Description

Description: [Turkey] – The Turkish War Medal – The Gallipoli Star

Maker’s Name: N/A

Condition: Very Good

Comments: The Turkish War Medal – The Gallipoli Star. Complete with single pin.  It was instituted by the Sultan Mehmed Reshad V on 1 March 1915 for gallantry in battle. This decoration was awarded for the duration of World War I to Ottoman and other Central Powers troops, primarily in Ottoman areas of engagement.

During WWI, British and Commonwealth Forces called this “The Gallipoli Star.” The Germans and Austrians called it the “Der Eisner Halbmond” (The Iron Crescent). When the Sultan Mehmed V created this decoration in March 1915, he named it simply the “Harp Madalysi” (War Medal).

It’s likely that this decoration was inspired by the Iron Cross, awarded by the Ottoman Empire’s German Allies. Like the Iron Cross First Class, It was worn on the breast pocket. Unlike the Iron Cross, it had only one class. By the Sultan’s decree, it was “bestowed upon those persons who show gallantry and sacrifice, without differentiating any rank and position/title. These persons can be either nationals of the Sublime Ottoman State or allied forces and navies and voluntary nursing units and public servants and employees within the armies and navies.” At the center is the Sultan’s Tughra – a sort of royal cypher – and below it the Islamic year 1333 (1915).
In April of 1915 The Allies launched an invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula. By the time it was over in January 1916, both sides had suffered heavily; Over 141,000 Allied casualties and 251,000 Turks. It was during this period that the decoration became associated with Gallipoli. Actually, it could be awarded for actions occurring from the start of the war, and continued to be awarded until the end of the war.