The Rose Of Africa: WHY This WW2 Ribbon Device

[Guest Rick Research]

I know that this device represents the 1942-43 bar sewn onto full sized ribbons when the Star was being worn, but WHY were these devices... "necessary?"

8th Army numeral, 1st Army numeral... the 42/43 bar/ rose...

by British standards these seem... profligate. I've got the regulations from "Battles & Medals," but cannot understand why so MANY of these would have been authorized by the usual niggardly and parsimonious standards set for non-recognition in most cases of British awards.

For instance, while the naval forces got this rose device and the full size bar for close support/amphibious landing operations... there were no such bars for the Italy Star nor for the France & Germany Star. The number of devices for Africa seem out of all proportion to EVERYTHING else! (Why South African air force personnel should have been singled out for the bar/rose out of all the Commonwelath forces is also a mystery to me....)

Was ANYBODY unfortunate enough to have actually ended up with an Africa Star with NO device? :speechless1:

Edited December 5, 2009 by Rick Research

[Tony Farrell]

Yes... plenty. Service in Gibraltar, Malta, Abyssinia, Kenya, Sudan, Somaliland, Eritrea and Syria were non-qualifiers for a distinction. The rosette is the default design used (in the British system) to denote a distinction extra to many awards: gallantry, long service and campaign.

The rosettes are relatively straightforward (to understand) when used to denote subsequent gallantry awards and extra service on LS&GCs. However, regarding campaign medals, the rot set in in 1914 and it's gone gradually more pear-shaped since. The use of numerals on the Africa Star ribbon was a one off as far as the British system is concerned, though it has been subsequently used on UN medals which are often found in British groups.

[Guest Rick Research]

Ahhhh, peripherals slighted. THAT sounds normal!

I'm just surprised that, given the usual British reluctance to recognize anyone for anything, Africa should have been the MULTIPLE exception to all rules--especially on as braod a scale as entire ARMIES. Meanwhile: no such things for Dieppe, D-Day, etc etc etc etc.

I've had "8" ribbon bars from as far afield as South Australia and South Africa. Never seen a "1." This was my first African rose.

The U.S. is probably a very unscientific sample.

[Kev in Deva]

Yes... plenty. Service in Gibraltar, Malta, Abyssinia, Kenya, Sudan, Somaliland, Eritrea and Syria were non-qualifiers for a distinction. The rosette is the default design used (in the British system) to denote a distinction extra to many awards: gallantry, long service and campaign.

The rosettes are relatively straightforward (to understand) when used to denote subsequent gallantry awards and extra service on LS&GCs. However, regarding campaign medals, the rot set in in 1914 and it's gone gradually more pear-shaped since. The use of numerals on the Africa Star ribbon was a one off as far as the British system is concerned, though it has been subsequently used on UN medals which are often found in British groups.

Tony,

am I right in thinking the use of numeral "8" on the Africa Star denotes the 8th Army

and is this the only numeral allowed for wear with the ribbon?

Whereas the use of numerals on a U.N. ribbon denotes number of tours with that specific U.N. Mission. (That's the system the Irish use for overseas trips on U.N. Missions).

Kevin in Deva. :cheers:

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes. Aside from 1st Army and 8th Army, everybody ELSE got nothing.

Quite peculiar. :speechless1:

[Michael Johnson]

I think you have to bear in mind that when the first ribbons were authorized, there were only two:

The Africa Star

The 1939-43 Star

The latter covered France 1940, Dieppe, Commando Raids, and everything else.

Africa was the big show. I'm sure there was lots of rivalry between the 8th and 1st Armies, but for both of them, their fighting was a lot heavier than the earlier campaigns against the Italians, and doubtless they wanted some way to show it.

[Guest Rick Research]

And THEY got it-- if little brass numbers on a ribbon were "sufficient" but... nobody else EVER did!

An excess of bureaucratic zeal in approving these MASS awards?

The requirements for the naval 42/43//rose don't actually SPECIFY direct involvement in amphibious landings under a hail of enemy fire. Rather... ambiguous "close inshore" which would have been open to certain... Nor can I see why the South African air units would/should have been singled out for any "reason" beyond naked politics for the same bar//star. To the exclusion of all others.