The badge of the Grand Cross is 60mm in diameter. The neck badge of the Commander is similar to that of the Grand Cross sash badge, but has an extra loop through which runs the 55mm neck ribbon.

Officers wear the badge in gold, 40mm in diameter, on the left breast, suspended from a ribbon 36mm wide carrying a .

Knights wear the badge in silver, 40ram in diameter, on the left breast.

The medals, pendant on a crown, bear the Star of the Congo on the obverse, and the intertwined monogram on the reverse.

WAR-TIME AWARDS

The Knight’s class, as well as the Croix de Guerre, could be awarded to the officers of the Force Publique, the Congo’s army, for meritorious service during both World Wars, as well as for disablingwounds or death. Both the Knight’s class and the Croix de Guerre could be awarded with palms for valor in action. (Royal Decrees of June 4, 1916 and June 3, 1953.)

For similar war service, wounds or death, civilians could be recogmzed by the award of the Knight class, or promotion within the order. In such cases the ribbon was modified by addition of gold edge stripes or a gold center stripe.

European NCO’s and troops of the Force Publique were eligible for awards of the Gold Medal, as well as the Croix de Guerre, for meritorious services, or with palms when for valor in action resulting in disabling wounds or death during both World Wars. Under the same circumstances, native NCO’s and troops could be awarded either the Silver or Bronze Medal, as well as the Croix de Guerre.

Various decrees awarded pensions to recipients of the Order for war-time services (December 22, 1916; April 23, 1918; July 7, 1918; November 23, 1919; February 5, 1930; October 19, 1933 and June 3, 1953).

The fourrag~re in the colors of the Order of the African Star was created by Royal Decree of July 14, 1919. It was awarded only for services during WWI.

PEACE-TIME AWARDS

The Knight’s class was awarded for 15 or 20 years’ service to the colony. Usually, the recipient had already received the Royal Order of the Lion (gtven for a minimum of six years’ service), sometimes the Order of the Crown (10 years) and even the Order of Leopold (13 years). S~nce promotions in those orders came generally five years after the first nominations, recipients would frequently be officers in those orders before receiving the Knight class of the Order of the African Star.

Missionaries and directors of colonial companies were also awarded the Order, some even getting the Commander’s badge. Only 25 such awards were made between 1918 and 1960.

30 NUMBERS AWARDED

Since they were awarded very sparingly, the orders of the (the Order of the African Star and the Royal Order of the Lion), are very rarely seen, especially so for the Order of the African Star. Between 1921 and 1960, some sixty Vice- Governors-General of the Congo (15 to 20 years’ service) and general officers (20 to 30 years’ service) were awarded Knight’s class of the Order, only 15 senior civil servants and senior military officers received the Officer’s badge, six were awarded the Commander’s badge, five received Grand Officer’s stars (including a Minister of Colonies, when he retired in 1925), and only two received the Grand Cross.

In the nineteen-fifties, the only civil servants to receive the Order were at the Secretary-General and Director-General level at the Ministry of Colonies in Brussels.

Not more than 25 Grand Crosseswere awarded between 1888 and 1960, only three of which were presented with the collar. Two of these collars are in museums in Belgium.

The Order of the African Star has not been awarded since July 1, 1960, although all those who have received any class of the Order are allowed to wear their insignia. However, it is very interesting to note that the Order has not been abolished.

(The author is a Foreign Service Officer in the Canadian Department of External Affairs at Ottawa. He has lived in Belgium for a number of years and collects the awards of Belgium.)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

On King Leopold II, his reign and the Congo:

Aronson, T., The Coburgs of Belgium, London, 1969.

Collins, R. O.,KingLeopold, England and the Upper Nile 1899 - 1909, New Haven, 1968.

Emerson, B., Leopold II, London, 1979.

Emerson, B., LOopold II, le royaume et l’empire, Paris & Gembloux, 1980.

Stengers, J., "The and the Belgian Congo before 1914" in Colonialism in Africa, Vol.1, Cambridge, Mass., 1968.

Taylor, A. J. P., "Prelude to Fashoda" in English Historical Revtew, London, 1950.

Twain, M., King Leopold’s Soliloquy, New York, 1906.

On Belgian orders, decorations and medals:

Hieronymussen, P., Orders, Medals and Decorations of Britain and Europe in Colour, London, 1975.

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