Efficiency and Long Service Awards

The New Zealand Meritorious Service Medal was originally introduced in 1898 as a meritorious and long service award for the New Zealand Army only.  The criteria was amended in 1985 to also include the Navy and Air Force. It is awarded to senior non-commissioned officers (above the rank of Petty Officer or Sergeant) with at least 21 years of good, faithful and meritorious service and who “exhibit an irreproachable record”. It is now restricted to twenty members of the Army, ten from the Royal New Zealand Navy, and fifteen from the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Superseded by the New Zealand Defence Meritorious Service Medal in 2013. Ribbon is crimson with a thin green stripe.

A long service decoration for Regular Force Officers of the New Zealand Defence Force. Established in 1985, it was originally presented for 15 years of unblemished service. In August 2020 the criteria was modified to be awarded for 14 years service. The medal ribbon colours of dark blue, crimson and light blue represent the three Services (Navy, Army and Air Force) with a black central stripe symbolising New Zealand. The ribbon of the award was designed by Mr Phillip O’Shea, New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary.

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.

Instituted in 1908, the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration was awarded to commissioned officers in the Royal Naval Reserve after fifteen years of service; active wartime service counting as double. Recipients are entitled to use the postnominal letters RD. White edging was added to the original plain dark green ribbon in 1941. The VRD was discontinued in the United Kingdom in 1966 but continued to be issued in New Zealand, instituted in 1985 as the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration with qualifying service backdated to 1977. The New Zealand RD is the exact same design as the RNR Decoration and uses the white edged green ribbon.

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.

A long service medal awarded to members of the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR). Established in 1909, the medal was awarded to petty officers and ratings who had served a minimum of 15 years; war service counting double. A plain green ribbon was initially in use, with white stripes added to the ribbon in 1941.

The same medal, but differentiated by the ribbon, was also awarded to other Naval Reserve branches such as the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR), Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve, and Royal Naval Wireless Auxiliary Reserve.

In 1957 the RNR and RNVR were merged and the medal ribbon was changed to equal stripes of blue, white, green, white, blue. The medal was replaced by the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal in 2000.

A long service medal awarded to members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). Established in 1909, the medal was awarded to petty officers and ratings who had served 12 or 15 years; war service counting double. The original medal was the same as that of the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) long service medal with a plain green ribbon. In 1919 a new ribbon was introduced for the RNVR medal: blue edges with a wide central green stripe between narrow crimson stripes.

The same medal and ribbon was also issued to the Royal Naval Wireless Auxiliary Reserve from 1939. Versions with different ribbons were awarded to other Naval Reserve branches such as the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR), and the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve.

In 1957, the RNR and RNVR were merged and a new medal ribbon was issued, before the medal itself was replaced in the UK in 2000. However, New Zealand continued to award the medal with it being instituted in 1985 as the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.