DECORATIONS, SERVICE
New Zealand servicemen have been eligible for British orders and decorations since they participated in the Boer War of 1899–1902. During the Maori War of 1860–72, British decorations were not awarded to the locally raised forces, and the New Zealand Cross was instituted as a New Zealand equivalent to the Victoria Cross. In 1898 the New Zealand Government had ten Distinguished Conduct Medals struck with the words “New Zealand” on the reverse, but there is no record of any of these medals being awarded, and only specimens are known to exist today.
The New Zealand Mounted Rifle Contingents to the Boer War received the following awards:
| Victoria Cross (V.C.) | 1 |
| Companion of the Bath (C.B.) | 4 |
| Companion of St. Michael and St. George (C.M.G.) | 2 |
| Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) | 8 |
| Member of the Royal Red Cross (R.R.C.) | 1 |
| Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) | 21 |
| Mentions in Despatches (M.I.D.) | 63 |
| Total | 100 |
During the Great War of 1914–18 New Zealand Naval and Air Force personnel served as part of the Royal Navy, Royal Flying Corps, or Royal Air Force, but no separate record was kept of awards to New Zealanders in these services. Awards to the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force (Army) were as follows:
| Victoria Cross (V.C.) | 11 |
| Knight Commander of the Bath (K.C.B.) | 2 |
| Knight Companion of St. Michael and St. George (K.C.M.G.) | 2 |
| Companion of the Bath (C.B.) | 12 |
| Companion of St. Michael and St. George (C.M.G.) | 47 |
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) | 23 |
| Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) | 141 |
| Bar to the Distinguished Service Order | 8 |
| Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) | 60 |
| Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) | 44 |
| Member of the Royal Red Cross (R.R.C.) | 14 |
| Bar to the Royal Red Cross | 1 |
| Military Cross (M.C.) | 530 |
| Bar to the Military Cross | 25 |
| Associate of the Royal Red Cross (A.R.R.C.) | 72 |
| Albert Medal (A.M.) | 1 |
| Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) | 393 |
| Bar to the Distinguished Conduct Medal | 4 |
| Military Medal (M.M.) | 2,066 |
| Bar to the Military Medal | 62 |
| Meritorious Service Medal (M.S.M.) | 318 |
| Mentions in Despatches (M.I.D.) | 1,434 |
| Total British Awards | 5,270 |
| Foreign Awards | 252 |
| Total British and Foreign Awards | 5,522 |
During the World War of 1939–45 New Zealand servicemen were awarded the following:
| RNZN | ARMY | RNZAF | Total | |
| Victoria Cross (V.C.) | .. | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Bar to the Victoria Cross | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| George Cross (G.C.) | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Knight Commander of the Bath (K.C.B.) | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Knight Commander of the British Empire (K.B.E.) | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Companion of the Bath (C.B.) | 3 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) | 1 | 26 | 9 | 36 |
| Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) | 15 | 111 | 71 | 197 |
| First Bar to the D.S.O. | 7 | 17 | 4 | 28 |
| Second Bar to the D.S.O. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Third Bar to the D.S.O. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) | 15 | 84 | 34 | 133 |
| Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) | 28 | 148 | 66 | 242 |
| Royal Red Cross (R.R.C.) | .. | 8 | .. | 8 |
| Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) | 95 | .. | .. | 95 |
| First Bar to the D.S.C. | 8 | .. | .. | 8 |
| Second Bar to the D.S.C. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| Military Cross (M.C.) | .. | 254 | 2 | 256 |
| Bar to the Military Cross | .. | 13 | .. | 13 |
| Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) | 1 | .. | 1,014 | 1,015 |
| First Bar to the D.F.C. | .. | .. | 80 | 80 |
| Second Bar to the D.F.C. | .. | .. | 4 | 4 |
| Air Force Cross (A.F.C.) | .. | .. | 102 | 102 |
| Bar to the Air Force Cross | .. | .. | 2 | 2 |
| Associate of the Royal Red Cross (A.R.R.C.) | .. | 19 | .. | 19 |
| Albert Medal (A.M.) | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) | .. | 108 | .. | 108 |
| Bar to the D.C.M. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (C.G.M.) | 1 | .. | 5 | 6 |
| George Medal (G.M.) | .. | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) | 35 | .. | .. | 35 |
| Military Medal (M.M.) | .. | 589 | 3 | 592 |
| Bar to the Military Medal | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Distinguished Flying Medal (D.F.M.) | .. | .. | 179 | 179 |
| Bar to the D.F.M. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Air Force Medal (A.F.M.) | .. | .. | 5 | 5 |
| British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) | 30 | 74 | .. | 104 |
| Mentions in Despatches (M.I.D.) | 197 | 2,802 | 572 | 3,571 |
| Special Commendations | 1 | .. | 42 | 43 |
| Total British Awards | 439 | 4,273 | 2,207 | 6,919 |
| Foreign Awards | 41 | 117 | 68 | 226 |
| Total British and Foreign Awards | 480 | 4,390 | 2,275 | 7,145 |
In addition members of the New Zealand Merchant Navy won the following Service awards during the 1939–45 war:
| Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) | 1 |
| Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) | 3 |
| Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) | 2 |
| Mentions in Despatches (M.I.D.) | 8 |
| Total | 14 |
During the Korean War of 1950–54 members of the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Army won the following awards:
| RNZN | ARMY | Total | |
| Companion of the Bath (C.B.) | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) | .. | 4 | 4 |
| Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) | 1 | 14 | 15 |
| Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) | 5 | .. | 5 |
| First Bar to the D.S.C. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Second Bar to the D.S.C. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Military Cross (M.C.) | .. | 11 | 11 |
| Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Military Medal (M.M.) | .. | 7 | 7 |
| British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) | .. | 4 | 4 |
| Mentions in Despatches (M.I.D.) | 18 | 48 | 66 |
| Totals | 28 | 90 | 118 |
During the campaign against communist terrorists in Malaya between 1948–60, members of the New Zealand Army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force won the following awards:
| ARMY | RNZAF | Total | |
| Companion of the Bath (C.B.) | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) | 5 | .. | 5 |
| Military Cross (M.C.) | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) | .. | 3 | 3 |
| Military Medal (M.M.) | 2 | .. | 2 |
| British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) | 4 | .. | 4 |
| Mentions in Despatches (M.I.D.) | 21 | 3 | 24 |
| Totals | 37 | 8 | 45 |
The total British awards won by New Zealand servicemen from 1899 to the present day whilst engaged in operations outside New Zealand are as follows:
| RNZN | ARMY | RNZAF | Totals | |
| Boer War, 1899–1902 | .. | 100 | .. | 100 |
| World War, 1914–18 | .. | 5,270 | .. | 5,270 |
| World War, 1939–45 | 439 | 4,273 | 2,207 | 6,919 |
| Korean War, 1950–54 | 28 | 90 | .. | 118 |
| Malayan Campaign, 1948–60 | .. | 37 | 8 | 45 |
| Total awards | 467 | 9,770 | 2,215 | 12,452 |
by Capt. Geoffrey Troughear Stagg, F.R.N.S.N.Z., R.N.Z.A. (retired), formerly President of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand, Wellington.
- “Colonials in South Africa, 1899–1902”. Stirling, J. (1907)
- Appendices to Journal of the House of Representatives:H—19 E, 1919, and H—19 B, 1948
- Some Records of the NZEF, Studholme J. (1928).
