SERVICE DECORATIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 31 August 1945, Page 2

SERVICE DECORATIONS

DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED IN HOUSE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, This Day. “I think we ought to have a decoration ourselves as a country, to honour our people.” declared the Prime minister (Mr Fraser) in the House of Representatives when a member was discussing the anomalies apparent in the decorations which have been announced for overseas service. The question was raised by Mr J. Acland (National, Temuka). and immediately it became evident that he was going to talk of service decorations he was advised by the Prime Minister to consult the Minister of Defence, and see the cables which had passed regarding th e matter. Mr Acland said he had noticed that the men who volunteered in New Zealand at the beginning of the war. and fought in Greece and Crete, and had been prisoners of war, were to get only the same ribbon as those in the base camps in Cairo and elsewhere. and that there would be nothing for the men who fought in North Africa to show that they also fought in Greece and Crete. Mr E. L. Cullen (Government, Hawkes Bay): That applied to the de_ corations of the last war, too. The Prime Minister remarked by way of interjection that there was no question about the possible injustices that might arise. There was a volume of cables on the subject, “but,” he added. “I don’t think the arrangement is satisfactory now.” Mr Fraser concluded by stating that he thought New Zealand ought to have its own decoration to honour its own people. PLEA FOR RECOGNITION Mr T. L. Macdonald (National, Mataura), speaking later in the debate, also made a strong plea for recognition of the services of the men who fought in Greece and Crete. He mentioned also that according to the latest information New Zealanders who were on certain islands in the Pacific, including Fanning Island, were not to receive awards. Those who had gone to Fanning Island had joined up quickly and were a very keen body of men, but apparently they were not to receive a medal. The Minister of Defence (Mr Jones): They should get it. Mr Macdonald said he wished to make a strong plea for recognition for the men who had fought in Greece and Crete and who had borne the heat and burden of the day in difficult days of the war when there was little equipment and little was known of the methods by which the Hun could be met. The Minister of Works (Mr Semple): They had the toughest job of the lot. Mr Macdonald said he considered tremendous difficulty had been caused by th e decision, in contrast to the position in th e war of 1914-18. of awarding medals on th e basis of theatres of operations. He understood it was an Imperial decision and he realised there was not much New Zealand could do about it. The Minister of Defence: You try and get it altered. We haven’t succeeded so far.

Mr Macdonald said h e would like to know whether New Zealand was consulted beforehand, and, if so, what opinions were expressed.