Prior to 1946 the

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

armed forces received honours of the United Kingdom, including military decorations and campaign medals. Since the end of World War 2 there have been constant moves towards an independent New Zealand honours system. This has resulted in a new system of New Zealand honours, gallantry and

bravery Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, ...

awards, and

campaign medal A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. Campaign medals are very similar to service medals but carry a h ...

s. The following are a list, in order of precedence as defined in references below. Those campaign medals which have been independently issued by New Zealand to its armed forces are in bold.

19th century

* New Zealand War Medal

South African War

* Queen's South Africa Medal * King's South Africa Medal

World War I

1914 Star The 1914 Star, colloquially known as the Mons Star, is a British World War I campaign medal for service in France or Belgium between 5 August and 22 November 1914. Institution The 1914 Star was authorised under Special Army Order no. 350 in No ...

1914–15 Star The 1914–15 Star is a campaign medal of the British Empire which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the First World War against the Central European Powers during 1914 and 1915. The me ...

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in ...

Mercantile Marine War Medal The Mercantile Marine War Medal was established in 1919 and awarded by the Board of Trade of the United Kingdom to mariners of the British Mercantile Marine (later renamed the Merchant Navy) for service at sea during the First World War.

Victory Medal

World War II

1939–1945 Star The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces for service in the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Batt ...

Atlantic Star The Atlantic Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous campaign of the Second World War. Two cla ...

Air Crew Europe Star The Air Crew Europe Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British and Commonwealth air crews who participated in operational flights over Europe from bases in the United Kingdom during the ...

* Africa Star * Pacific Star BAR

Pacific Star The Pacific Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in the Pacific Campaign from 1941 to 1945, during the Second World War. One clasp, Burma, was ...

Burma Star * Ribbon - Italy Star

Italy Star *

France and Germany Star The France and Germany Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and adjacent sea areas between ...

Defence Medal * War Medal 1939–1945 (UK) ribbon

War Medal 1939–1945 *

New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-1945 BAR

New Zealand War Service Medal __NOTOC__ The New Zealand War Service Medal (NZWSM) was a New Zealand campaign medal for service in World War II. Award Criteria The NZWSM was approved in 1946, and was awarded to members of the New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand armed force ...

Post World War II

New Zealand Operational Service Medal ribbon

New Zealand Operational Service Medal * New Zealand Service Medal 46-49 ribbon

New Zealand Service Medal 1946–1949 The New Zealand Service Medal 1946–1949 is a New Zealand campaign medal for service in Occupied Japan at the end of World War II. The medal was instituted in 1995 to recognise New Zealand military personnel who served in the occupation forces ...

Korea Medal * Naval General Service Medal 1915 BAR

Naval General Service Medal (1915) * General Service Medal 1918 BAR

General Service Medal 1918–62 * General Service Medal 1962 BAR

General Service Medal 1962 * Vietnam Medal BAR

Vietnam Medal __NOTOC__ The Vietnam Medal was a joint Australian and New Zealand campaign medal awarded for service in the Vietnam War. The medal was jointly developed by Australia and New Zealand, although there were separate Royal authorisation warrants for ...

Rhodesia Medal The Rhodesia Medal was initiated by the British Government in consultation with Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Kenya, whose forces took part in Operation AGILA ( Operation MIDFORD for the New Zealand forces). The role of the multi-national force ...

New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 (Warlike) __NOTOC__ The New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 (Warlike) (NZGSM 1992) is a New Zealand campaign medal, authorised in 1992, for award to New Zealanders who have served in warlike operations for which no separate New Zealand or British Commonw ...

New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 (Non-Warlike) The New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 (Non-Warlike) (NZGSM 1992) is a New Zealand campaign medal A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or perf ...

East Timor Medal The East Timor Medal is a New Zealand campaign medal, authorised in 2000, for award to New Zealanders who have served in East Timor from the commencement of the New Zealand involvement in June 1999 until 27 April 2006 This campaign medal is uniqu ...

21st century

NZGSM 2002 (Solomon Islands) * NZ GSM Afghan (Primary) Ribbon

NZGSM 2002 (Afghanistan) – Primary Operations Area * NZ GSM Afghan (Secondary) Ribbon

NZGSM 2002 (Afghanistan) – Secondary Operations Area * NZ GSM 2002 Iraq

NZGSM 2002 (Iraq 2003) * NZGSM 2002 Timor-Leste

NZGSM 2002 (Timor-Leste) The New Zealand General Service Medal 2002 (Timor-Leste) is a New Zealand campaign medal for service in Timor-Leste during and after the 2006 East Timorese crisis between 28 April 2006 and 31 December 2012. Regulations The New Zealand General Ser ...