THE NEW ZEALAND WAR SERVICE MEDAL

Obverse: An Uncrowned Effigy of King George VI surrounded by the legend "GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP.".

Reverse: The legend "FOR SERVICE TO NEW ZEALAND 1939-1945" in four lines, above a frond of fern.

Size: 36 in diameter.

Ribbon: 32mm wide, black, watered and edged with 5mm white stripes

Suspension: The suspender is composed of two fern leaves joined at the stalk end to form a "V". The tips of the leaves are joined by a thin bar to take the ribbon.

The qualifications for the award were;
(1) Personnel of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the New Zealand Army (including the National Military Reserve) and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (including commissioned ranks of the Air Training Corps) who completed an aggregate of at least twenty eight days' full-time service or six months' part-time service, either at home or abroad, between 3rd September, 1939, and 2nd September, 1945, qualified for the award, provided that the recipient, if not still serving, had been honourably discharged.
(2) Similar periods of service in the Home Guard between 16th August, 1940, and 1st January, 1944, and in the Naval Auxiliary Patrol Service between 31st December, 1941, and 31st July, 1944, qualified.
(3) Members of the New Zealand Merchant Navy and of civil airlines registered in New Zealand, who rendered service beyond New Zealand, qualified for the award under certain conditions.
(4) Full-time uniformed civilians who served as members of the New Zealand Armed Forces, qualified in the same way as full-time members of such forces.
(5) "Part-time service" is defined as service rendered by a member of the Armed Forces who was not fully mobilised but was liable to render service by the performance from time to time of short periods of training or other duties and did in fact carry out such training or duties.
(6) The qualifying service, whether full-time or part-time, need not necessarily have been performed in the one service. Short periods of service could be aggregated. In such cases, seven days' part-time service is to be taken as equivalent to one of full-time service, and vice versa.
(7) If the service was terminated by capture by the enemy, the recipient must have been free from blame.
(8) Service brought to an end by death on duty, or due to wounds or injury sustained whilst on duty, qualified for the medal, even though the service may not have amounted to twenty eight days or six months as the case may be.

Royal Warrant For This Award: View Warrant (PDF document)

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