John Alder joined the Royal Navy in 1927 as a Boy Seaman. He served in HMS Dunedin from 1928 and was on board when the ship sailed to Napier with emergency supplies following the earthquake in 1931. Shortly afterwards Alder transferred to HMS Diomede. In 1935 he took passage to the United Kingdom for an exchange to the Royal Navy. Alder served in the home fleet in HMS Nelson before returning to New Zealand in 1938.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Alder was posted to HMS Achilles which was then called to patrol the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts of South America for German vessels. Achilles was subsequently involved in the Battle of the River Plate on 13 December 1939. Alder served in Achilles again later in the war in the Solomon Islands campaign. He was then deployed to HMNZS Gambia, serving on Task Force 31 (Tokyo Bay Occupation Force) which led to the surrender of the Japanese Navy. Alder was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for his service in the Pacific. His citation stated, “He has been responsible for the electrical efficiency of the 6-inch Fire Control, and he is a most reliable, efficient and cheerful Petty Officer who has at all times shown an example of leadership and devotion to duty which has earned the admiration of both officers and his subordinates”.
Alder was discharged from the Royal New Zealand Navy in February 1946 and remained on the reserve list until 1952.
The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) was instituted in 1914 for senior and junior ratings of the Navy. It was awarded for acts of bravery in the face of the enemy for which the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was not considered appropriate. It was replaced in 1999 by the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration. The ribbon has three equal stripes: dark blue, white and dark blue with a thin dark blue stripe down the centre of the white stripe.
