New Zealand Military Medal Honours Explained

New Zealand Military Medal Honours carry stories of courage, commitment, and national service. From acts of exceptional gallantry to decades of loyal duty, each ribbon and medal represents a chapter in the country’s history and the lives of those who served. Understanding how New Zealand Military Medal Honours developed and what they symbolise helps families, collectors, and the wider public appreciate the people behind the awards, not just the metal itself.

Here, we discover how the honours system works, highlight key medals, and explore why these decorations remain so important in New Zealand today.

The Origins of New Zealand Military Medal Honours

New Zealand Military Medal Honours have their roots in the broader New Zealand Royal Honours system, which recognises service and achievement on behalf of the Crown and the nation. The modern system, administered by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), evolved from earlier British honours and now includes a distinct set of New Zealand awards.

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, New Zealanders typically received British campaign and gallantry medals for service in conflicts such as the New Zealand Wars, the First World War, and the Second World War. For example, the New Zealand Medal recognised service in the New Zealand Wars, while British campaign stars and medals recognised later global conflicts.

Over time, New Zealand began to issue its own medals. The New Zealand War Service Medal, awarded for service in the Second World War, was the first medal issued by New Zealand specifically for New Zealanders.

From the 1990s onward, the honours system was further New Zealandised. New Zealand created its own gallantry and bravery awards, replacing many British equivalents for acts by New Zealanders, and placed them within an official order of wear that sets out how all insignia are ranked.

Key Medals in the New Zealand Honour System

New Zealand Military Medal Honours can be grouped into several broad categories. Together, they form a structured system that recognises gallantry, bravery, operational service, and long-term commitment.

Highest Gallantry and Bravery Awards

At the very top of the order of wear sit New Zealand’s highest decorations for gallantry and bravery. These include:

• Victoria Cross for New Zealand (VC)

• New Zealand Cross (NZC)

• New Zealand Gallantry Star and Gallantry Decoration

• New Zealand Bravery Star and Bravery Decoration

The Victoria Cross for New Zealand remains the highest award for acts of gallantry in war and war like operations and was created as part of a distinctive set of New Zealand gallantry awards following recommendations in the 1990s.

Campaign, Operational and Service Medals

New Zealand also issues medals for operational and campaign service. These recognise participation in particular theatres of operation or types of service.

Key examples include:

• New Zealand Operational Service Medal (NZOSM) for qualifying operational deployments

• New Zealand Defence Service Medal (NZDSM) which recognises qualifying military service since 3 September 1945 and fills a long standing gap in recognition for many who served but did not receive a campaign medal

These are worn according to the official Order of Wear published by DPMC, which sets out the sequence in which all New Zealand orders, decorations, and medals are worn.

Long Service and Meritorious Awards

Long service and good conduct medals, as well as meritorious service decorations, recognise sustained contribution over many years. They include awards such as the New Zealand Defence Meritorious Service Medal and various long service medals for different services.

What These Medals Represent for Service Members and Families

New Zealand Military Medal Honours are more than decorations. They represent unique commitments that military service demands, including readiness for operational deployment, acceptance of military discipline, and a willingness to undertake demanding roles in difficult environments.

For serving personnel and veterans, medals can symbolise:

• Personal sacrifice and resilience

• The shared experience of service alongside comrades

• Recognition by the Crown and nation for specific actions or years of duty

For families, medals are often treasured as taonga that connect generations, especially when the original recipient has died. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has emphasised that medals represent service, commitment, bravery, and gallantry, and that they should be cared for and worn in honour.

In this sense, New Zealand Military Medal Honours help keep stories alive. They are tangible reminders of people, operations, and moments in history that might otherwise fade from memory.

How New Zealand Military Medal Honours Have Evolved Over Time

The New Zealand Royal Honours system has gradually been reshaped to better reflect national identity while keeping continuity with earlier traditions. DPMC describes the system as a way for New Zealand to say thanks and well done to those who have served and achieved, consistent with New Zealand’s egalitarian character.

A key turning point came with the 1995 Prime Minister’s Honours Advisory Committee. The committee recommended discontinuing most British gallantry and bravery awards for New Zealanders and replacing them with distinct New Zealand decorations, such as the New Zealand Gallantry Awards and New Zealand Bravery Awards.

Other developments include:

• The creation of the New Zealand Defence Service Medal in 2011, which recognised many people whose peacetime service had previously received no medallic recognition

• Updates to the official Order of Wear to incorporate new medals and ensure consistent guidance about how honours are worn in New Zealand

• Increased emphasis on New Zealanders receiving distinctly New Zealand awards for acts of gallantry, bravery, and service rather than British awards

Through these changes, New Zealand Military Medal Honours have become more clearly New Zealand in design and purpose, while still belonging to a wider Commonwealth tradition of honours.

Why Understanding Medal Significance Matters Today

There are several reasons why understanding New Zealand Military Medal Honours remains important.

First, knowledge of the honours system helps ensure medals are worn correctly on ceremonial occasions. NZDF and DPMC provide official guidance about the order of wear and the proper way to mount and display medals on uniforms or civilian clothing.

Second, New Zealand still has unclaimed medals from past conflicts, and many families may be unaware that their relatives are entitled to awards. Government resources on military history, records, and medals encourage people to research service records and check eligibility.

Third, learning about New Zealand Military Medal Honours supports education and remembrance. Sites like Te Ara and NZDF media releases share stories behind particular awards, including modern gallantry decorations for actions in places such as Afghanistan.

Finally, understanding the meaning behind these honours helps reinforce respect for those who serve today and those who served in the past, including Māori and Pasifika units whose contributions are increasingly acknowledged through dedicated research resources.

How to Learn More or Research Specific Medals

If you want to explore New Zealand Military Medal Honours further, or research a particular person’s awards, several official resources are available:

• NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals for information on eligibility, medal applications, and how to request records

• New Zealand government military history and medals portal, which lists key sources for researching medals and service records

• Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, which provides historical context and explanations of New Zealand’s military medals over time

• DPMC honours pages, including the overview of the New Zealand Royal Honours system and the official order of wear.

These official and verified sources ensure that information about New Zealand Military Medal Honours is accurate, up to date, and consistent with government policy. 

Honouring Service Across New Zealand

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