N.Z. cease-fire force in line for medal

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 12

N.Z. cease-fire force in line for medal

NZPA London New, Zealand’s 74 soldiers on duty in Rhodesia with the Commonwealth Cease-fire Monitoring Force are in line for a unique campaign medal. The special medal, strongly advocated by the monitoring force commander, Major - General John Acland, is under consideration by the British Ministry of Defence. If it is eventually struck, it will be the first time a medal has been awarded to commemorate a “campaign’ in which no shot was fired in anger and none of the participants saw action. Major-General Acland said in London that there was the “strongest possible case’ for a Rhodesia

medal to honour the Commonwealth troops from Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and Kenya who made up the force/ “It was the courage of the soldiers on the ground that made the exercise a success.” he said. He had accepted the post with “considerable qualms,” and had been warned that same of his men would be killed, but in spite of frequent “knife-edge situations” there had been few upsets or injuries. No decision on the medal is expected for some weeks. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We are formally considering it, but any positive moves will have to proceed with caution.” Defence officials said that no medal would be issued until Zimbabwe had formally gained its full independence from Britain in mid-April, and until “we have seen that the situation there has developed satisfactorily.” The proposal for the medal is now with a special committee within the Ministry, which will hear submissions for and against the idea. If the committee supports the medal, it will then approach the Queen for formal approval. Normally a British medal struck for British troops would not be applicable to Commonwealth servicemen, but the British Min-

istry will get in touch with its counterparts in Wellington. Canberra and Nairobi. “We hope, because the Queen is head of the Commonwealth, that if such a medal is struck it would be awarded to all concerned," the spokesman said. The only previous peacekeeping medal was that issued by the United Nations to servicemen who had served with the United Nations peace - keeping force on Cyprus. In that campaign several members of the force were killed in action. New Zealand policemen served with the Cyprus force, and individual New Zealanders are still with the force there, under the auspices of United Nations headquarters in New York. Historically, British campaign medals and medals for gallantry have automatically been awarded to- New Zealanders fighting in the same theatres. Since the Korean War, however, New Zealanders have separately qualified for campaign ribbons for service in Malaya and Vietnam. Unlike several Commonwealth countries, New Zealand, in spite of having its own distinct honours such as the Queen’s Sendee Medal, has adhered to British orders of Knighthood and awards for gallantry.