NEW ZEALAND AWARDS
Long Service and Efficiency Medal
From a 1944 New Zealand Journal:-
LEGION LONG SERVICE AND EFFICIENCY MEDAL (LSEM)
NZHQ receives a cable from England advising that the manufacture and export of medals is prohibitive. The New Zealand Command then decides to strike its own Legion Service Medal recognising Long Service and Efficiency.
Criteria for award of the LSEM is as follows:
(a) 10 years' service during which time a member must have been financial with NZHQ. The service need not be continuous, but not more than one break;
(b) Recommendations for the award must be approved by Squadrons;
(c) Not more than 10% of a Squadron's strength to be applied for in any one year;
(d) Final approval is required by NZHQ;
(e) Service given must have been efficient during the period;
(f) The Squadron is to bear the cost of the award.
The LSEM when struck in Sterling Silver is a credit to New Zealand craftsmanship and is attached to a deep red ribbon. This colour was not chosen, but rather all that is available during the war years. The name of the recipient is engraved on the medal with the prefix Frontiersman - no other rank is stated.
This award in the Legion has had a most colourful history. This medal was awarded on completion of ten years efficient service. The medal was first awarded in New Zealand in 1945 when the first 16 were awarded. There was, during the 1930's in England, a Long Service and Efficiency Medal differentiated by the use of a gold colour and an obverse depicting St George slaying the dragon. After postage costs from the UK became progressively more prohibitive it was decided to design and strike a New Zealand award and these were in sterling silver and were 37mm diameter, depicting on the obverse a crest of the Legion, manfactured in silver by Mayer & Toye in New Zealand. Early New Zealand issues were often named in various fonts on the reverse up to the early 1970's [later awards being generally unnamed]
During 1996 the New Zealand Commandant offered New Zealands Long service and Efficiency Medal to the United Kingdom for use by them as a generic Long service and Efficiency Medal for all commands worldwide, this did not end up happening.About 2005, New Zealands supply began to run out, and as a gap filler a small number of bronze awards from the United Kingdom were acquired and awarded until New Zealand made more. The new supply were manufactured with a "ring and bar" suspension.Somewhere about 2006 there appeared a mysterious Long Service and Efficiency Medal in bronze, and it appears that only a small number were awarded. No-one seems to know anything about their source or manufacture. These are identifiable by their odd style suspenion. Ribbons
From what is known is that the pre-war United Kingdom medals were awarded with a crimson ribbon with two black stripes. The first medals in New Zealand were awarded with a plain maroon ribbon and by the late 1960's it was decided to change the ribbon so that there was a green central stripe on the maroon, as the plain was too confusing with the Victoria Cross.
By the mid 1980's another confusion occurred in that the then current maroon/green ribbon was confused with the Military Meritorious Service Medal and so it was then decided to use the British crimson and black ribbon to which is still used today.Qualification
Initially the requisite service was 10 years cumulative service which was later changed to 12 years, and just after 2000 this was again changed to 10 years where it remains today. At the 2014 New Zealand Conference it was decided that after each and every subsequent period of five years of service to the New Zealand Command, and after previously being awarded the New Zealand Long Service & Efficiency Medal, a member shall become eligible under section 14.7.6 to be awarded a clasp/bar to the above award, for each subsequent five years of service.
