Original Item. Only One Available. This is an original South African WWII six-medal campaign and service group awarded to 191437 R.G. New, representing wartime service in North Africa and the Mediterranean theater. The group includes the 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star with 8TH ARMY clasp, Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945, and South African Africa Service Medal. All six medals are mounted together on their respective ribbons, with a common metal pin-backed mounting bar for uniform wear.

The three bronze-colored campaign stars retain their distinctive six-pointed design, with the Royal and Imperial Cypher of King George VI beneath a crown and the respective campaign titles around the central device. Particularly interesting is the 8TH ARMY clasp attached to the Africa Star ribbon, recognizing qualifying service with the British Eighth Army during the final stages of the North African campaign.

The reverses of all three campaign stars are officially impressed with the recipient's service information, arranged across three lines:

191437
R.G.
NEW

The group also includes the South African Africa Service Medal, with its distinctive map of Africa surrounded by the bilingual inscription AFRICA SERVICE MEDAL / AFRIKADIENS-MEDALJE on the obverse. Its reverse bears the characteristic springbok design. This decoration identifies the group with South Africa's Union Defence Forces and wartime volunteer service.

The medals remain in very good overall condition, showing expected age toning, surface wear, and handling marks. The campaign stars have developed an attractive bronze patina, with their raised details and recipient markings remaining well defined. The silver-colored medals retain good relief detail, with scattered discoloration and surface marks. The ribbons have retained strong coloration despite some localized fraying, minor staining, and age-related wear. The metal mounting assembly remains intact, with scattered oxidation and wear to the reverse fittings.

Historical Context

South Africa entered the Second World War on September 6, 1939, following a parliamentary decision under Prime Minister Jan Smuts to support Britain and the Allied war effort. The decision exposed considerable political divisions within the Union, where the question of participation in another European war remained contentious. South African military service consequently developed around a system of volunteers, particularly for deployment beyond the Union's borders.

The Union Defence Forces initially undertook operations in East Africa before contributing substantial forces to the campaigns in North Africa. South African troops fought against Italian forces in East Africa during 1940-1941 and subsequently participated in operations against German and Italian armies in the Western Desert. The 1st and 2nd South African Infantry Divisions became important formations within the Allied forces operating in Egypt and Libya, taking part in the demanding desert campaigns of 1941-1942.

The 1939-1945 Star was instituted to recognize qualifying operational service during the Second World War. Army personnel generally required six months of operational service, with special provisions for particular campaigns and circumstances. As the first medal in the group, it recognizes New's broader wartime operational service.

The Africa Star covered qualifying service in the African theater between June 10, 1940, and May 12, 1943. For South African personnel, the award was closely connected with the fighting in East Africa and the Western Desert, where Commonwealth formations faced difficult conditions and prolonged engagements across vast distances.

Of particular significance is the 8TH ARMY clasp, awarded to personnel who served with qualifying formations or units of the British Eighth Army between October 23, 1942, and May 12, 1943. The opening date coincides with the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein, one of the decisive Allied victories in North Africa.

Under Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, the Eighth Army launched its offensive against the German-Italian forces commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The battle began with a major artillery bombardment on October 23, followed by infantry assaults intended to breach the extensive Axis minefields and defensive positions. After nearly two weeks of heavy fighting, the Axis armies began retreating westward. The Eighth Army pursued them across Libya and into Tunisia, contributing to the eventual Allied victory in North Africa in May 1943.

The clasp establishes New's qualifying service with the Eighth Army during this period. It is a particularly useful distinction because it identifies a specific command and period of service within the wider African campaign.

The history of South African troops at El Alamein was closely connected with the 1st South African Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Dan Pienaar. The division participated in the Allied offensive and remained an important part of the Eighth Army's order of battle during the fighting. Many South African personnel subsequently returned home for reorganization, while others continued serving in the Mediterranean theater as the Allied campaign developed.

The Italy Star recognizes a later phase of qualifying service. Established for operational service in the Italian and specified Mediterranean theaters between June 11, 1943, and May 8, 1945, the award covered the Allied campaign that began with operations against Italian-held Mediterranean territory and continued through the surrender of German forces in Italy.

For South Africa, the Italian campaign was particularly associated with the 6th South African Armoured Division, formed in 1943 under Major General W.H.E. Poole. After training in North Africa, the division deployed to Italy in April 1944, where it operated principally under the Allied Fifth Army. Its personnel included South African armored, infantry, artillery, engineer, and supporting formations, together with British units attached during the campaign.

The division participated in the advance north of Rome during the summer of 1944, fighting through the difficult terrain of central Italy. South African troops saw heavy action around Chiusi and Florence before advancing into the Apennines, where German defensive positions along the Gothic Line presented particularly demanding obstacles.

During the autumn of 1944, the division fought a series of engagements around Monte Vigese, Monte Stanco, and Monte Salvaro. The mountainous terrain restricted the use of armored vehicles and forced infantry and supporting troops to undertake difficult operations against fortified positions. Fighting continued through the winter of 1944-1945, followed by the final Allied offensive in April 1945. South African formations subsequently advanced through the northern Italian plains during the collapse of German resistance.

The Italy Star establishes New's qualification for the Italian and Mediterranean campaign award. His precise unit and movements within that theater remain unidentified.

The Defence Medal was awarded for specified qualifying service, including non-operational service in designated overseas areas and certain duties in territories subjected to enemy attack. Its eligibility provisions recognized the varied responsibilities undertaken by military personnel throughout the war, including service outside direct combat operations.

The accompanying War Medal 1939-1945 recognized qualifying full-time service in the armed forces and certain other approved services during the war. Its obverse bears the crowned profile of King George VI, while the reverse depicts a lion standing upon a double-headed dragon, representing the defeat of the European and Asian Axis powers.

Completing the group is the Africa Service Medal, instituted on December 23, 1943, by King George VI in his capacity as King of South Africa. It was a distinctive South African decoration awarded to qualifying members of the Union Defence Forces, South African Police, and South African Railways Police who volunteered for war service beyond the Union's borders.

Qualification generally required at least thirty days of continuous service, with separate provisions for qualifying part-time service. The award applied to service undertaken between South Africa's declaration of war on September 6, 1939, and the end of the wider conflict on September 2, 1945. Although originally conceived for African service, its eligibility was extended to cover service elsewhere.

The medal's design is closely connected with South African national identity. The map of Africa and bilingual English-Afrikaans inscription represented the Union's place within the continent, while the springbok was a familiar South African emblem. The predominantly orange-red ribbon recalled the orange shoulder flash worn by South African volunteers who undertook to serve beyond the Union, while the green and gold reflected established South African military colors.

South African-issued WWII campaign medals also possess a useful identifying feature: official recipient naming. The campaign stars were normally impressed on the reverse with the recipient's service number, initials, and surname arranged across three lines. This practice preserves the identification of 191437 R.G. New directly on the three campaign stars and provides a basis for further research into his military service.

The combination of the Africa Star with 8TH ARMY clasp and the Italy Star records qualifying service across two major Allied campaigns, while the Africa Service Medal establishes the group's distinctly South African military character.