About the 1914-15 Star
Instituted in December 1918, the 1914−15 Star is a First World War campaign medal that was granted to military personnel, and some civilians, who served between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915.
The near identical 1914 Star was presented to those who served in Belgium and France between 5 August and 22 November 1914.
Individuals could only receive one of these two medals. Among over 2,730,000 recipients were 115 sitting MPs and 145 Peers.
Recipient
The medal in the Parliamentary collection was awarded to Sir Arnold Wilson (1884−1940), who served in the Persian Gulf as a political officer, soldier and senior administrator between 1909 and 1920.
In 1933 Wilson became Conservative MP for Hitchen. He held the seat until he died while serving in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Wilson is the only parliamentarian whose awards have been incorporated into Parliament's collection of medals and coins.