WAR MEDALS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15987, 2 December 1919, Page 9

WAR MEDALS.

EIGHTS TO DECORATIONS DEFINED. DEEPEN GE DEPARTMENT'S LNTERPRETATION. AWARD TO ALL WHO LETT NEW ZEALAND. Headquarters of the New Zealand Military Forces have issued instructions defining the conditions under -which war medals are to be awarded in the county'-. BRITISH WAR MEDAL, 1914-19, ■ s' This will be a silver medal. The riband vdll be orange centre, watered, with stripes of white and black on each side, and with borders of Royal blue. All members of the N.Z. Expeditionary Force who left New Zealand and who landed in a theatre of war, or who rendered approved service overseas will be entitled to the medal. It is intended that all New Zealand soldiers who land--ed in England will receive this medal, providing the fact that they did not enter a theatre of war is not attributable to their misconduct. This medal will carry clasps, but it has not yet been decided whether these will relate to localities or periods, probably the latter. THE 1914-15 STAR. This will be in bronze. The riband will bo in red, white, and blue, shaded and watered. The 1914-15 Star will be issued only to those who actually served on the establishment of a'unit in a theatre of war, as defined in paragraph 5, before midnight on the 31st December, 1915, and who are not eligible for the 1914 Star. THE YICTORY MEDAL. This will be in bronze. The riband will bo red in the centre, with green and violet on each side, shaded to form colours of two rainbows. The Victory Medal will be awarded to those who actually served on the establishment of a unit in a theatre of war, and within the periods as defined in paragraph 6, between midnight 4th-sth August, 1914, and midnight llth-12th November, 1918. No clasp will be issued with the medal. Special provision has been made in respect to all three medals to the effect that officers or soldiers not definitely appointed on the establishment of a unit serving overseas or not, by virtue of a visit to any theatre of operations for a temporary purpose, to become eligible for war medals. The theatres of war with which the members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force are concerned are defined as follow: (a) —France, Belgium, between midnight, August 4-5, 1914, and midnight, November 11-12, 1918. (b) between midnight, April 17- 191", and midnight, November 4-5, 1918 (c) —Greek Macedonia, Servia, Bulgaria, and European Turkey, between midnight, October 4-5, 1915, and midnight, November 11-12, 1918. (d) and Islands of Aegean Sea, between midnight, April 24-25, 1915, and midnight, January 9-10, 1916. (e) —Egtfpt, between midnight, November 4-5, 1914, and midnight, Maidh 18- 1916. (f) Localities covered by operations conducted by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force between midnight, March-18-19, 1916, and midnight, October 31 and November 1, 1918, but excluding operations for which the Sultan’s Sudan, medal has been awarded. from midnight, November 5-6, 1914. (h)—Persia, from midnight, November 5-6, 1914. (it—German Samoa, on August 29, 1914. It will thus be seen that practically every soldier who left New Zealand will be entitled to the British War Medal, with one or more clasps. Those who actually entered a theatre of war as a bona fide member of a unit of the Expeditionary Force on active service in that theatre will receiv* the Victory Medal in addition. If he entered that theatre as specified before midnight on December 31. 1916, he will be entitled to all three medals herein referred to.