THE NEW ZEALAND GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1992 - WARLIKE (MALAYA 1960-64)

Obverse: A Crowned Effigy of the Sovereign.

Reverse: The inscription "THE NEW ZEALAND GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL" within a wreath of New Zealand flora (fern fronds, pohutukawa, and kowhai blossom) ensigned by a Royal Crown.

Size: 36mm in diameter.

Ribbon: 32mm wide. Dark blue with a light red centre and a narrow central black stripe.

Suspension: By a plain straight suspender.

Clasps Issued: 4

This medal was instituted on 7th May 1992. It was issued in silver to recognise service in warlike operations for which no separate New Zealand or British Commonwealth campaign medal was issued. By the time it was replaced in 2002, four clasps had been issued for warlike operations between 1956 and 1991 in the Suez Canal region, Malaya, Vietnam and Kuwait.

The medal was awarded with a clasp to describe where an individual served. It is worn as a war medal, in order of date of qualification. The New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 has also been issued in bronze for non-warlike operations.

The design and colours of the ribbon are based upon The New Zealand Medal 1845-1847 and 1860-1866, thus are directly linked with the beginnings of New Zealand's military history. As the first occasion upon which New Zealand had issued a war or warlike service medal outside of the two World Wars or the Vietnam War it was considered that the link with the first military campaigns in New Zealand best reflected New Zealand's military heritage.

The clasp "MALAYA 1960-64" was instituted on 4th August 1997.

Operational Area
Operational area means those areas of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, as provinces in the Federation of Malaya and later as States of Malaysia, where members of the New Zealand Army (within the meaning of the New Zealand Army Act 1950) the New Zealand Naval Forces (within the meaning of the Navy Act 1954), or the Royal New Zealand Air Force (within the meaning of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Act 1950) were deployed on active service.

Eligibility
A person is eligible for the award of the Medal and Clasp, subject to qualification as below, if, between 1 August 1960 and 16 August 1964, he or she was:-
(a) a member of the New Zealand Naval Forces (within the meaning of the Navy Act 1954); or
(b) a member of the New Zealand Army (within the meaning of the New Zealand Army Act 1950); or
(c) a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (within the meaning of the Royal New Zealand air Force Act 1950).

Qualifying Service
An eligible person qualifies for the award of the Medal and Clasp if he or she:-
(a) served for 1 day in the operational area while on the posted strength of a unit conducting operations in the operational area; or
(b) carried out 1 sortie as a member of an aircrew or as a supernumerary crew member in support of operations in the operational area; or
(c) served for 30 or more days, continuous or aggregated, in the operational area for official visits, inspections, or other occurrences of a temporary nature on duty.

Other clasps have been awarded for:
Near East
Vietnam
Kuwait

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

Regulations For This Award: View Regulations (PDF document)

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