1914 Star

Authorised:
Army Order 350, April 1917.

Qualification:
First World War. Officers and men serving with the British and Indian Expeditionary Forces in France or Belgium between 5th August 1914 and midnight on 22nd November 1914. (This included Naval personnel serving ashore between these dates). Also see Appendix A below.

Description:
Bronze four pointed star design, 62mm high, 44.5 mm wide. Obverse; the upper point is replaced with a crown and solid fixed suspension ring. Two crossed short swords are positioned between the arms of the star and a scroll bearing AUG 1914 NOV passes around the centre of the swords. The central area is surrounded by an oak wreath bearing a King George V (GV) monogram on the lower point. Reverse: plain. Recipient’s details impressed on the reverse.

Ribbon:
Red white and blue in shaded and watered stripes. The same ribbon is used for the 1914-15 Star.

Naming:
Impressed in sans- serif capitals.

Clasps:
A bronze clasp bearing the text 5th Aug – 22nd Nov 1914 was announced in 1919 for those who came under fire between those dates.

Other:
A total of 365,622 1914 Stars were awarded. As the ribbon was the same as that issued for the 1914-15 Star, men awarded the 1914 Star were permitted to wear a small silver rosette on their ribbon when not actually wearing the medals themselves. The bar and the rosette are referred to on medal index cards as "clasp and roses". The medal is also erroneously known as The Mons Star.

Eligible units:
In 1919, Appendix A of Army Order 361 listed the eligible units with which a man qualifying for the 1914 Star could have served. This list was later amended by Army Order 52 of 1920 and Army Order 70 of 1921 and it is this latter list (which removed some units and added others) which is published below. Links in the list will take you to an external page giving details about army service numbers in that particular regiment.

CAVALRY & YEOMANRY

Household Cavalry
1st & 2nd Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards

Cavalry of the Line - Corps of Dragoons

2nd Dragoon Guards (The Queen's Bays)
3rd (Prince of Wales') Dragoon Guards
4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards
5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales') Dragoon Guards
7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
1st (Royal) Dragoons, 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys)

Cavalry of the Line - Corps of Hussars

3rd (King's Own) Hussars
4th (Queen's Own) Hussars
11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars
15th (King's) Hussars
18th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars
19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars
20th Hussars

Cavalry of the Line - Corps of Lancers

5th (Royal Irish) Lancers
9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers
12th (Prince of Wales' Royal) Lancers
16th (The Queen's) Lancers

Special Reserve Cavalry

North Irish Horse ('A' and 'C' Squadrons)
South Irish Horse ('B' Squadron).

Yeomanry

Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars
North Somerset Yeomanry
Leicestershire Yeomanry
Northumberland Hussars
Northamptonshire Yeomanry

ROYAL ARTILLERY

Royal Horse Artillery

Batteries:
'C', D', 'E', F', 'G', 'H', T, T, 'K', 'L', 'N', 'O' and 'Z' Batteries.

Ammunition Columns:
IIIrd, Vth VIIth, XIVth, XVth, Brigades.

Royal Field Artillery

Brigades:
II, IV, VII, IX, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVIII, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX, XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIX, XL, XLI, XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV.

Divisional Ammunition Columns:
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Divisions, Lahore Division, Meerut Division.

Anti-Aircraft Sections:
Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Royal Garrison Artillery

Heavy Batteries (including Ammunition Columns):
24th, 26th, 31st, 35th, 48th, 108th, 109th, 110th, 111th, 112th, 113th, 114th, 115th, 116th, 118th, 119th.

Siege Batteries:
Nos. 1-8 (inclusive).

Anti Aircraft Sections:
No. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1st Pom-Pom Anti-Aircraft Section.

ROYAL FLYING CORPS

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Aeroplane squadrons.

ROYAL ENGINEERS & SIGNALS

Field Companies:
2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 23rd, 26th, 38th, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th and 59th.

Field Squadrons:
1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Fortress (Lines of Communication) Companies:
20th and 42nd.

No.1 Bridging Train, No. 2 Bridging Train.

The Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers, No 1 Siege Company.

Signals

1st, 2nd and 3rd Signal Squadrons, Cavalry, Corps Signal Squadrons.

lst-8th Divisional Signal Companies, 32nd and 35th Divisional Signal Companies.

"A" or I Corps Signal Company—"D" and "G" Airline Sections and "H" and "K" Cable Sections.

"B" or II Corps Signal Company—"E" Airline Section and "E", "O", "P" and "N" Cable Sections.

"C" or III Corps Signal Company—"F" Cable Section.

Sappers and Miners

No. 1 Field Troop, 1st Sappers and Miners.
Nos. 3 and 4 Companies, 1st Sappers and Miners.
Nos. 20 and 21 Companies, 3rd Sappers and Miners.

FOOT GUARDS

Grenadier Guards, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Coldstream Guards, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions.
Scots Guards, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Irish Guards, 1st Battalion.

INFANTRY OF THE LINE

Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 2nd Battalion.
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Border Regiment, 2nd Battalion
(Buffs) East Kent Regiment, 1st Battalion.
(Queen's Own) Cameron Highlanders, 1st Battalion.
Cheshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Connaught Rangers, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Devonshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Dorsetshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 1st Battalion.
Durham Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion.
East Lancashire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
East Surrey Regiment, 1st Battalion.
East Yorkshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Essex Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Gloucestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Gordon Highlanders, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Hampshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Hertfordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Highland Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion.
Honourable Artillery Company, 1st Battalion.
King's Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd Battalion.
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion.
King's Royal Rifle Corps, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion.
Leicestershire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Leinster Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Lincolnshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Liverpool Regiment, 1st Battalion.
London Regiment, 5th, 13th, 14th, 16th Battalions.
Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Manchester Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Middlesex Regiment, 1st, 2nd and 4th Battalions.
Monmouthshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Norfolk Regiment, 1st Battalion.
North Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Northamptonshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Battalion.
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion.
Rifle Brigade, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions.
Royal Berkshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Royal Fusiliers, 1st and 4th Battalions.
Royal Highlanders, 1st, 2nd and 5th Battalions.
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion.
Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1st Battalion.
Royal Irish Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Royal Irish Rifles, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Royal Lancaster Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Royal Munster Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion.
Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Royal Scots, 2nd and 8th Battalions.
Royal Sussex Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Royal West Kent Regiment, 1st Battalion.
Royal West Surrey Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Scottish Rifles, 1st, 2nd and 5th Battalions.
Seaforth Highlanders, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Shropshire Light Infantry, 1st Battalion.
Somerset Light Infantry, 1st Battalion.
South Lancashire Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
South Wales Borderers, 1st Battalion.
Suffolk Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Welsh Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
West Riding Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
West Yorkshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Wiltshire Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions.
Worcestershire Regiment, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions.
York and Lancaster Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Yorkshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion.

INDIAN CAVALRY

4th Cavalry, 15th Lancers, 20th Deccan Horse, 34th Poona Horse, Jodhpore Lancers.

INDIAN INFANTRY

6th Jat Light Infantry
9th Bhopal Infantry
15th Sikhs
34th Sikh Pioneers.
l/39th Garhwal Rifles
2/39th Garhwal Rifles
41st Dogras
47th Sikhs
57th Rifles (F.F.)
58th Rifles (F.F.)
59th Rifles (F.F.)
107th Pioneers
129th Baluchis
2/2nd Gurkha Rifles
2/3rd Gurkha Rifles
2/8th Gurkha Rifles
1/9th Gurkha Rifles

INDIAN SUPPLY & TRANSPORT CORPS

Headquarters, Lahore and Meerut Divisional S.T.
Lahore and Meerut Divisional Trains and Supply Columns.

CYCLIST COMPANIES

lst-8th Divisional Cyclist Companies (inclusive)

ARMY SERVICE CORPS

Headquarters, Royal Army Service Corps, of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Divisions.

Drivers attached to 111th, 112th, 113th (less "A" Section), 128th, 129th and 130th Indian Field Ambulances.

Drivers attached to Nos. 2 and 3 Motor Ambulance Convoys. 90th Company (1st Auxiliary Mechanical Transport Company) and 91st (Motor Bus) Company.

Ammunition Parks and Supply Columns, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Divisions.

Divisional Ammunition Parks, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th. Divisional Trains and Supply Columns, lst-8th Divisions (inclusive).

19th Infantry Brigade Train.

ARMY VETERINARY CORPS

1st-15th Mobile Veterinary Sections.

ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS & BRITISH TROOPS

lst-7th Cavalry Field Ambulances:
lst-26th Field Ambulances.
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th Ambulance Trains.
Nos. 3, 4 and 6 Casualty Clearing Hospitals.
7th, 8th, 19th and 20th British Field Ambulances, (attached Lahore and Meerut Divisions),

COMBINED MEDICAL UNITS (BRITISH & INDIAN)

Combined Field Ambulance, Indian Medical Service (originally designated 9th Cavalry Brigade,

Indian Field Ambulance, subsequently 141st Cavalry Field Ambulance). Indian Medical Units with Indian Troops:
111th, 112th, 113th (less "A" Section), 128th, 129th and 130th Indian Field Ambulances)

Servicemen who believed they qualified for the bar but who had not served with any of the formations listed in Appendix A were required to submit a certificate to that effect, attested by an officer, warrant officer or non-commissioned officer not below the rank of sergeant.

Acknowledgements:
Description and Appendix A copied, with minor amends, from North East Medals. Image courtesy of Spink.