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SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDER NO.65/43 (Cont'd) Page 2
the award of one of these clasps in the Army. The awards will be restricted to service in the Eighth and First Armies respectively, in the period from 23rd October, 1942 inclusive, the date of the battle of El Alamein, up to the date of the cessation of operations against the enemy in North Africa on the 12th May 1943. Only one clasp will be granted to any individual.
(ii) AIR FORCE:- A clasp, denoting [unclear] standard silver rose emblem on the ribbon, will be awarded to air crew and non-air crew personnel of the Royal Air Force under the command of the A.O.C. Western Desert, or the Air Commander, North-West African Forces, and to aircrew personnel under the command of the A.O.C. Malta, or of other A.O.C's. who operated in support of the Eighth or First Armies or in the cutting of Rommel's or von Arnim's communications, or in the defence of Malta, during the period from 23rd October 1942, to the date of the cessation of hostilities in North Africa on the 12th May 1943. (R.A.F. Personnel eligible for the 1939-43 Star which, in the Air Force, will have priority of award over the Africa Star will be granted a clasp to the 1939-43 Star for the service referred to in this paragraph. This rose emblem also will be of the standard silver pattern).
(iii) NAVY:- As has been stated above, the Africa Star will be awarded to the Navy only for service on shore or in harbour. There will be no awards of a clasp to the Africa Star in the Navy, except for personnel, if any, who served as part of the Eighth or First Armies. For these the time limits will be as for the Army, and an "8" or a "1" emblem will be issued. (Officers and ratings of certain units for instance inshore and some of the escorting vessels serving off the coast of Africa, and of submarines and other craft specifically engaged in cutting Rommel's or von Arnim's communications, from 23rd October 1942, to the cessation of hostilities in North Africa on 12th May 1943, will be awarded a clasp to the 1939-43 Star referred to below. The rose emblem will be of the standard silver pattern).
(iv) MERCHANT NAVY:- As in the Royal Navy, the clasp to the 1939-43 Star will be awarded in the Merchant Navy to the personnel of vessels which worked inshore during the North African campaign between 23rd October, 1942 and 12th May 1943.
* THE 1939-43 STAR.- The 1939-43 Star will be granted for service in operations during the period from 3rd September 1939, to 31st December 1943. The Ribbon is dark blue, red and light blue in three equal vertical stripes. The dark blue stripe is intended to mark the service of the Naval forces and the Merchant Navy, the red stripe that of the Armies and the light blue stripe that of the air forces. The ribbon is to be worn with the dark blue stripe furthest from the left shoulder. The conditions of award are indicated in sub-paras (i) to (iv) below:-
(i) NAVY:- The qualification is six months service afloat in areas of active operations during the period from 3rd September 1939 to 31st December 1943, inclusive. Service after 31st Dec. 1943 will not be reckoned. These areas are:- (a) From 3rd Sept. 39, the Atlantic Ocean, including home waters and the North Sea, the Baltic; the Arctic Ocean between Greenland and longtitude 70 degrees east and that part of the Indian Ocean lying south of 15 degrees S. and west of 55 degrees E (b) From 1st June 1940 as indicated in sub-para (a) above, with the addition of the Pacific Ocean and rest of the Indian Ocean. (c) From 10th June 1940, anywhere at sea.
Naval personnel not eligible by length of service afloat who served in operations and commando raids approved as qualifying army personnel for the 1939-43 Star, will be held to qualify. Officers and men of the Fleet Air Arm who are not qualified by sea service may be considered for qualification under rules similar to those for the Royal Air Force.
(ii) ARMY:- The army qualification will be six months in an operational command during the period 3rd September, 1939, to 31st December 1943. As however, there have been campaigns that have not lasted six months, certain exceptions will be made.
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