Pacific Star
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the war decoration. For the cruise shipCruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
, see Pacific Star (ship)Pacific Star (ship)The Ocean Dream is a cruise ship, built in 1981. The ship began sailing for Carnival Cruise Lines as the Tropicale in 1982. The Tropicale was Carnival's first newly built ship. Operating mainly in the Caribbean...
.
The Pacific Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, awarded for service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was also awarded to certain foreign servicemen, such as Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz
Chester Nimitz
Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
of the United States.
Entitlement
The medal was awarded for operational service in the Pacific TheatrePacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, and also for certain specified service in China, Hong-Kong, Malaya and Sumatra:
- Hong Kong - between 8 December 1941 and 25 December 1941
- China and Malaya - between 8 December 1941 and 15 February 1942
- Sumatra - between 8 December 1941 and 23 March 1942
Second World War service in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and Sumatra after the above end dates was recognised by the award of the Burma Star
Burma Star
The Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945...
.
The qualifying sea areas for the award of the Pacific Star are the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
(including the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
) and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
east of a line running due south from Singapore round the South-East coast of Sumatra, through Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
, and southwards along the meridian of 110 deg East.
The Pacific Star was authorised for immediate bestowal to any soldier or sailor who had been killed or wounded in combat.
British uniform regulations stipulated that Burma Star would not be awarded to a recipient of the Pacific Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Burma Star was denoted by the award of the Burma Star clasp.
Description
- The Pacific Star is a six–pointed star of yellow copper zinc alloy, with a height of 44mm and a maximum width of 38mm.
- The obverse has a central design of the Royal CypherRoyal CypherIn modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
of King George VIGeorge VI of the United KingdomGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words "The Pacific Star". - The reverse is plain, although Stars issued to Australian and South African personnel have recipient names impressed.
- The ribbon for this medal, along with those of the other Second World War campaign stars, is reputed to have been designed by King George VI. The jungle is represented by dark green, the beaches by the yellow stripe. The Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(and Merchant Navy), ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
are represented by stripes of dark blue, red, and light blue respectively.
Clasps
When the ribbon is worn alone a silver rosette ribbon emblem is worn to denote the award of a clasp.- Burma
- Awarded to those who subsequently qualified for the Burma StarBurma StarThe Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945...
.