Details of The "Gallipoli Star" (Turkish War medal)

Click for the British Gallipoli Star

History: This decoration is generally named Gallipoli Star, but this name is an Anglicized version and refers to the decoration which was awarded to the defending Turks and Germans of Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Great War. 

The Germans name it "Eisernen Halbmond" (Iron Crescent) in reference to its crescent of the moon. 

On the other hand the Turkish name for the medal is 1333 tarihli HARB madalyasi or Muharebe madalyasi.

• It should be specified that it is not a medal commemorative of a campaign but is a decoration rewarding military merit or bravery.

It equates with the German Iron Cross 2nd Class. Its mode of award is singular. 

While this medal was instituted by the Sultan he did not decide all awards: it was Enver Pasha the Commander, as head of the Ottoman Army who had the right and  responsibility of making awards as well.

Liman von Sanders also had to himself this privilege when he became commander as the head of the Germano-Turkish forces. 

The diploma is dated from the day of the  Turkish surrender 30 10 18. 

Thereafter this decoration was decreed with their Allies (German, Austrian and Bulgarian).

This decoration is worn  by Germans similar to the Iron Cross 1st class (although it equates with the Iron Cross 2nd class). It normally goes on the side like the former but on the right hand side, not the left. The German recipients were pilots, sailors (aviators, submariners or crews of ships) and of the soldiers of the Army who fought with the Turks on the Eastern battlefields: Gallipoli, Palestine (Gaza, Jaffa, Jerusalem), Mésopotamia (Baghdad).

Germany deployed about 15,000 men on the Eastern front, 5,000 of them were killed, wounded or captive. They belonged primarily to Asienkorps.

German Sailors, soldiers & airmen who were awarded the Turkish "Gallipoli Star"

Description of decoration; The medal is a star with 5 branches whose lower layer is out of red enamel. The central part is made up of a half crescent of the moon (Moslem symbol present on the Turkish flag) with in its center the "Tughra" (the monogram of the Sultan). Below of the monogram one finds the date year of decoration: the year 1333 of the Moslem calendar (1915).

Dimensions of decoration vary from 53 to 57 mm depending on manufacturer. There is even a model of 68 mm. by one jeweler.

When the decoration is not worn the member elect can attach a ribbon to the second buttonhole of his jacket. The ribbon is red with white band, the colors are reversed when the member elect is civil or non-combatant. One notes here a close similarity (except for the red color) with the German iron cross of 2nd class. 

• One sees sometimes on the ribbon,  bars of the various campaigns. Here is a non-exhaustive list: 

  • "Chanakkale" or "Chanak" (Gallipoli), 

  • "Kafkas", 

  • "Kanal", 

  • "Sanatorium", 

  • "Gaza" and 

  • "Kut-ul-Ammara". 

  • These bars lawful but are not normally worn. 

    • I make a point of pointing out that a bar "Iraq" exists.  It is either a post war creation or it is a forgery, probably a forgery because Iraq was created in the 1920s so the Turkish Army could not have been fighting there in 1914/18. At that time what we now call Iraq was part of Mesopotamia.

Lawful (genuine) versions:

The decoration of Turkish origin was of average quality. Several models are distinguished that Dr. Klietmann named as follows:

Model A out of white metal and red lacquering, fixing by pin. Made in Constantinople during the war. L: 56 mm H: 53.5 mm

Model B out of white metal and red lacquering, fixing by pin on the left or on the right. Made in Constantinople during the war L: 56 mm H: 53 mm or 54 mm

Model C silver and red enamel, fixing by pin on the left or on the right. Made in Constantinople during the war L: 58 mm H: 55 mm

Model D silver and red enamel, fixing by screwback, worn on the left or on the right. Made in Constantinople during the war L: 59 mm H: 56 mm

Models of jewelers:

Here Dr. Klietmann describes a very great active number of alternatives of the models of F with Q (up to 12 models!) It seems that there are as many models as manufacturers. These decorations were remade during the war by officers who wanted a quality of manufacture closer to that of the Iron Cross 1st class, but it as should be noted as the manufacturers continued to produce of Eisernen Halbmond during between the two world wars.

To summarize these decorations are of neat quality and employ different metals: whitemetal, brass, bronze and even aluminium. The attachment units are very varied: pins, pins and even screw backs like certain Iron Crosses.

The Godet establishments in Berlin produced a specimen of 68 mm. The famous jeweler Autrichien Rothe in Vienna produced bronze specimens. Another unknown manufacturer in Austria marked the bars of this manufacture with an asterisk.

Translated from the original Turkish by Google and the Webmaster.

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Graveyards of Gallipoli:  a Tribute to the Men of all the Nations that took part in the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915