MSM Awards

The New Zealand Special Service Medal

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, -

on the obverse, a representation of the New Zealand Coat of Arms; and

on 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 be 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.

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:-

persons who were, at any time, members of the armed forces (within the meaning of section 2(1) of

the Defence Act 1971):

persons who were, at any time, members of:-

the New Zealand Naval Forces (within the meaning of the Navy Act 1954); or

the New Zealand Army (within the meaning of the New Zealand Army Act 1950); or

iii

the Royal New Zealand Air Force (within the meaning of the Royal New Zealand Air

Force Act 1950):

New Zealand civilians:

any other persons whom the Minister of Defence, on the advice of the Chief of Defence Force may

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:-

at Maralinga, Australia, on 27 September 1956, 4 October 1956, 22 October 1956, or

25 September 1957:

at Maiden Island (now part of the Republic of Kiribati), on 15 May 1957, 31 May 1957, or 19 June 1957:

at 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:

at Nevada, United States of America, on 1 September 1957:

at Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands, on 18 July 1959:

at Moruroa, on 22 July 1973 or 28 July 1973:

at 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:-

cancel and annul the conferment of the Medal on a person; and

if 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.