David Kite joined the Seaman Branch of the Royal New Zealand Navy in April 1945. He joined as a Boy 2nd Class and trained in HMNZS Tamaki before being posted to sea in HMNZS Gambia. Kite served in numerous ships and shore establishments during his long naval career, including in HMNZ Ships Arbutus, Lachlan, Kaniere, Black Prince, Paea, Taranaki, Royalist, and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. In 1951 he was serving as a Leading Seaman in HMNZS Bellona, when the ship’s crew were sent to work on wharves across the country in response to the Waterfront Strike. He served in Korean waters during the 1950s in HMNZ Ships Pukaki and Rotoiti.
He was also on board Pukaki for the first three nuclear tests of Operation Grapple, in which the ship was deployed as a weather and observation ship. Kite was also serving in Rotoiti when the ship travelled to Antarctica as part of Operation Deep Freeze in 1961. He was discharged from the Navy in 1966, having reached the rate of Petty Officer. Kite worked as a civilian for the Ministry of Defence and RNZN before re-entering service in 1973 as a General Dutyman.
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 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.
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.
The New Zealand Operational Service Medal (NZOSM) was instituted in 2002 to recognise New Zealanders (military and civilians) who have served since the end of the Second World War. The NZOSM provides recognition for those who have earned a campaign medal or completed 7 days or more of operational service since 3 September 1945. It is awarded once only to an individual, regardless of how many times he or she has deployed on operations. The medal features the New Zealand Coat of Arms on the obverse and a kiwi on the reverse. The ribbon is black and white stripes, representative of New Zealand’s national colours.
The Naval General Service Medal (NGSM) 1915-1962, was instituted in 1915 to recognise service in minor naval operations for which no separate medal was intended. They were always issued with a clasp for the specific area of operation. A total of seventeen clasps were awarded. Examples in our collection include the ‘Persian Gulf 1909-14’ clasp for operations against gun-runners; the ‘Palestine 1936-39’ and ‘Palestine 1945-48’ clasps which were issued for service in the pre-war Arab uprising and post-war Jewish insurgency; the ‘Minesweeping 1945-51’ clasp which was awarded for six months minesweeping service afloat; the ‘Malaya’ clasp recognising the service of naval personnel, including the Royal New Zealand Navy, during the Malayan Emergency of 1948-1960; and the ‘Yangtze 1949’ clasp for those on HMS Amethyst and other vessels attacked by Communist Chinese forces.
The New Zealand Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) was awarded to personnel who were part of an official New Zealand Government presence at atmospheric nuclear tests between 1956 and 1973. This includes naval personnel who served in HMNZ Ships Pukaki and Rotoiti at Operation Grapple (British nuclear weapon tests in the Pacific), in 1957-58, as well as those aboard RNZN vessels sent to protest French nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in July 1973. The medal is gilt. The obverse of the medal features a representation of the New Zealand Coat of Arms. The reverse features 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 inscribed “For Special Service”. The ribbon is 32mm in width with an orange-yellow central stripe with Crimson, red, white and black stripes. The central stripe of the ribbon represents the core of the nuclear explosion fireball and stripes either side allude to the red luminous spherical wave formation radiating from it. The black represents the destruction caused by the explosion.
Awarded by the Malaysian Government to members of the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces who served in the prescribed operational area of Malaysia and Singapore during the “Confrontation” and Emergency” periods (1957-1966). The ribbon has five vertical stripes in the colours of the Malaysian national flag.
