It is a VC, regardless. The NZ tag came when NZ did away with UK awards, except for the VC.The Victoria Cross for New Zealand was instituted in 1999 to replace the British Victoria Cross for future awards to New Zealand military personnel. The Victoria Cross for New Zealand is the premier New Zealand award for gallantry. It is awarded for ‘most conspicuous gallantry, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour, self sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy or of belligerents'. There are three other awards for gallantry in the New Zealand honours system: the New Zealand Gallantry Star, the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration, and the New Zealand Gallantry Medal.
The Victoria Cross for New Zealand is a bronze cross paty or formy (with straight edges). In the centre of the cross is the Royal Crest above a scroll inscribed with the words "For Valour". The cross is attached by the letter "V" to a straight bronze suspender bar bearing laurel leaves. The medal and ribbon for the Victoria Cross for New Zealand is identical to the British Victoria Cross instituted in 1856.
It took a while to get the paperwork done because, so I believe, there was no one around in NZ Defence who was up with the procedure of awarding a VC, so the whole process was checked with the UK authorities. He was only told of the award on Sunday 1st July!
He's a very modest and unassuming man, but anyone who knows anything at at all about Maori and Maori soldiers in particular, it would never have occurred to him to do anything other than what he did. The man who initiated the award was AM Bruce Ferguson who was CDS at the time. Bruce spent most of his flying career on the Iroquois!
Last edited by Samuel; 4th Jul 2007 at 04:11.