Africa Star 1st Army clasp in yellow brass alloy, produced as a replacement example of the pattern issued to qualifying personnel of the British and Commonwealth forces who served with the British First Army during the North African campaign of the Second World War. This Second World War campaign medal clasp displays the recognised inscription in raised block capitals reading “1st ARMY” across the face of the clasp, with a frame whose inside edge is struck in a perforated pattern resembling the serrated edge of a postage stamp, consistent with the construction standard applied to all three Africa Star clasps. The clasp is designed to be sewn onto the ribbon of the Africa Star medal, with the construction consistent with the replacement production standard for issue to veterans who had lost or damaged their original entitlement.
The Africa Star was instituted on 8 July 1943, becoming one of the first two Second World War campaign stars announced while the war was still in progress, and was awarded for a minimum of one day’s service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. Three clasps were instituted for wear on the medal ribbon — the North Africa 1942–43 Clasp, the 8th Army Clasp, and the 1st Army Clasp — of which only the first earned by the recipient could be worn on the ribbon of the Africa Star, with a silver numeral worn on the ribbon bar in undress to denote the award of the relevant clasp instead of the full clasp when only ribbons were displayed. The 1st Army Clasp was awarded for service with the British First Army between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943, covering the entire period from the Allied landings in French North Africa under Operation Torch to the final surrender of Axis forces at Tunis. The First Army, under General Kenneth Anderson, advanced eastward from Algeria and Tunisia to meet the Eighth Army advancing westward from Egypt and Libya, with the two forces completing the encirclement of the remaining Axis forces in North Africa — an encirclement that concluded with the surrender of approximately 250,000 German and Italian troops in May 1943, one of the largest surrenders of the war. All three Africa Star clasps were struck in a yellow copper-zinc alloy, with the same construction, the perforated inner frame being common to all clasps of the Second World War British campaign star series.
This replacement clasp is produced to the original pattern specification and is suitable for mounting to an Africa Star ribbon for display or wear purposes by a veteran or next of kin entitled to the award, in accordance with the provisions for replacement medals and clasps available through the Ministry of Defence Medal Office.
Dimensions Approx. 32mm width x 6mm height
Condition New
