Medal record interpretation AB Allan Guy Robinson

[Mr.Spigot]

I have received a copy of my father-in-law's record entitlement from a Royal Navy search and need some help in interpreting it - a copy is attached. Firstly, it has ticks under 4 medals, presumably denoting entitlement, but only the letter 'R' under the France & Germany Star - what does this mean?
Secondly, does the record indicate that the medals were ever actually issued? The family are not aware that he ever had them and even his wife knows nothing about them.
All help gratefully received!

[Mr.Spigot]

I have carried out some further research and discovered that the 'R' under the France & Germany Star indicates that a clasp only was awarded.
Due to British uniform regulations, neither the France & Germany Star nor the Air Crew Europe Star would be worn by a recipient of the Atlantic Star. The recipient of this medal could wear a silver rose emblem on the ribbon of the first star when wearing the ribbons without the medals attached. Due to the recipient only being allowed to wear one emblem there is no way of telling whether they qualified for the Air Crew Europe or France & Germany Star as the pattern is the same for both. When the Atlantic Star is worn the appropriate clasp/bar can be fitted to the ribbon with the title ‘Air Crew Europe’ or ‘France and Germany’, however regulations state that only the first clasp earned can be worn with the medal.

[Stanbridge76]

My father Bill Wright served on MTB670 in the Mediterranean during WW2 and has a silver rosette attached to the Africa Star ribbon,can anyone explain the reason for this please.
Regards
Bernie Wright

[Admin]

Hello Bernie

The Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility page on the GOV.UK web site confirms the findings of the earlier post about only the first star being issued where there is eligibility for two, with a clasp for the second worn on the first instead. The same holds true of the Burma and Pacific Stars, as for the Atlantic / France & Germany Stars.

Perhaps the earlier granting of an Africa Star, whose eligibility includes service in the southern Mediterranean entails something of a similar nature around a subsequent award of the Italy Star. Do you know if your father was granted both the Africa and Italy Stars?

Regards
Admin

[Stanbridge76]

Hello admin
I have my fathers medals which include France & Germany star,Italy star and Africa star with silver rosette on the ribbon.Can you tell me if the medal was issued with the rosette already attached to the ribbon ? Also could the France & Germany star have been earned for actions in the Mediterranean somehow or only for actions in the English channel for example.
Regards
Bernie Wright

[Admin]

I'm not sure Bernie. The descriptions and eligibility page makes mention of a clasp with the title of the second star earned worn on the first, so I don't know if this is the same as a silver rosette, or if that something 'unofficial' or ungazetted? If your father has three stars, then it can't be about standing in for one of them

The eligibility for the France & Germany Star states:

1 day afloat in operational areas of the North Sea in the Royal Navy (provided service was directly in support of land operations)

This as I recall is different from what it used to read, which made mention of being based on the continent for at least one day, which in the case of Coastal Forces, was only ever those units based at Ostend. So the description seems either to have been broadened, or else corrected or clarified. That said, the North Sea would be flotillas based at Ostend or the East Coast, which is Beehive (Felixstowe), Midge (Great Yarmouth) and Mantis (Lowestoft).

If my records are correct your father served on MTB 350, part of the 11th MTB Flotilla, which in the period 1944-1945 was based at Ostend, and I presumably, one or other of the East Coast bases. I assumed returned from the Mediterranean at some point during the timeframe in question and was posted within Home Waters?

Admin