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18 August 2011 - Sixty year olds can
now apply for NZ Defence Service Medal |
Applications for the New Zealand Defence Service
Medal (NZDSM) have now opened for ex-Service personnel who are 60 years
of age and over.
Until today the New Zealand Defence Force’s Medals Office was accepting
applications for the NZDSM only from ex-Service personnel aged 70 or
over. Since April, when the first applications were called for, over
12,000 applications have been received by the Medals Office and over
8,000 medals have been issued.
Due to the large number of people eligible for the NZDSM, the call for
applications is being managed in four stages, with priority given to
processing applications from the oldest living ex-Service personnel
first.
The new medal, which was announced by the Prime Minister last year,
means that a large number of personnel who served New Zealand loyally
and well in a wide range of roles and contexts, but not on operations,
are now receiving medallic recognition.
"The medal recognises attested military service in the Defence Force by
New Zealanders. Those who have served in the military for three years or
more since the end of World War Two, and those who completed their
compulsory military training or national military service obligations,
qualify," Assistant Chief of Personnel Commodore Kevin Keat said.
"Personnel with three years accumulated service, for example, between
Regular, K Force, J Force and Territorial service (including RNZNR and
RNZNVR) are also eligible for the medal."
Ex-Service personnel are encouraged to apply for the medal using the
online form on the NZDF Medals website http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz
Hard copies of the application form are also available through the
website and at most local RSA’s who can provide staff to help ex-Service
personnel fill in their applications.
CDRE Keat said, "We have set up a helpline for people with questions
about the NZDSM, which is available during business hours. If you
require assistance please call 0800 772 334."
In April an inaugural presentation was made to 34 medal recipients.
Since then a number of presentations have been made at RSA Clubrooms
throughout the country.
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| 16 July 2011 - SE
Asia Medal Requirements - Presidents Comments |
Re Service in S E Asia.
The Consultation Document has been published for the Study into
Recognition of Service in South East Asia since 1960 up until 1975.
This study will entail Medallic Recognition for service in S E Asian
waters during this period,
It is obvious from the tenor of the many phone calls which I have had
over the last few days that the presumption is "we are being shafted
again" and that "it is a fait accompli against any medal" and "they
have made it so complicated that I can't be bothered which is what they
want"......however, it does not serve your cause by just "mumble mumble"
in the Messdeck.
The fact that an Independent Historian found no service that HE
considers warrants being recognition does not determine that there ARE
not any instances which do warrant recognition.. and this consultation
period is the chance for YOU who did the service in S E Asian waters to
state your case and come up with the details about it
I make no comment about the often dubious accuracy of R O P's and
vagueness of Ships Logs, submit your version of events.
If you consider that you did "Service that goes beyond the normal
requirements of peacetime service" (see Principle One) then YOU must
make a submission regarding this. Don't leave it to "someone else" to
do...experience shows "someone else" is not dependable.
This is your last chance to "put up or shut up" re S E Asian service
Read the Document and make YOUR submission before 23 August 2011.
I think it appropriate to quote to you a statement by Sir Winston
Churchill to the House of Commons on 22 March 1944 on Decorations and
Medals
The Object of giving medals, stars and ribbons is to give pride and
pleasure to those who have deserved them. At the same time a distinction
is something which everybody does not possess, If all have it, it is of
less value There must, therefore, be heart burnings and disappointments
on the border line. A medal glitters but it also casts a shadow. The
task of drawing up regulations for such awards is one which does not
admit of a perfect solution. It is not possible to satisfy everybody
without running the risk of satisfying nobody. All that is possible is
to give the greatest satisfaction to the greatest number and to hurt the
feelings of the fewest. But that is a most difficult task and it is
easy to err on one side or the other One must be careful in the first
place to avoid profusion. The tendency to expand, shall i say inflate,
dilute the currency through generous motives, is very strong.
Think about that....it is as relevant today as it was in 1944 |
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| 29 June 2011 - MEDAL
MOUNTING |
| If you want your Medals
mounted, contact Richard "Banjo" Patterson. He does an excellent job at
a reasonable price. Phone : (09) 837 2134
(Evenings are best)
Address : 4/86 Divich Ave Te Atatu South Auckland 0610
Email :
banjo.s@xtra.co.nz |
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| 23 June 2011 -
TRAFALGAR DAY LUNCHEON |
| The Te Atatu Memorial
RSA is hosting a Trafalgar Day Luncheon on Friday, 21 October 2011 to
celebrate the 206th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Cost is
$30 per person and tables of 10 are being arranged. Pre-Lunch drinks
will be served from 1100 with lunch at 1200. Guest Speaker is RA Peter
McHaffie a former Chief of Navy.
Applications close 30th September. Double click on the image below to
enlarge and print off a copy by holding down the CTRL button and hitting
P. Mark on your application if you are OTAGO and a table maybe able to
be arranged for your respective group. Get in quick as the first 150
applicants will be accepted.
The application form may be accessed by clicking
HERE. |
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| 15 May 2011 - HMNZS
OTAGO - MAIDEN VOYAGE |
| The following footage
has been provided by the Trentham Video Library. For Part 1 click
HERE and Part 2
click HERE.
The sound quality is poor but you will see a number of shipmates
throughout the video. |
| 18 April 2011 -
REUNION 2011 |
| If you want to see who
is coming to the 2011 Reunion Click
HERE |
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| 5 March 2011
- REUNION 2011 |
|
IMPORTANT PAY ATTENTION |
| As you are all
aware our Reunion Program is centrered in the Armitage Hotel, Tauranga
over the period 20 - 22 May. I have been advised that you
should book your room NOW to be
assured of accommodation in the Hotel.
You must quote OTAGO REUNION - GROUP
BOOKING 62878 - This will ensure you get the special rate and
they do accept credit cards.
Furthermore the Armitage Hotel can only
hold our rooms until Friday, 15 April 2011. After that date any of
the 80 rooms not booked for the reunion will be opened to the general
public. Please note you can still make reservations after
the 15th April 2011 but you take your chance and rooms may not be
available.
So what do you have to do? Make
your booking NOW. Don't miss
out - DO IT NOW
Hotel Armitage, 9 Willow Street, Tauranga.
Telephone (07) 5789119 or email
info@hotelarmitage.co.nz
and lastly please send your Reunion
Registration Form to the Secretary so we know you are coming and as
previously indicated - DO IT NOW |
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| 8 February 2011 - New
Zealand Defence Service Medal - Update |
Applications for the NZ
Defence Service Medal (NZDSM) are expected to open in early April 2011
for the oldest ex-Service persons. Applications can only open after Her
Majesty The Queen has approved the Royal Warrant and the Regulations
have been signed by the Governor-General.
The proposed design of the medal has been finalised by the Herald of
Arms Extraordinary and will be sent to The Queen shortly for approval.
Manufacturing will occur once the design has been approved by The Queen.
Around 160,000 personnel qualify for the NZDSM and the Defence Force
Medals Office expect to issue around 116,000 medals over the next three
years. With such high numbers a priority programme is necessary and the
Minister has directed that the priority will be;
1. Those living ex-Service personnel over the age of 70
2. Those living ex-Service personnel over the age of 60
3. Then other living ex-Service personnel.
Terminally ill ex-Service personnel will be given priority over all
other applicants but will still need to apply in the usual manner.
Families of deceased ex-Service personnel will be invited to apply for
their late relations’ (husband/father/mother etc) medal entitlement
after the processing of the initial applications from older living
ex-Service personnel is well underway, possibly in late 2011.
An initial NZDSM presentation will be made to a selected group of
ex-Service personnel at a ceremony in Parliament in the first half of
2011. For logistical reasons it is anticipated that the majority of
these personnel will be drawn from the Wellington area.
Regional medal presentations will be arranged by local RSA branches from
late May 2011.
Interviews are taking place for additional staff to process the medal
applications.
The hard copy form has been tested and the online version of the form is
currently under construction.
For further information please read the NZDSM FAQ sheet <a href="http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdsm/faqs.html">http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdsm/faqs.html</a>
which is being updated regularly basis in line with questions received
through the medals site.
Once the application process opens the Medals Office aim to deliver
medals to those entitled to receive them as quickly as possible and will
be providing frequent updates about the NZDSM Project on the website at
medals.nzdf.mil.nz. |
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| 22 January 2011 - Naval
Stories |
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Following the success of the book ‘Salty Dits’ I have decided by popular
demand to repeat the exercise for everyone, not just old MLers.
Personal stories may be a paragraph or several pages. There are
no limits on entry numbers. However, each will be noted with the
writer’s name. I’m seeking your stories as told ‘over a drink with
mates’ or just memories.
Items should be headed by a ‘Date’ with a ‘Ship or Establishment name’,
‘Why I joined’, ‘Wrens’, ‘Operation Deep Freeze’, or ‘Another Navy’. The
author’s name should follow with rank at the time.
Items
are best submitted by e-mail to
gerrywright@xtra.co.nz, however, posted items will also be
welcome. Original photos will be copied and returned. Please spread the
word.
The aim
is to record life in the Navy as it was in the past. Each item will be
acknowledged.
Gerry
Wright
8 Rowan
Road
Epsom
Auckland 1023
(09)
624.3969 |
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| 14 October 2010 - NZ DEFENCE SERVICE
MEDAL |
This Medal was announced by the P M and M O
D on Tuesday 12 October
Here is some information about this Medal. It is Now awaiting
"Royal Assent" and has already been designed. Full details of the
requirements of Service to qualify
for this Medal will be issued later, but a rough guide can be seen in
the P M's announcement.
Full details of when to apply will be issued later but at the moment it
is scheduled for late Feb 2011
Precedence will be given to those over 50 for the first few months
"Next of Kin" of deceased qualifiers can apply for this Medal
.
Full details and description of the Medal will be issued later
The Medal will be of a "good quality Bronze"
Each medal will be engraved with the recipients name etc.
Each Medal will be accompanied by a miniature Medal
The "Order of Wear" is immediately after the L S & G C medal
and before the P J M.
Further information will be given as it comes to hand.
There is some talk of another Medal being issued supposedly called the
"Singapore=Malaysia Medal' or the "Garrison Medal"
I am reliably informed that there is absolutely no truth in this and it
is another "Buzz from the Galley slide"
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JULY 2010 - OTAGO DAILY TIMES ARTICLE AND PHOTO |
| As some
of you will be aware the Otago Daily Times was at our recent 50th
Anniversary Reunion. The newspaper published a photograph of the
ships companies marching to Church which you can see
HERE. If you wish to order
a copy of the photograph then please click
HERE and download the order
form. |
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| 31 MARCH 2010 - NEW
NAVY LOGO |
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| The Chief of Navy has
approved a new Navy Logo. Details of the logo can be found by
clicking
LOGO.
Two members of the Communicators Association had the following to say
about the new logo and have forwarded their opinions direct to Naval
Staff.
Member No1 - Congratulations, I welcome
wholeheartedly the RNZN new logo and the demise of the present "identity
nonentity" which had very limited recognition significance in the wider
world outside New Zealand., We Had a "Kiwi on our Funnel" not a Koru.
However, I think it is possible that the "Fern Leaves" in the new logo
will pose a similar problem unless they are qualified in some way as
being of "New Zealand". The Naval Crown and Fouled Anchor are
evident that the logo designates a "Navy"...but WHAT or WHO"S Navy? To
this end may I respectfully suggest that the word "NAVY" at the base of
the logo be replaced by the initials "RNZN" thereby leaving no
uncertainty of identity of this logo being of "The Best Small Navy in
the World".
Member No2 - I received with interest today the
announcement of the ’proud promotion’ of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s
new logo. While not adverse to progress, I believe progress is best
achieved with sound professional advice. In this case, I believe the
Royal New Zealand Navy has been poorly advised. The Royal New
Zealand Navy operates on the international stage. The reliance on the
symbol of the ‘fern’ as an international identity, to the exclusion of
the name “Royal New Zealand Navy” (or the Kiwi symbol), may only serve
to promote us as a nation within the ‘rugby fraternity’ and the
Commonwealth. To quote you statistics in terms of the number of rugby
playing nations of the world and the profile of many Commonwealth
countries can only give concerns around ‘brand’ recognition and the
marketing potential of the new logo . In 2010, the world is much bigger
than that. While I appreciate it could be ‘too late’ to turn back, could
I please encourage you to promote the deletion of the word “Navy” and
replace it with the words ”Royal New Zealand Navy”. That is who we are,
that is who we served to represent and that is our brand. |
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| 24
FEBRUARY 2010 - JIM BLACKBURN HAS MOVED TO NEW HOME |
| After
many years Jim has finally been able to pay and move to his
dream retirement home.
He has made a few renovations which I am not sure are all for the best,
Anyway have a look and see what you think. Here is a photo of his
new place.
(webmaster) |
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| 12
February 2009 - NEW LINK FOR MARITIME BOOKS |
| I have
place a new link under the 'Other Links' page for a Martime Books.
Have a look through the site very good reference material. |
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4 July 2008 - New History
Link
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Ever wondered what OTAGO was
doing during her life in commission. A new link has been added to
the History section which enables you to have a look at extracts of the
Annual Reports made to the New Zealand Naval Board and later the Defence
Council. Lots of dates and other information is also available.
These reports are currently up on the Royal New Zealand Navy Communicators
Assn website. Have a look
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17 May 2007
- New Comms
Web Site Launched
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To mark the 100th birthday of
the Royal Navy's Wireless Telegraphy branch a brand new web site has just
been launched which covers the period of 1895 to 1980 for W/T and
from 1937 to 1980 for Radar, a sister branch. To avoid confusion, the
telegraphist's at the very beginning, 1895 to 1906 were in reality
"odd-job-men" [many visual signal ratings being sent below when
Morse needs to be transmitted] and it wasn't until 1906/07 that the
Admiralty gave into the repeated calls from Admirals at sea to have full
time professionally trained telegraphists. It has taken many months to
write the site which is approximately 700MB in size, and whilst it can be
casually browsed it is intended to be a reference library. It tells of the
history of Wireless Telegraphy and [Radar of course but over a much
shorter period] in the Royal Navy, which, especially in the earlier days,
included the RAN, the RCN, the RNZN as well as the RIN [Royal Indian Navy]
RPN [Royal Pakisan Navy] and the SAN [South African Navy] both in the use
of ships and the equipment therein. The site covers every piece of
kit the RN has even owned or used, and reveals facts and figures from
books and documents never before made available in the public
domain.
The site can be found at http://www.rnmuseumradarandcommunications2006.org.uk
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12 April 2007 -
Medal
Mounting in Christchurch Region
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If anybody in the Christchurch
area is interested in having their medals mounted the following
contact has been recommended. Thanks John Bullock.
Alan Polaschek,
43 Ryan Street,
Phillipstown,
Christchurch. 8011.
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20 March 2007
- Court
Mounting Medals
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Ever thought of 'Court
Mounting' your medals? Banjo Patterson (ex Writer) now
undetakes this work so contact him direct on banjo.s@xtra.co.nz
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19 March 2007
- Ships
Memorabilia
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Banjo Patterson has had a
number of ships badges made for wearing on the lapel. These badges
currently cover CANTERBURY, ENDEAVOUR (Op Deepfreeze), ENDEAVOUR, ROYALIST
and the recently issued MALAYSIAN Medal. Details can be found at http://nznavy.bravehost.com/slops.html
.
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27 Oct 06 - Navy Museum Website
Launched |
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The Navy Museum launched its new
website at a small ceremony yesteday 26 November 2006, The website has
taken considerable time to develop and has been a long time coming. Over
600 pages have been placed on line and this is only the start. Highly
recommended to all to have a look. The website can be found at http://www.navymuseum.co.nz |
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Crossed the Bar - Roll of Honour |
Hi Men.
It is intended to put a page opn the website as "Roll Of Honour" on
which we will list those who served in "Otago" and have since
"Crossed the Bar". To do this we need your help .. please email
or write to me with a list of those whom you know have Crossed the Bar and help
us to make the list as complete as we can, and so keep their name alive.
Don't leave it and think "someone else" will let us know, because, to
someone else, YOU are that some else.
At present we have about 180 names
but we think there are many more that we am unaware of, so please
enlighten us. We would rather have a name sent to us10 times from different
sources
than not get it at all, so as Chiefie used to say "let's be 'avin' yer me
lad". To see what we have so far click HERE
Jim Blackburn
President jimblackburn@clear.net.nz |
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