1939-45 Star awarded to Sergeant W Hill, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Campaign medal made of copper zinc alloy in the form of a six-pointed star. On the obverse, the royal cypher, 'GRI VI', for King George VI, surmounted by a crown, with a circlet inscribed with, 'The 1939-1945 Star'. The medal is suspended from a dark blue, red and light blue ribbon.

The 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders fought a desperate battle against the Japanese invading Malaya in 1941. The unit suffered heavy casualties and was pulled back to Singapore. Sergeant Hill was among those captured when Singapore eventually fell.

The 1939-45 Star was awarded to personnel who had seen service on one or more of a specific list of mainly overseas operational theatres. It was the first of eight very similar bronze campaign stars to be issued. The ribbon has three equal stripes of dark blue, red and light blue, symbolising the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force respectively.

From a medal group to Major J W Parkinson, Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.