Established
Per Royal Warrant.
Design
The Special Service Medal is gold plated and bears on theobverse the New Zealand Coat of Arms and on the reverse is a representation of a bouquet of New Zealand flora, composed of fern frondsand sprigs of the blossom of Pohutukawa, Manuka, Kowhai, and Mt Cook Lillies, with a scroll below inscribed "FOR SPECIAL SERVICE".
Historic Notes
The first award of the New Zealand Special Service Medal will be to personnel who were sent by the New Zealand Goverment to observe atmospheric nuclear tests.
For the 1957-58 British tests, named Operation Grapple, held at Christmas Island in te central Pacific, New Zealand provided two frigates to act as weather-observation ships. HMNZ Ships ROTOITI and PUKAKI were deployed to Christmas Island in March of 1957 and were present for the first test at nearby Malden Island in May 1957. The second test followed on 31 May 1957 and the final test for 1957 was on 19 June. After returning to Auckland, ROTOITI and PUKAKI were made available for an extra weapons test in November. More tests were conducted in 1958, with PUKAKI being deployed to observe tests in April and again in August and September.
New Zealand also sent observers to other British nuclear tests in Australia in 1956 and 57. The United States also invited observers to weapons tests, and New Zealand personnel attended tests in Nevada in 1957 and at Eniwetok Atoll in 1958.
Later attendance by New Zealand personnel at atmospheric nuclear tests was of a somewhat different character. To demonstrate its opposition to French nuclear testing, the New Zealand Goverment sent the Frigate HMNZS OTAGO to Mururoa Atoll in 1973. The OTAGO was off Mururoa when a test was detonated on 22 July. HMNZS CANTERBURY followed OTAGO in this duty and was present for a further test on 28 July. Although France continued nuclear tests at Mururoa, subsequent tests were underground.
COPY OF ROYAL WARRANT
Elizabeth R
Royal Warrant
Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting!
Whereas We are desirous of instituting a medal to award to members of Our New Zealand Defence Force and certain other New Zealanders who undertake special services that are not normally recognised by a campaign medal:
We do by these Presents for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, institute and create a new Medal.
1 Style
The Medal shall be styled and designated "The New Zealand Special Service Medal".
2 Description
The Medal shall be made of gold plated base-metal and circular in shape, bearing, -
a
on the obverse, a representation of the New Zealand Coat of Arms; and
bon the reverse, a representation of a bouquet of New Zealand flora, composed of fern fronds and sprigs of blossom of Pohutukawa, Manuka, Kowhai, and Mt Cook Lilies with a scroll below inscribed with the words "FOR SPECIAL SERVICE".
3 Regulations
The Medal shall he awarded for those special services under Regulations that the Governor-General of New Zealand, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister or a Minister of the Crown acting for the Prime Minister, may determine.
4 Operational service
Operational service shall not count as qualifying service for the Medal nor shall service towards qualification for the Medal count as qualifying service towards the New Zealand Operational Service Medal.
5 Ribbon
The Medal shall be worn from the left breast suspended from a ribbon, 32 millimetres in width, of a design that the Governor-General of New Zealand, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister or a Minister of the Crown acting for the Prime Minister, may determine by Regulation.
6 Register
The names of all those persons who receive the Medal shall be recorded in a register kept by the Chief of Defence Force.
7 Order of wear
In the official list showing the order in which Orders, Decorations, and Medals shall be worn in New Zealand, the New Zealand Special Service Medal shall be worn in order of date of award after war medals but before Coronation, Jubilee, and New Zealand Commemoration Medals.
8 Miniatures
Reproductions of the Medal, in miniature, which may be worn on certain occasions by those persons who have received the Medal, shall not exceed one-half of the size of the full-size Medal.
9 Annulment
We reserve to Ourself, Our Heirs and Successors, full power of annulling, altering, abrogating, augmenting, interpreting, or dispensing with this Our Royal Warrant, or any part of it, by a notification under Our Sign Manual.
Given at Our Court at Saint James's, this 23rd day of July 2002, in the 51st Year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesty's Command.
Helen Clark,
Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Issued under the authority of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989.
Date of notification in Gazette: 1 August 2002.
This warrant is administered in the New Zealand Defence Force.
COPY OF REGULATIONS
New Zealand Special Service Medal
(Nuclear Testing)
Silvia Cartwright, Governor-General
Pursuant to the Royal Warrant (SR 2002/224 dated 23 July 2002) instituting and creating the New Zealand Special Service Medal, the Governor-General of New Zealand, under authority delegated by The Queen, has been pleased to make the following regulations.
1 Title
These regulations are the New Zealand Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) Regulations 2002.
2 Commencement
These regulations come into force on the 28th day after the date of their notification in the Gazette.
3 New Zealand Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing)
The New Zealand Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) is awarded subject to the Royal Warrant and to these regulations.
4 Ribbon
The ribbon shall have an orange-yellow centre with crimson, red, white, and black stripes on either side.
5 Nuclear testing
The New Zealand Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) is awarded for service as part of an official New Zealand Government presence at an atmospheric nuclear test.
6 Eligibility
The following persons are, eligible for the Medal:-
apersons who were, at any time, members of the armed forces (within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Defence Act 1971):
bpersons who were, at any time, members of:-
i the New Zealand Naval Forces (within the meaning of the Navy Act 1954); or
ii the New Zealand Army (within the meaning of the New Zealand Army Act 1950); or
iiithe Royal New Zealand Air Force (within the meaning of the Royal New Zealand Air
Force Act 1950):
cNew Zealand civilians:
dany other persons whom the Minister of Defence, on the advice of the Chief of Defence Forcemay determine.
7 Qualifications for award
A person qualifies for the award of the Medal if he or she meets the requirements of regulation 6 and was present at 1 of the following nuclear tests:-
aat Maralinga, Australia, on 27 September 1956, 4 October 1956, 22 October 1956, or 25
September 1957:
bat Maiden Island (now part of the Republic of Kiribati), on 15 May 1957, 31 May 1957, or 19 June 1957:
cat Christmas Island (now part of the Republic of Kiribati), on 8 November 1957, 28 April 1958, 22 August 1958, 2 September 1958, 11 September 1958, or 23 September 1958:
dat Nevada, United States of America, on 1 September 1957:
eat Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands, on 18 July 1959:
f at Moruroa, on 22 July 1973 or 28 July 1973:
gat any other atmospheric nuclear test that the Minister of Defence, on the -advice of the Chief of Defence Force, may determine.
8 Delegation
The Chief of Defence Force or an officer of the New Zealand Defence Force authorised by the Chief of Defence Force may award the New Zealand Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) to any eligible person who qualifies for the award of that Medal.
9 Forfeiture and restoration
It shall be competent for the Chief of Defence Force or a Chief of Staff acting for the Chief of Defence Force to:-
acancel and annul the conferment of the Medal on a person; and
bif the conferment of the Medal on a person has been cancelled or annulled, restore the Medal to that person.
Dated at Wellington this 24th day of July 2002.
Mark Burton,
Minister of Defence.
Issued under the authority of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989.
Date of notification in Gazette: 1 August 2002.
This warrant is administered in the New Zealand Defence Force.
