palestine, and Sinai operational areas for the Aus- tralian forces

These matters were still under dis- cussion with the UK authorities This, however, would not affect the award to eligible members of the Australian forces of the campaign   stars and the Defence Medal under conditions announced by the UK

Government

DETAILS OF AWARDS

1939-45 STAR Approval has been granted for prolongation of the 1939-43 Star to May 8, 1945, the end of active hostilities in Europe The possible prolongation of the cur- rency of the 1939-45 Star to the end of active hostilities in the Pacific will be considered Meanwhile tem- porary use for this distinction of the description 1939-45 Star would be authorised Thus the requirement that the Africa Star and this star should not be awarded to the same individual would be withdrawn Those who have already earned the Africa Star would qualify for the 1939-45 Star in addition, after com- pleting the required period of six or two months' operational service.

The Clasp to the Star would be in- stituted for air crew of fighters in the Battle of Britain between July 1 and October 31, 1940. This would be denoted by a silver gilt rose emblem -Naval and Merchant Navy service anywhere in the Mediter- ranean between June 10, 1940, and May 12 1943. would qualify for the

Africa Star

ATLANTIC STAR: This would be instituted to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic and would be granted for six months' service afloat since September 3, 1939, and

in the Navy in the Atlantic and home waters since September 3, 1939, and until the end of active hostilities in Europe and the Atlan- tic. Service for the Atlantic Star would not begin to be reckoned until the 1939-45 Star had been earned. The Merchant Navy would be awar- ded the Atlantic Star under the same conditions as the Navy, except that six months' service anywhere at sea would qualify, provided one or more voyages had been made hi the defined area. Army and RAF personnel serving in defined areas would also qualify.

AIR CREW (EUROPE) STAR: This would be instituted . as an award for operational flying from UK bases over Europe, including the UK, since September 3, 1939, and up to June 5, 1944. The same quali- fication would be two months' ser- vice in air crew so employed. Ser- vice for the star would not begin to be reckoned until the 1939-45 Star had been earned.

ITALY STAR: This would apply to operational land service in Italy or Sicily from June 11, 1943, to the end of the European war, also to naval, Merchant Navy, and air- crew service in the Mediterranean during this period.

FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR: This would cover operational land service from June 6, 1944, until the end of the European war. Naval and air-crew service in defined areas would qualify.

BURMA STAR: A Burma Star would be instituted for entry into operational service in the Burma campaign from December 11, 1941, until further notice. The star would not be awarded in addition to the Pacific Star.

PACIFIC STAR: This would be instituted for entry in operational service in the Pacific theatre from December 8, 1941, until further no- tice. Naval and Merchant Navy ser- vice in the Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean east of a line running due south from Singapore round the SE coast of Sumatra through Christmas Island and southwards along the meridian of HOdeg east, would be a qualification. Qualifying in terri- tories on land would be restricted to operational service in territories in which there have been enemy or Allied invasions, such as Malaya, from December 8, 1941, to February 15, 1942; Nauru, December 8, 1941, to March 1, 1942; Borneo and Sara- wak, December l8, 1941, to January 31, 1942; New Guinea, March 7, 1942, until a future date to be noti- fied; Java, February 27, 1942, to March 9, 1942. Six months' service, or for aircrew two months' service, was a qualification. Service on Nor- folk Island, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, the Fiji Islands, Tonga Island, Phoenix Islands, and Fan- ning Island would not qualify for the star. Aircrew service in operations against the enemy would qualify A candidate who qualified for botn the Pacific and Burma stars would be awarded only the first one earned. The clasp would be awarded with it, denoting that service which wculd have qualified for the other star had been rendered. A silver rose em- blem would be worn to denote the award' on the Burma or Pacific clasp.

"CONSOLATION PRIZE"

Captain Harrison, deputy Oppo- sition leader, said this other Pacific award was a consolation prize to the men who had not qualified for the 1939-43 Star. The troops engaged in Malaya and New Guinea were the only ones who had not been given the 1939-43 star. Everyone else had got it. There must be a mystery associated with this. Perhaps the Government had decided to give it, and on representations from a higher authority the order was counter-

manded.

Captain Harrison said that Joe E.

Brown had received the star when he was in New Guinea.

Mr Fadden said there had been un- fair discrimination in awarding rib- bons for the Pacific campaign.

Mr Makin, Navy Minister, said he would look into the complaint.

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