Miniature gilt six-pointed faceted star with lateral loop for ribbon suspension; the face with the crowned cipher of King and Emperor George VI centrally within a stippled ring inscribed ‘THE AFRICA STAR’; the reverse plain with maker’s mark ‘K.G. LUKE / MELB.’; diameter 18.79mm (0.74 inch); on possibly replaced correct ribbon with gilt ‘8TH ARMY’ bar. The Star was instituted in 1943 to be awarded for operational service between the Italian declaration of war (10 June 1940) and the end of operations in North Africa (12 May 1943) on land in North Africa from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Suez Canal and on Malta; also on land in Ethiopia, Somaliland, Eritrea, Sudan and Kenya (up to 27 November 1941) and in the Syrian Campaign from 8 June 1941 to 11 July 1941 at sea in the Mediterranean or in support of operations in East Africa or the Morocco landings; in the air for active operations in the above areas. To qualify for the 8th Army clasp, candidates had to have served in the 8th Army between 23 October 1942 and 12 May 1943, that is, from the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein until the end of hostilities; there was some controversy, since this excluded those who had fought bravely in the previous hostilities but the intention was to reward those who had fought in the pivotal battle of the North African campaign. K.G. Luke were medal and trophy makers active in Melbourne, Victoria from at least 1937 to 1974.
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