When 1939-43 Star was renamed to 1939-45 Star?

[CZ_RAF]

Hi all,
I am looking for a date when 1939-43 Star was renamed to 1939-45 Star.

TIA

Pavel

[Don Clark]

This is a fair question. AS far as I could see, not dealt with in easily-found on-line or printed war decorations booklets and refs:
Duckers British Campaign Medals 1914-2005 is silent, eg, as is the official UK Medals Office summary.

First off, it's worth noting that search on 1939-1943 Star vs 1939-43 Star or 1939-1945 Star vs 1939-45 Star gets different results.

There's no apparent ref to the 1939-1943 Star in the London Gazette.
In war-time, only campaign ribbons were issued (eg 1939-1943 Star, Africa Star).
The 1939-1945 Star was first included in the Order of precedence published in the London Gazette 7 Feb 1947.

Discussed a number of times in UK Parliamentary Hansard as 1939-1943 Star on at least 5 occasions from 1943 to Aug 1944.
Eligibility for the 1939-45 Star was being discussed by 30 May 1945.
By Dec 47, the actual issue of campaign stars was being discussed, referring to designs published in UK national newspapers in March 1946, with the striking of medals to begin in 1948.

The naming change appears from these refs to follow close on the end of the war in Europe, by late May 1945, and certainly before March 1946.

It's possible that the detail is covered in either
Gordon British Battles and Medals (1979)
or
Spencer Medals: The Researcher’s Guide (Kew, 2006)
or, it may be something that is worth asking the Medal Office: DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk
or possibly (if a reliable on-line set is found) in Air Ministry Bulletins or AMOs

There may be a medal expert here to amplify/correct the above or there may be a useful Medals forum somewhere.

Sources: as noted or linked

[Terry]

This from Command paper 6633 dated May 1945: "Approval has been granted for the prolongation of the currency of the 1939-43 Star to the 8th May, 1945, the date of the end of active hostilities in Europe. The question of the possible prolongation of the currency of the 1939-45 Star to the end of active hostilities in the Pacific will be a matter for consideration. Meanwhile the temporary use for this distinction of the description 1939-45 Star has been authorised."
Regards, Terry

[Don Clark]

Interesting, Terry.

So in summary: 1939-1943 Star renamed/reconstituted 1939-1945 Star at some point in May 1945 after 8 May and by 30 May, with later entitlement to be revised at/after the expected end of hostilities in the Pacific ( a then unknown).

For reference purposes, earlier 2015 mention (in which Terry took part) of
Command Paper 6633 of May 1945 subsequently modified by Command Paper 6833 of June 1946:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...-award-anomoly

As I recall these Command Papers are clearly not Air Ministry but State papers:
for example, another, noted recently here in the FEPoW context, is apparently titled
Prisoners and Casualties in the War Against Japan (HMSO Command Paper 6832 June 1946)

All together suggests there may well be other such Command Papers of interest.

Far from safe ground for me, these documents seem to my inexpert eye to be important but elusive.

As far as I can see, not to be found in TNA Discovery, London Gazette, or UK Parliament site; and in Hansard mention only (eg in Questions etc but no Command Papers as such).

Must be archived somewhere. Where?

[CZ_RAF]

Thank you both for your comments, for my use May 1945 would be enough.

Pavel

[Terry]

I first requested a copy of a Command Paper in 2016 by using the email address ARCHIVES@parliment.uk
I knew the number I wanted, but I suspect you would get a positive response by naming the medal you are interested in.
Regards, Terry

[Don Clark]

Thanks for the hint.

For possible future use/reference:

The UK Parliament keeps its own Parliamentary Archives and associated website: https://archives.parliament.uk

Command Papers are indeed kept by the Parliamentary Archives and, from 2005 onwards, can be found and viewed on line at Parliamentary Papers https://archives.parliament.uk/onlin...entary-papers/ and follow your nose.

There is an online access service to Parliamentary Papers, 1715-2015 but by subscription, available in universities and large reference libraries.

There used to be an online index of Cmd Papers with no's titles & dates but access was cut off in the course of the 2015 web redesign.

For ordinary enquiry, for Command Papers earlier than 2005, it appears that direct enquiry is the only route.
The correct address is
archives@parliament.uk