New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (D.S.D.)

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

H.M. the Queen has approved of a new NZ military honour, known as the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration. The Decoration may be awarded to all military ranks of the New Zealand Defence Force, or uniformed members of allied forces operating with or alongside units of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Decoration may be awarded for the outstanding performance of military duties in either warlike or non-warlike operations and for individual efforts toward peacetime and humanitarian service which brings great credit to the New Zealand Defence Force and contributes significantly, through exceptional devotion to duty, dedication, judgement or application of skills to one or more of the following:

1. the conduct of an operational deployment;

2. the conduct of military training or a military operation or operations; and

3. the management and implementation of a project or activity with significant implications for the current or future capability of the New Zealand Defence Force.

The Distinguished Service Decoration also may be awarded for a singular accomplishment or instance of extraordinary performance of duty, or be awarded for superior cumulative efforts over a sustained period of time.

Recipients of the Decoration shall have the privilege of placing the letters ?DSD? after their name. Persons to whom the Decoration has been awarded who for further services qualify for the Decoration, shall be awarded a Bar to their Decoration. The Bar to the Decoration shall be of silver, oblong in shape, and bearing two New Zealand fern fronds. Although not explicitly stated, a coiled fern frond emblem shall probably be attached when a ribbon bar alone is worn, as it is the case with other NZ awards.

The decoration ranks as a sixth level award and takes precedence immediately following The New Zealand Antarctic Medal, which is fairly low.

More information can be found here, and the Wiki News article is here.

Unfortunately, the only photo of the decoration I have found is not of best quality. If someone has a better one, please share.

Lukasz

[Tiger-pie]

Looks a bit like the QSO, with more "petals" and in silver rather than gold. I would imagine that they will put it on the official Kiwi site soon, now that it has been approved and minted.

Do you know who mints Kiwi medals? They may have a better image on their site.

Regards;

Johnsy

[David S]

The Decoration is manufactured by Eng Leong Medallic Industries Pte Ltd, of Singapore , who also manufacture The New Zealand Antarctic Medal and many of the campaign and special service medals for the New Zealand Defence Force.

Here's the site: http://www.elm.com.sg/Product_ODM.htm

It's not there yet

[Megan]

Not very much better...

The actual decoration will be in a black leatherette case rather than the red one here. The blue in the production ribbon is going to be a bit darker as well. Hopefully better picture in a week or so!

Edited June 5, 2007 by Megan

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

MUCH better though! You can see tha details. Thanks

Do you have information of the width of the ribbon?

Lukasz

[Megan]

No more than bit about the 'real' one going to be a bit darker blue at the moment, but I'll see what I can find out.

[Megan]

The Royal Warrant says "The Decoration shall be worn from the left breast suspended from a ribbon, 32 mm in width, of five stripes of dark blue, yellow, red, yellow, and dark blue."