Africa Star Miniature Medal

The Africa Star was a WW2 Medal awarded for a minimum one day service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. The area between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar is included, together with Malta, Abyssinia, Kenya, Sudan, The Solmalilands and Eritrea. The areas not bordering the Mediterranean only qualified for the Africa Star from 10 June 1940 to 27 November 1941.

The medal itself is a 6 pointed star with the Crowned Royal Cipher "GRI VI" in the centre, with an inscription of "THE AFRICA STAR" around the cipher. The reverse of the medal is blank as with all World War II stars. The miniature ribbon is a standard width of 16mm and is a sand or buff colour symbolising the desert. There is a wide central stripe of red, representing the army, and a line of dark blue on the left representing the Navy, and a line of light blue on the right representing the RAF.

There are 3 miniature bars that can be awarded and worn on the Africa Star, the 1st Army, 8th Army and North Africa 1942-43 bars. Only one bar can be worn even if 2 or 3 were qualified for.  

AWARD miniature medals complement the full-size official medals and are normally worn for formal dinner dress occasions.

All official medals are sent loose on the ribbon unless medal mounting is also purchased on the same order.