TOPIC:

The Africa Star was awarded to British and Commonwealth forces who served in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 during the Second World War.

Apparently there were plans to award a Star of Africa medal to those who served in the Second Boer War - presumably the plans were shelved when Queen Victoria died, if not before.

From the the Shields Daily News of 21 May 1900:

Good Evening.......

I have published an article in the OMRS journal about this medal but I will be damned if I can find it.......

Take a look at these threads,,,,,,,

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...h-africa-medal#78460

and

britishmedalforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=28...lit=PROPOSED#p280922

Mike

Mike & IL thanks for the responses and especially the full colour depiction of the proposed, but never issued, Star of Africa Medal.

I have no done a fuller search of the newspapers of the day for mentions of the Star of Africa Medal.

It seems to have been the brainchild of the Editor of the Black & White and at the start of March 1900 he sent letters to the editors of other newspapers to gain support for his idea. Here is the letter reproduced in the Dundee Courier of 3 March 1900.



This led to the article I have posted above being syndicated in newspapers across the land although very few included the rather crude illustration.

On the 15th May 1900 the St James Gazette proclaimed the Star of Africa Medal had been designed.

At the same time others were expressing the view that a more "ordinary" medal would be more appropriate. By August 1900 the "ordinary" medal seemed to have gained the ascendancy but this news seemed not to have reached the north as the Northern Daily Telegraph of 29th December 1900 carried the following short article:



I think we can consider the report of large numbers being ordered in Birmingham as fake news.

The newspapers of 1901 made no mention of the Star of Africa Medal. Herewith thanks to Mike QSA a coloured representation of what might have been.

duplicate -oops

Smethwick,
Greetings from South Africa.
I was tickled by the B&W editor's suggestion of a star for the Great Men who have given their lives/blood/brains to the Anglo-Saxonising of the Dark Continent!... As Shelley wrote, "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Rob - Greetings from a damp & dismal Pembrokeshire - I live in hope of some sunshine tomorrow.

As W A Mackenzie admits he was guilty of a clumsy construction.

Here is his short write-up on Wikipedia, some elements of which might surprise you:

William Arthur Mackenzie (1870 - 1942) was a Scottish poet, editor, artist and journalist, born in Invergordon, Scotland and educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, later moving to London. Positions held included being the Secretary of the Royal Society of Arts and Secretary General of Save the Children International (1920 - 1939). Author of detective stories, poems, and also a contributor to Punch.

Born in Scotland one does wonder how much Anglo-Saxon blood coursed through his veins.

As you seem to be into poetry, you might like to read one of his poems:

dvpp.uvic.ca/poems/yellowbook/1895/pom_8...liver_goldsmith.html