Vanuatu

[Megan]

Vanuatu Independence Medal 1980

[Megan]

Order of Vanuatu

Very curious one, this... Instituted in 1987, and awarded to citizens and others for achievements or distinguished service in 4 Classes. And this is where the fun starts, the classes are: Badge of Honour, Badge of Distinction, Vanuatu Distinguished Service Medal and Vanuatu Meritorious Service Medal!

Here's the Badge of Honour:

The curly white bit is supposed to represent the tusk of a wild pig.

[Megan]

Vanuatu General Service Medal

Instituted: 1988.

This one bears the clasp 'SANTO' - I don't know to what that refers, or what other clasps may exist.

Obverse:

[ksc]

Vanuatu Independence Medal 1980

Cupro Nickel 36mm diameter medal features the Arms of Vanuatu with the inscription 'Vanuatu Independence 1980' surrounding. The National Emblem features on the reverse. This medal was instituted in 1980. The RAAF received it 3 x & 1 was awarded to an Army Pilot.

[ksc]

Vanuatu General Service Medal

Instituted: 1988.

This one bears the clasp 'SANTO' - I don't know to what that refers, or what other clasps may exist.

Obverse:

Vanuatu General Service Medal

A medal to be known as the Vanuatu General Service Medal (hereinafter in this Part called the “medal”) is hereby instituted for the purpose of according recognition to persons who hold certain offices or of certain lengths of service or who have rendered good and special service to Vanuatu.

Award for historic events

The medal shall be awarded to mark historic events in Vanuatu.

President to award medal on recommendation of Prime Minister

(1) The award of the medal may be made by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

(2) The names of the persons to whom the medal is awarded under this Part shall be published in the Gazette.

(3) There shall be no limit to the number of medals which may be awarded.

Description of medal

(1) The medal shall be circular in shape, 38 mm in diameter and made of cupro-nickel silver, rhodium plated, and the obverse of the medal shall show in relief a representation of the sun rising behind an island which is surrounded by the sea around which is a pair of namele leaves crossed at the bottom.

(2) The reverse of the medal shall bear the inscription “FOR SERVICE TO VANUATU” surmounted by the word “VANUATU” with namele leaves crossed at the bottom and extending around the edge.

(3) The medal shall be suspended from a circular ring on a ribbon, 32 mm wide consisting of 4 mm wide vertical stripes of red, yellow and green; an 8 mm wide vertical stripe of black in the centre and then 4 mm wide vertical stripes of green, yellow and red.

(4) A bar or bars, 32 mm wide, made of cupro-nickel silver, inscribed with the historic event or the name of the place at which the event occurred shall be attached to the ribbon and shall form part of the medal. Where two or more bars are awarded they shall be worn on the ribbon of a single medal.

(5) The miniature of the medal and bar shall be half the size of the medal and bar,

THE ONLY THING I COULD FIND TO THE BAR IS THAT IT IS ONE OF THERE ISLANDS,MAYBE FOR LONG SERVICE WITH THE ARMED FORCES ON THE ISLAND SANTO

[saumua]

Vanuatu General Service Medal

A medal to be known as the Vanuatu General Service Medal (hereinafter in this Part called the "medal") is hereby instituted for the purpose of according recognition to persons who hold certain offices or of certain lengths of service or who have rendered good and special service to Vanuatu.

Award for historic events

The medal shall be awarded to mark historic events in Vanuatu.

President to award medal on recommendation of Prime Minister

(1) The award of the medal may be made by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

(2) The names of the persons to whom the medal is awarded under this Part shall be published in the Gazette.

(3) There shall be no limit to the number of medals which may be awarded.

the Santo bar is probably for the 1980 civil war that nearly was called the 'Coconut War'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_War

Description of medal

(1) The medal shall be circular in shape, 38 mm in diameter and made of cupro-nickel silver, rhodium plated, and the obverse of the medal shall show in relief a representation of the sun rising behind an island which is surrounded by the sea around which is a pair of namele leaves crossed at the bottom.

(2) The reverse of the medal shall bear the inscription "FOR SERVICE TO VANUATU" surmounted by the word "VANUATU" with namele leaves crossed at the bottom and extending around the edge.

(3) The medal shall be suspended from a circular ring on a ribbon, 32 mm wide consisting of 4 mm wide vertical stripes of red, yellow and green; an 8 mm wide vertical stripe of black in the centre and then 4 mm wide vertical stripes of green, yellow and red.

(4) A bar or bars, 32 mm wide, made of cupro-nickel silver, inscribed with the historic event or the name of the place at which the event occurred shall be attached to the ribbon and shall form part of the medal. Where two or more bars are awarded they shall be worn on the ribbon of a single medal.

(5) The miniature of the medal and bar shall be half the size of the medal and bar,

THE ONLY THING I COULD FIND TO THE BAR IS THAT IT IS ONE OF THERE ISLANDS,MAYBE FOR LONG SERVICE WITH THE ARMED FORCES ON THE ISLAND SANTO

[kapten_windu]

Vanuatu General Service Medal

Instituted: 1988.

This one bears the clasp 'SANTO' - I don't know to what that refers, or what other clasps may exist.

Obverse:

santo? is it mean espirito santo?:unsure:

[speagle]

Vanuatu General Service Medal

Instituted: 1988.

This one bears the clasp 'SANTO' - I don't know to what that refers, or what other clasps may exist.

Obverse:

Here is some info on SANTO. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espiritu_Santo

Ed

[Lang]

The Vanuatu General Service Medal "Santo" was issued for combat operations on the island of Espiritu Santu in 1980.

Upon independence the new Vanuatu government was faced with a rebellion from mainly French leaning planters and their supporters. The British and French withdrew their troops who did not participate in any operations and these were replaced by two battalions of Papua New Guinea Defence Force troops plus a PNGDF Naval and Air presence.

The situation deteriorated and the rebellion became outright combat operations against the rebels by the PNGDF troops, with their Australian military advisors, the Vanuatu Para-Military police and civil police. A couple of months saw the end of operations and Santo was brought fully under government control where it resides peacefully to this day.

The Vanuatu Independence Medal was issued to key personnel at the end of operations (including half a dozen Australians).

The Vanuatu General Service Medal with "Santo" clasp was issued some time later to all personnel who served during the military operations on the island. For some reason the Australian government allowed Australians issued with the Independence Medal to wear those but denied approval for Australians to wear the General Service Medal despite the Medals and Honours Committee recommending acceptance. PNG and Vanuatu veterans were not denied the right to wear the medal and carry that decoration.

[ilja559]

Rick Frazer who designed Vanuatu’s Coat of Arms, Emblem and the Speaker of Parliament Chair with Vanuatu Badge of Honor.

[heusy68]

Hello Gentlemen,

Grabbing information left & right, I have grabbed these photo of Mgr Calvet, Bishop of Noumea ( French Caledonia ), who was awarded the Badge of Honor in October 2007, in Port Vila (capital of Vanuatu).

I believe it's first time, I see a photo of an Official Award document.

Regards to all.

     Emmanuel

Edited June 4, 2019 by heusy68

[heusy68]

Vanuatu issued a Medal for its Independence on 30 July 1980 (only 300 Medals were awarded, or available to be awarded (ref from the Vanuatu Awards & Honor Act).

There is some reference that a 10 Years Anniversary of Independence Medal was instituted, but I never got a photo of it. I even got an article from dailypost.vu from 9 March 2018 by Jonas Cullwick, referring to a 25 Years of Independence Medal, but this web source being from 2018, the journalist may wrongly have referred to the Vanuatu 30 Years of Independence Medal, that we know exist.

We have to credit and congrats Jennifer Worthington, from Oxfam who was awarded this Medal for her work in Vanuatu after a cyclone. But watch the award document, it is signed by President Baldwin Lonsdale (who was Vanuatu President from 22 September 2014 to his death on 17 June 2017). Obviously the month is half seen on the award document with 3 letters Nov....(for November). Mrs Worthington did her Twitter post on February 2017. But as Vanuatu 30 Years of Independence was in 2010, an award in 2016 shall be regarded as an award for personal merit (and not related to any achievement related to the Independence in 1980, or celebration in 2010).

The type of case, suggest that this medal was minted in Australia.

Regards to all.

     Emmanuel

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by heusy68

[heusy68]

Here are the medals of Vanuatu from my collection.

On first row from left to right : Medal for Service, Meritorious Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal.

On second row : Independence Medal 1980 & Medal of National Merit ( I bet the ribbon might not be 100 % correct on this last medal, I'll tell why, and post evidence later one).

Regards to all.

    Emmanuel

Edited June 15, 2019 by heusy68

[heusy68]

And their reverse.

[heusy68]

Concerning the National Medal of Merit of Vanuatu, on this photo, you can see Jean-Marie Léyè, the 3rd President of Vanuatu 1994-1999, obviously wearing the Badge of Honour of Vanuatu, as he was entitled as President of the country, and a ribbon red with 2 green stripes (but these green stripes seems more narrow than on the National Merit Medal that have been seen later, and on which the ribbon is 5 equal stripes of crimson red/green/crimson red/green/crimson red). This later ribbon, is quite remarkably similar to the UK India Service Medal 1895-1902, just the red used on the Vanuatu ribbon is brighter.

Regards.

    Emmanuel

Edited June 15, 2019 by heusy68

[heusy68]

But a recent photographic evidence, the 30th Anniversary of Independence of Vanuatu on 30 July 2010 show Mr Bill Quade ( Team Leader of the AusAID-Australian Federal Police Vanuatu Police Force Capacity Building Project ), who was awarded the National Medal of Merit. The ribbon of his National Medal of Merit show 5 equal width stripes of Red/Green/Red/Green/Red.

On the photo, he's next to the Governor-General of Australia Ms Quentin Bryce AC, who on that occasion was awarded the Medal of 30th Anniversary of Independence of Vanuatu.

http://gg.gov.au/events/vanuatus-30th-anniversary-independence-celebrations 

If any ones on this forum has a photographic evidence of person being awarded the National Medal of Merit, it would be interesting to see this photo. I remember I bought this medal from a postal bid auction in Melbourne in 1997 or 1998. Internet didn't existed on that time (only minimal services, and interactivity was unknown).

Regards to all.

     Emmanuel

[heusy68]

Hello Gentlemen,

 

These 2 years have been tumultuous for the planet, some countries have been more spared from covid than others, Vanuatu being one of them.

 

There had been a Medal for the 40th Anniversary of Independence, in 2020, 

 

https://www.loopvanuatu.com/vanuatu-news/presidential-medal-honour-103584 

 

The article, and the document fold at right hand side of the medal refer to Certificate of National Honor, but the document at left refer to 40th Anniversary Medal.

 

Anyways, this Medal was presented, in 2021, to Deepak Khanna, for his extensive contribution in the field of Vanuatu's media & telecommunication.

 

Regards to all.

 

    Emmanuel

Edited February 14, 2022 by heusy68

[heusy68]

Hello Gentlemen,

 

So, definitely the medal mentioned above is Vanuatu 40th Anniversary Indepedence , and it is manufactured by Chrsitie's PTY Sydney.

 

https://nagrikdialogue.in/deepak-khanna-first-indian-to-receive-highest-civilian-honor-in-the-republic-of-vanuatu/ 

 

Regards to all.

 

    Emmanuel

Edited February 20, 2022 by heusy68