Media Release

17 October 2012

Daughter Stoked with Medal for Dad

Palmerston North resident Brenda Chapman was proud to accept the New Zealand Defence Service Medal (NZDSM) on behalf of her late father Leading Stoker Roy Dickey at a special ceremony at Defence House on Monday.

Leading Stoker Dickey enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Navy in October 1938 and served on the HMNZS Achilles at the Battle of the River Plate. He also served in Africa, the Pacific and Atlantic theatres. From September 1945 he served in the RNZN on HMNZS Gambia in Japan, including the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo bay. He was discharged from the Navy in April 1947 and died in July 2006.

The medal was one of a number of NZDSM medals presented by the Minister of Defence, Dr Jonathan Coleman to 28 families of deceased ex-service personnel on their behalf at the ceremony at Defence House in Wellington.

Residents from the greater Wellington region, Masterton and Palmerston North were among the families receiving medals on behalf of their deceased relatives.

The NZDSM recognises both non-operational and operational military service in the Defence Force by New Zealanders. Those who have served in the military for more than three years since World War Two, and those who completed their compulsory military training or national military service obligations, qualify. Most veterans of J-Force and K-Force will also qualify.

Since April 2011, when the first applications were called for, more than 43,000 NZDSM medals have been issued.

Applications are now being accepted from all ex-Service persons and from the families of deceased ex-Service persons. (The family member who applies must be the beneficiary of the will and/or the nearest living next of kin).

Information and application forms are on the NZ Defence Force’s Medals website - http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz or phone 0800 334 772 (select Option 2).

ENDS

© Scoop Media