War Service Medal

Hutt News, Volume XII, Issue 22, 10 November 1948, Page 5

War Service Medal

NEW ZEALAND ISSUE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS The following extract from the Royal Warrant dated September 30, 19 48, states the terms and conditions governing eligibility for the New Zealand War Service Medal which is to be issued:

The persons eligible for the Medal shall be those of our faithful subjects and others, male and female, who, between September 3, 19 3 9, and September 2, 1945, rendered the required service in the New Zealand Armed Forces including the Naval Auxiliary Patrol Service, the New Zealand Territorial Force, the New Zealand National Military Reserve, the Home Guard or the commissioned ranks of the Air Training Corps, or rendered the required service in the New Zealand Merchant Navy or as members of the crew of an aircraft operated by a civil air line registered in New Zealand.

In the case of service in the Armed Forces an aggregate of at least twenty-eight days’ full-time service must have been rendered whether within New Zealand or abroad or six months’ part-time service. The parttime service in the. Home Guard which may be reckoned towards the period of six months shall be restricted to service between August 16, 1940, and January 1, 1944. The part-time service in the Naval Auxiliary Patrol Service, which may be reckoned towards the period of six months, shall be restricted to service between December 31, 19.41, and July 31, 1944. In the case of service in the New Zealand Merchant Navy an aggregate of at least twenty-eight days’ service must have been Rendered at sea. In the case of service, as a member of the crew of an aircraft operated by a civil air line registered in New Zealand, an aggregate of at least twenty-eight days’ service involving not less than forty-eight hours (■flying) must have been rendered outside New Zealand territorial waters.

The Medal shall not be awarded to any person who does not qualify by full-time or part-time service performed in the New Zealand Armed Forces or in the Merchant Navy of New Zealand or as a member of the crew of an aircraft operated by a civil air line registered in New Zealand.

Death on Duty

Service brought to an end by death on duty or due to wounds or injuries sustained on duty or honourable discharge as a direct result of injuries sustained while on duty shall qualify for the award of the Medal even though the service may not amount to the twenty-eight days or six months,, as the case may be. Full-time uniformed civilians who served as members of the New Zealand Armed Forces shall qualify in the same way as full-time members of such forces. It shall be a condition of award that a recipient not still serving in the New Zealand Forces or the Merchant Navy of New Zealand or in a civil air line registered iri New Zealand shall have been honourably discharged. ■ Where service was ended by capture by the enemy it shall be a cbndition that the recipient of the award shall have been free from blame. .

“Part-time” service is 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. Qualifying service in different sections of the New Zealand Armed Forces or Merchant Navy or as a member of the crew of an aircraft operated by a civil air line registered in New Zealand may be aggregated for the purpose of determining the qualifying service of an individual. In making this aggregation seven days’ part-time service shall be taken as equivalent to one day’s full-time service, and vice versa.