Ref.no. APH 0124 Image may be subject to copyright restrictions.
Rank:
Petty Officer
Birth date:
08.01.1911
Birth Place:
Auckland, New Zealand
Service Number:
NZD860
Date Joined:
20.01.1927
Date Discharged:
05.02.1946
Display No. 5H
MALCOLM, Colin Wilson
Colin Malcolm joined the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in January 1927, training in HMS Philomel. Malcolm spent several years serving in HMS Dunedin and was on board when the ship was deployed to Samoa in response to the Mau Movement. He was later posted to HMS Diomede when it was stationed at Aden during the Abyssinian Crisis in 1935, and then transferred to HMS Achilles when it relieved Diomede.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Malcolm was on board HMS Achilles which was then called to patrol the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts of South America for German vessels, and was subsequently involved in the Battle of the River Plate on 13 December, 1939. Malcolm was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) for his service at the Battle of the River Plate. He continued to serve in HMS Achilles which was involved in convoy work before joining the Solomon campaign. As part of the campaign, on 5 January 1943 during a bombardment of Munda island, HMNZS Achilles was hit by Japanese aircraft and a bomb exploded on the X-turret killing 13 men. Later that year Malcolm joined HMNZS Gambia where he served until December 1944. He then served ashore in HMNZS Philomel and was discharged from service in February 1946.
Note: The medals here are displayed in the order in which they were donated to the museum, representing how they were worn by their recipients. In this case, Malcolm’s Pacific Star is incorrectly mounted with a Silver Rosette. Ordinarily a Silver Rosette would be awarded to represent a clasp when wearing medal ribbons without medals. A Silver Rosette on a Pacific Star ribbon would typically indicate the award of a Burma Clasp.
The 1939-1945 Star, The Atlantic Star, The Pacific Star, The War Medal 1939-1945, The France and Germany Star, The New Zealand War Service Medal, Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Awarded medal(s)
Medal Description [Left to Right]:
The 1939-1945 Star
The 1939-45 Star is the first in a series of eight campaign stars instituted in 1945 to recognise service in World War Two. The ribbon has three equal vertical stripes of dark blue, red and light blue. The dark blue stripe symbolises the service of the Navy and the Merchant Navy, the red stripe symbolises the service of the Army, and the light blue stripe symbolises the service of the Air Force. The equal width bands represent the equal contributions of the three service arms towards victory. The ribbon was devised by King George VI. Two clasps could be awarded with this medal: ‘Battle of Britain’ and ‘Bomber Command’. Only aircrew would qualify for these clasps although a small number of Fleet Air Arm naval pilots flew for the air force and would be eligible for the ‘Battle of Britain’ clasp.
The Atlantic Star
The Atlantic Star was awarded for service during the Second World War. It was instituted to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic the longest continuous military campaign in the Second World War running from 3 September, 1939 – 8 May, 1945. Six months naval service or four months air service in the Atlantic, United Kingdom (‘home’) waters or North Russian waters was normally required. The ribbon is watered silk coloured blue, white and green, symbolising service in the oceans. Two clasps could be awarded with this medal: ‘France and Germany’ and ‘Air Crew Europe’. Personnel issued the Atlantic Star who then qualified for either the France and Germany and the Air Crew Europe Stars were awarded a clasp in respect of the second only (as only one clasp could be worn on the star).
The Pacific Star
The Pacific Star was awarded in the Second World War for operational service in the Pacific between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. This medal was also awarded for certain specified service in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and Sumatra: between 8 December 1941 and 25 December 1941 (for Hong Kong); between 8 December 1941 and 15 February 1942 (for China and Malaya); and between 8 December 1941 and 23 March 1942 (for Sumatra). The centre of the ribbon is dark green (symbolising the jungle) with a central yellow stripe (symbolising the beaches). On the outer edges are wide stripes of red (representing the Army), with narrow stripes of dark blue and light blue (representing the Navy and Air Force) between the stripes of dark green and red. A ‘Burma’ clasp could be awarded with this medal. Personnel qualifying for both the Pacific and Burma Stars were awarded the first star but only a clasp in respect of the second.
The War Medal 1939-1945
The War Medal 1939-45 was awarded across the British Commonwealth to all full-time members of the Armed Forces in the Second World War for 28 days service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945, irrespective of where they were serving. The ribbon is the red, white, and blue of the (British) Union Flag. There is a narrow central red stripe with a narrow white stripe on either side. There are broad red stripes at either edge, the two intervening stripes being blue.
A bronze oak leaf on the medal ribbon denotes that the recipient was Mentioned in Despatches. To be Mentioned in Despatches a member of the armed forces had their name mentioned in an official report, written by a superior officer, and sent to a higher command. The report would describe the individual’s gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.
The New Zealand War Service Medal
The New Zealand War Service Medal was awarded for 28 days’ full time service or six months’ part time service in the Second World War in any of the New Zealand Armed Forces including the Reserves, Naval Auxiliary Patrol Service, or Home Guard, between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Awarded to ratings who have served a minimum of 15 years in the Royal Navy (previously 21 or 10 years), the first version of this medal was instituted in 1831 and it is still issued to Royal Navy personnel today. It features the reigning monarch’s head on the obverse and HMS Victory on the reverse with the recipient’s details engraved or impressed on the edge of the medal. This medal was also issued to eligible personnel serving in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy from 1921-1941 and then to Royal New Zealand Navy personnel from 1941-1981. In 1985 a New Zealand Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was introduced bearing the exact same design.