Collection search - General Campaign Star / Étoile de campagne générale [object]

Record information – Brief
1
General Campaign Star / Étoile de campagne générale [object]

Hierarchical level:

Item

Date:

2005.

Reference:

R178-345-6-E, Volume number: 13366

Type of material:

Objects (including medals and pins)

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

4846968

Context of this record:

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Office of the Governor General of Canada fonds

Chancellery of Canadian Orders and Decorations Recipient and Administrative files

General Campaign Star / Étoile de campagne générale [object]
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Record information – Details

Date(s):

2005.

Place of creation:

Canada

Extent:

1 medal / medaillé : gold-coloured alloy ; 44 mm.

Language of material:

English

Accession:

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General Service Awards / Prix des services généraux [object]

Scope and content:

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The General Campaign Star (GCS) recognizes military service (Canadian Forces or allied forces) in a theatre of operations in the presence of an armed enemy.

The medal was established by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. The all-encompassing nature of the award circumvents the need to create a new honour for every Canadian Force operation following 2004. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson remarked that she was "pleased that our national system of honours has developed this timely way to recognize those who have served with distinction during operations against an armed foe".

The medal was issued by the Canadian Government, designed by Captain Carl Gautheir of the Directorate of History and Heritage, finalized by the Canadian Heraldic Authority, and first awarded on the 29th of November, 2004.

Initially, the GCS was awarded with a bar to indicate the theatre or type of service recognized (Allied Force and/or South-West Asia). However, since 2009 the bars have been abolished and the distinction is now made through the colour of the ribbons. This alteration created space on the ribbon to recognize and denote multiple rotations through bars or coloured pins (e.g. silver maple leaf = 1 rotation bar or 210 days of service; gold maple leaf = 2 rotations or 390 days; red maple leaf = 3 rotations or 570 days). This particular version of the medal pre-dates the 2009 change.

Additional information:

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Physical description note:

Content:
Obverse: Medal foundation is a four-pointed star intended to symbolize the cardinal directions reminiscent of a compass. The central sphere is bordered by a wreath formed from maple leaves capped by the Royal Crown. Two crossed swords - with hilts and blades breaking over the circumference of the wreath - serve to suggest the intermediate cardinal points (e.g., south-west). In the middle of the medal is an anchor superimposed with a flying eagle.

Reverse: the Royal Cypher and Crown occupy the top half of the metals core, the central area is left plain for engraving (i.e., service number, abbreviated substantive rank, initials, and name of the recipient), and the bottom is comprised of ornamental maple leaves (3) derived of a single stem.

Ribbon: Dark green (central; 12 mm), white (bordering stripes; 2 mm), and red (outside edges; 8mm) ; 32 mm wide.

Attachments: no attachments

Signatures and inscriptions note:

Inscription: obverse: no inscription.
Inscription: reverse: t. :[the Royal Cypher] ; c. :SPECIMEN
Inscription: edge: no inscription.

Source:

Government

Related control no.:

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2015-01488-8
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Conditions of access:

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Object

[Consultation90 Open]
Protective supervision is required during consultation

Volume [R178]

[Consultation 90 Open]

13366 Item no. assigned by LAC 2

[Consultation 90 Open]

Terms of use:

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Copyright: Government of Canada
Library and Archives Canada, R178-

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Date modified:: 2024-07-24