The Pacific Star

Qualification:
Awarded for service in Pacific theatre of operations between 8th December 1941 and 2nd September 1945 inclusive.

Description:
Bronze, 43mm diameter six-pointed star. The Royal cypher GRI with the roman numerals VI below. The cypher is surmounted by a crown and within a circlet which reads, THE PACIFIC STAR. All the Second World War Stars were designed by The Royal Mint.

Ribbon:
32mm wide, a central yellow stripe (symbolising the desert) and two dark green stripes either side (symbolising forests). The red edges and light blue and dark blue stripes represent the army, air force and navy respectively. This ribbon, in common with all WW2 Star ribbons, was designed by His Majesty the King, King George VI.

Suspension:
A ring attached to the uppermost point of the star.

Naming:
Issued unnamed although some stars may have been privately engraved.

Clasps:
One: BURMA. Personnel qualifying for both the Pacific Star and the Burma Star were awarded the Star to which they first became entitled and a clasp denoting the second. When only ribbons were worn, a silver rose emblem signified the award of the clasp.

Qualification by service is listed below. Official visits did not qualify for this star unless these amounted to thirty days or more.

ROYAL NAVY
Service at sea in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea and Indian Ocean east of the line running south of Singapore. Except in the case of those who served in the Pacific for less than six months after 2nd March 1945, the Pacific Star was only awarded to those who had served at least six months and qualified for the 1939-45 Star. Naval personnel serving ashore qualified under the same rules as army personnel.

ARMY
Qualifying service was restricted to territories (except Burma) which had been invaded.

RAF
Awarded to RAF personnel who had completed at least one operational sortie over the appropriate land or sea area.

Acknowledgements
Photo courtesy of medal auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb.  Text assistance from British Battles &amp.