British Mandate Palestine Police “Efficiency Star”/”Good Conduct Star” for salary benefit and therefore called “Salary Star” Early and uncommon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Police_Force

The star in the picture (made of thread embroidery on a dark blue or black background) is a service star (Efficiency Star/Good Conduct Star),

In the Mandate Police, these stars were used to mark seniority and salary improvements for lower-ranking police officers (Other Ranks), such as Constables and Sergeants:

• Meaning of the star: The star was awarded after 3 years of “Good Conduct” service.
• Salary benefit: Each such star gave the police officer a fixed monthly salary increase, which is why they are sometimes called “salary stars”.
• Location on the uniform: Unlike the officer ranks worn on the shoulders, these salary stars were usually sewn on the lower sleeve (above the wrist) of the dark winter uniform or summer uniform.
• Winter uniform: The dark blue/black background of the patch in the picture indicates that it was intended for the police’s winter uniform, which was made of thick dark blue wool.

In the Palestine Police Force, the star in the image symbolized professional achievement and good behavior, and was directly related to the salary system and not to the ranks of command.

Years of Service and Eligibility

The star, sometimes called the “Good Conduct Star”, was awarded to constables and sergeants according to the following rules:

• Eligibility: Eligibility for the first star usually began after three consecutive years of service without significant disciplinary offenses.
• Additional stars: Additional stars (usually up to three) could be earned with continued seniority, usually every 3-5 years.
• Winter uniform: The star in the picture, embroidered with gold/yellow thread on a dark blue wool background, was specifically designed for the sleeve of the winter uniform.

Financial compensation (then and now)

The police salary consisted of a base salary and personal allowances.

Period Base salary (local constable) Service star allowance (estimate) Estimated value in 2026 terms

1930s and 1940s About 6 to 8 Mandatory pounds (P£) per month About 0.5 to 1 Mandatory Pound per month The Mandatory Pound was equal to the pound sterling

Today’s prices (estimated) About 11,000 to 13,000 NIS About 500 to 1,000 NIS depending on level of activity and rank

The salary of British police officers was significantly higher than that of local police officers (Jews and Arabs) – a gap that was a focus of much friction at the time