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Old 3rd Jul 2012, 22:36
  #21 (permalink)  
Chugalug2
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Age: 82
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Take That, the WWII Campaign medals were the "Stars": Atlantic, Africa, Pacific, Burma, Italy, 1939/45 (with clasp BoB?), and the two earned by BC crews (inter alia) for before and after D-Day; the Aircrew Europe and the France Germany Stars. Like all campaign medals they were for specified areas of Operations. So any BC veteran will have the appropriate campaign medal already.
I think the confusion lies in the wish of Arthur Harris for a Bomber Campaign Medal issued for all his Command, both Air and Ground Crews alike. That would not have been a British Campaign Medal within the definition of the word, but one struck for service in a specific military formation. No such tradition or practice has ever existed for HM Forces AFAIK, before or since. It was an impossible ask I'm afraid.
The only other possibility was for a Bombing Campaign Star for the aircrew alone. In many respects that is what the Aircrew Europe one is, as it is known "in the trade" as the Bomber Command Star. Those who qualified for the France Germany Star shared it of course with the other Services involved in the advance across Europe into Germany after D-Day, including those in the rear echelons. Perhaps they are the ones who are most aggrieved at not getting an aircrew "BC Star"?

Last edited by Chugalug2; 3rd Jul 2012 at 22:47.
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