WWII BRITISH 5-MEDAL MINIATURE MEDAL BAR GROUP

Description

This is an extremely fine World War II British 5-Medal Miniature Medal Bar that is in excellent condition. The bar consists of the George VI General Service Medal with “PALASTINE” clasp, the WWII 1939-1945 Star, The Pacific Star, the World War II Defense Medal, and the WWII 1939-1945 War Medal. The medals are suspended from their original ribbons which remain strong, solid, and with vivid color. They are mounted on a 4-inch-wide bar with pin and catch assemblies on the reverse side. A fine-looking group that remains in excellent condition.
Historical Note:
The” Palestine” bar on the General Service Medal was awarded for service in the British Mandate of Palestine between 27 September 1945 (the date a "state of emergency" was declared) and 30 June 1948 (when the last British troops departed). It was issued to members of the British and Indian Forces and civil personnel, such as the British section of Palestine Police Force.
The three separate Jewish underground forces in Palestine united to form the Jewish Resistance Movement and carried out several attacks and bombings against the British administration. In 1946, the Irgun blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, the headquarters of the British administration, killing 92 people. Following the bombing, the British Government began interning illegal Jewish immigrants in Cyprus. In 1948 the Lehi assassinated the UN mediator Count Bernadotte in Jerusalem.
The negative publicity resulting from the situation in Palestine caused the Mandate to become widely unpopular in Britain and caused the United States Congress to delay granting the British vital loans for reconstruction. The British Labor party had promised before its election in 1945 to allow mass Jewish migration into Palestine but reneged on this promise once in office. Anti-British Jewish militancy increased, and the situation required the presence of over 100,000 British troops in the country. Following the Acre Prison Break and the retaliatory hanging of British Sergeants by the Irgun, the British announced their desire to terminate the mandate and to withdraw by no later than the beginning of August 1948.
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