Military decorations were originally intended for Officers. Until a time other ranks only received public honourable mention, monetary rewards or medals bearing the portrait of the sovereign or commander. Today these other ranks are also rewarded.

Czar Peter I and Catherine II created the first military medals designed as visible rewards for bravery in 1789 during Russia's war against the Turks.

In 1865 Queen Victoria expressed a wish that there should be some special award for those men who displayed courage of a remarkably outstanding nature. So was instituted the Victoria Cross.

During the New Zealand Wars only imperial troops were at first eligible for the Victoria Cross and although regulations were eventually changed it took years for the recommendations to be acted upon to include colonial troops. To overcome the delays the Governor, Sir George Bowen, instituted the New Zealand Cross in 1869. This was a special decoration for acts of bravery by colonial troops and was to be the equivalent in merit to the Victoria Cross.

Other decorations:

• The Distinguished Conduct Medal (September 1862)
• The Albert Medal (March 1866)
• The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (July 1874)
• The Royal Red Cross (April 1883)
• The Distinguished Service Cross (October 1914)
• The Distinguished Service Medal (October 1914)
• The Military Cross (December 1914)
• The Distinguished Flying Cross (June 1918)
• The Air Force Cross (June 1918)
• The Distinguished Flying Medal (June 1918)
• The Air Force Medal (June 1918)
• The George Cross (September 1940)
• The George Medal (September 1940)

Introduced to reward acts of heroism not quite equalling those deemed worthy of the Victoria Cross, the George Medal recognises bravery of a slightly lower worth than the George Cross. Service personnel and civilians can win both the Victoria Cross and the George Cross.

Campaign Medals

Medals that are struck to commemorate and recognise service in a war or other warlike operational activity are known as Campaign Medals.

They are awarded irrespective of rank to all personnel who served in the particular theatre of war or operation and who meet the minimum service requirement based on time and location. Until the end of the Second World War, New Zealand service personnel were awarded British Campaign Medals however since that time a number of specific New Zealand campaign medals have been created.

Many campaign medals are awarded for service in very wide geographical areas. Service in a specific operation within the wider campaign area is often recognised by the award of a clasp engraved with the name of the specific area or activity.

British Commonwealth campaign medals for service by New Zealand military personnel in the New Zealand Wars, South African War, the First World War and for operations after 3 September 1945 were normally engraved. For round medals the engraving was usually on the bottom rim. For stars the engraving was on the reverse.

However, campaign medals and stars awarded for service for New Zealand during the Second World War were issued unengraved. The same no engraving policy was applied by other British Commonwealth countries, except for Australia and South Africa.

New Zealand Campaign medals

Since 1945 New Zealand has created specific New Zealand campaign medals for Second World War service (the New Zealand War Service Medal) and for operational service after 3 September 1945 (see the New Zealand Campaign medals section of our website).

Gallantry, Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards

Thousands of New Zealand military personnel were awarded British Commonwealth Gallantry, Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards in recognition of their exceptional service during the First and Second World Wars. British Commonwealth awards to New Zealanders were also made for military service in the periods 1840-1913 and 1946-1999.

Between 1974 and 2009 New Zealand made a series of changes to create an Honours and Awards system reflecting New Zealand's position as an independent sovereign nation. New Zealand created a range of New Zealand specific awards which would subsequently be awarded instead of British Commonwealth awards.

The changes included the institution in 1999 of eight New Zealand Gallantry and Bravery awards which replaced the range of equivalent British awards. These eight New Zealand awards are only conferred for acts of gallantry or bravery since 1990.

More information on decorations, medals and awards can be found at the New Zealand Defence Force Medals site.