Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration

Instituted in 1908, the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration was awarded to commissioned officers in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve after fifteen years of service; wartime service counting as double. Holders were entitled to the postnominal letters VD (until 1947) or VRD (after 1947). The original plain dark green ribbon was replaced with a blue, green and red striped version in 1919. The VRD was discontinued in the United Kingdom in 1966 but continued to be awarded in New Zealand, being instituted in 1985 as the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration with qualifying service backdated to 1977. The New Zealand VRD is the exact same design as the RNVR Decoration with the post 1919 striped ribbon. The ribbon colours are symbolic with blue representing the sea, red the Royal crimson and green which was the colour of the ribbon of the original Volunteer Officer’s decoration.