British Memorial Honors World War II Bomber Crews
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I believe they were afforded the same prestige as all the other services that served, Job done, war won, time to get on with their lives.Winston Churchill, an enthusiastic proponent of the raids in the darkest years of the war, effectively disowned them after 1945, and Bomber Command veterans, unlike other components of Britain’s war machine, struggled in the postwar years with what seemed to many a pariah status.
"Housing Estates" I always thought were a post W.W.2 conception. apart from that no matter what country civilian houses were inter-spaced throughout towns and cities.“When I pushed the button and saw the bombs going down, I saw what looked like a housing estate, and I thought, ‘There are women and children down there,’ ” recalled Mr. Watson, who was 21 at the time. “But right away, I had to get back to scanning the sky for German fighters and ack-ack batteries, and my mind moved on. Apart from that, I never, ever had any doubt that what I was doing was right.”
So they were left out with regards medals???There was no Bomber Command campaign medal of the kind issued for almost every other major phase of the war, and no mention of the bomber crews’ role in Churchill’s victory speech after the German surrender in May 1945.
And:-The Air Crew Europe Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II. Specifically, the medal was awarded to Commonwealth aircrew who participated in operational flights over Europe, from UK bases.
Two months operational flying was required between 3 September 1939 and 5 June 1944 in order to qualify. The 1939-1945 Star must have been earned before commencing qualifying service for the Air Crew Europe Star. From 6 June 1944 (D-Day), operational flying over Europe qualified aircrew for the France and Germany Star.
British uniform regulations stipulated that neither the Atlantic Star nor the France and Germany Star would be awarded to a recipient of the Air Crew Europe Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Atlantic Star or the France and Germany Star was denoted by the award of the appropriate clasp to the Air Crew Europe Star.
- The Air Crew Europe 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 Cypher of King George VI, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words 'The Air Crew Europe 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 sky is represented by pale blue, night flying by the black stripes on the edges, with the yellow stripes representing enemy searchlights.
Clasps
Regulations only allow one clasp to be worn with the Star. When the ribbon is worn alone a silver rosette ribbon emblem is worn to denote the award of a clasp.
- Atlantic
Awarded to those who subsequently became entitled to the Atlantic Star.
- France and Germany
Awarded to those who subsequently became entitled to the France and Germany Star.
May those who fell +Rest In Peace+The France and Germany Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.
The medal was awarded for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany from 6 June 1944 (D-Day) to 8 May 1945. The qualifying sea area is the North Sea south of a line from the Firth of Forth to Kristiansand (South), in the English Channel and in the Bay of Biscay east of longitude 6° west, provided such service was directly in support of land operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany.
British uniform regulations stipulated that neither the Atlantic Star nor the Air Crew Europe Star would be awarded to a recipient of the France and Germany Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Atlantic Star was denoted by the award of the Atlantic clasp. A clasp for the Air Crew Europe Star was not issued as that Star could not be earned after 5 June 1944.
Army personnel who entered Austria may not qualify for this award, as their service is recognised by the grant of the Italy Star.
- The France and Germany 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 Cypher of King George VI, surmounted by a crown. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words 'The France and Germany 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. Red, white, and blue were chosen as being symbolic of the national colours of France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Clasps
When the ribbon is worn alone a silver rosette ribbon emblem is worn to denote the award of a clasp.
- Atlantic
Awarded to those who subsequently became entitled to the Atlantic Star.
Connaught Ranger.
Originally Posted by curlyboy
