Service Star (Congo)

The Service Star (French Étoile de service) was a civil decoration in the Congo Free State (and later the Belgian Congo) created by a decree of the king-sovereign, Leopold II, on 16 January 1889. It was given to those non-natives who faithfully and honorably completed a term of service in the Congo.[1] It was the second decoration in terms of precedence after the Order of the African Star, introduced seventeen days earlier.[2]

Black-and-white photo of the Service Star, with the ribbon and bars not shown

The award consisted of a five-sided silver star 30 millimetres in diameter. On one side, in the centre, was a smaller five-sided gold star, while on the other was the Free State motto, Travail et progrès (work and progress). It came with a blue ribbon with horizontal silver bars attached to indicate the number of terms of service in the Congo.[2] Vice-Governor General Paul Costermans, for example, wore the star with four bars.[3]

References
  1. J.-B. Allart (1889), "Le Congo en 1890", Bulletin de la Société royale de géographie d'Anvers, 14: 334.
  2. "Croix et médailles congolaises", Le Congo illustré, 2: 24, 1893.
  3. A. Engels (1948), "Costermans (Paul Marie Adolphe)", Biographie Coloniale Belge, vol. 1, Institut royal colonial belge, pp. 268–71.


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