The New Zealand War Medal was a campaign medal authorised in 1869 to be awarded to Imperial and Colonial troops involved in the
New Zealand Wars
The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the ...
of 1845–47 and 1860–66.
[ The New Zealand Wars were previously known as the Māori Wars, Anglo-Māori Wars or Land Wars.
Imperial forces included ]British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
and Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
. The Colonial militia were recruited both locally and in Australia, and included mobile forces like Von Tempsky's Forest Rangers and the Arawa Flying Column from a Māori tribe for the guerrilla war in the New Zealand bush.
For Imperial forces, it was awarded to those "who actually served in the field against the enemy in New Zealand".
The medal was granted to Colonial Forces and Friendly natives who had "been actually under fire, or otherwise conspicuous for distinguished service in the field," and also to nearest relatives of anyone killed in action or who had died of his wounds.
Description
The medal is silver, circular, in diameter and with a straight bar suspender ornamented with New Zealand fern fronds
A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the lar ...
.Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
, facing left and wearing a diadem and veil, with the legend: VICTORIA D: G: BRITT : REG : F : D : The bust is similar to, but larger than, that on the Abyssinian Medal issued in the same year.
The reverse has a laurel wreath containing the year or years between which the recipient served, with the words NEW ZEALAND above and VIRTUTIS HONOR (Honour of valour) below. Generally Colonial militia medals are undated, as were some to Imperial forces. The year(s) of service, within the period 1845 to 1866, were shown over three lines, for example: 1863 / to / 1865. Uniquely for a British campaign medal, the years are die struck in the centre.[ The longest period shown on an awarded medal was "1846 to 1865", of which only one was bestowed, while unawarded specimens are known bearing the dates "1846 to 1866".][
The rim of the medal was impressed with the recipient's number, name, regiment and – for those above private – their rank. Some medals with an undated reverse also have the relevant years of service engraved on the rim.][
The ribbon, wide, is of blue with a 10 mm red centre stripe.][
No clasps (bars) were issued.]
Number issued
The number struck was 1,957 (Imperial government) and 2,500 (Colonial government), total 4,457, of which about 4,400 were issued.
The New Zealand Ministry of Defence retained a few unclaimed medals, some of which they sold in the 1960s marked "specimen" and with the name of the recipient obliterated.[
]
See also
References
External links
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{{New Zealand campaign medals
British campaign medals
New Zealand Wars
New Zealand campaign medals