so in a year you could quite easily get the 39/45, Atlantic, France & Germany, Italy and Burma star. And of course, the Arctic star is now an option as well.
Slight amendment to that, you could not have both Atlantic and France & Germany Stars, you could only have one, with the clasp for the other, if entitled.
Prior to the introduction of the Arctic Star the maximum number of campaign stars which could be awarded was 5, and, as
Davef68 says, these are usually seen on groups to RN, or more often MN recipients. Most famous example of this is the group awarded to Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten, RN (HRH Prince Phillip), including his MID for the Battle of Cape Matapan. I assume there are now groups with 6 campaign stars, although I have yet to see one.
Does anybody know the rationale for the gongs going to people on ASI or Cyprus? I ask as a matter of interest, not to start a rant.
Plenty of precedence for that. In the Boer War, troops who were guarding Boer prisoners on St Helena were awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal without clasp, and, even further afield, garrison troops in Malta and Gibraltar during the period of the war were awarded the Queen's Mediterranean Medal.