ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023 ISSN 2816-1327
T E
T I R A
A H U
I K A
A
W H I R O
Lighting the Lamp of Remembrance
In this issue 3 Lighting the Lamp of Remembrance 4 CDF’s Message 5 WAI2500 6 Remembrance Army 8 Bill Russell, Malaysian commemoration and stamps 10 The New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata, Le Quesnoy, France 12 Invictus Games 13 Qualifying Operational Service 14 Nuclear Medals 15 Kiwibank’s Local Hero Medallist 16 An update about processing times for claims
Tēnā koutou katoa Summer is upon us and I know many of you will be looking forward to catching up with friends and loved ones over the festive season. In this issue there is an article about Te Arawhata – New Zealand Liberation Museum in the French town of Le Quesnoy. It was 105 years ago that soldiers of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade liberated Le Quesnoy after four years of German occupation. It reminded me again of just how many families back here in New Zealand would have waited for word of their loved ones far from home, as another Christmas Day approached. This Christmas we will remember all those who did not return from all conflicts and we’ll be thinking of those members of our NZDF whānau who continue to serve here in New Zealand and around the globe. As the year draws to a close, we will be saying farewell to three members of our Veterans’ Affairs family as they head in to retirement, each pulling down the curtain on very illustrious careers and not just with Veterans’ Affairs.
About The Veterans’ Magazine The Veterans’ Affairs magazine is published three times a year by Veterans’ Affairs – Te Tira Ahu Ika A Whiro. The views expressed in Veterans’ Affairs are not necessarily those of Veterans’ Affairs or the New Zealand Defence Force. If this magazine has been sent to the wrong address or if you no longer want to receive this can you please email veterans@nzdf.mil. nz to let us know of the correct address or to have it stopped being delivered. ISSN 2816-1327
veterans@nzdf.mil.nz 0800 483 8372 (Freephone New Zealand) 1800 483 837 (Freephone Australia) +64 4 495 2070 (rest of world)
Marti Eller, the outgoing Deputy Head of Veterans’ Affairs, has been a public servant for over thirty years, working in the Social Service, Justice and Education sectors during her career as a senior manager, as well as holding policy roles in Treasury, the Ministry of Economic Development and the New Zealand Productivity Commission. We were pleased to have Marti join us back in November 2015. Paula Carr leaves her role as the Team Leader Decisions, having come to Veterans’ Affairs for the first time in 1999, leaving clinical practice as a registered nurse after 20 years. Paula’s first role with Veterans’ Affairs was as the National Review Officer. She left us for ACC’s Medical Misadventure Unit (as it was known then) where she moved into the rather challenging role as a clinical advisor. After 17 years with ACC, Paula returned to Veterans’ Affairs in 2020.
From left: Paula Carr, Marti Eller, Lyn Thomas
Lyn Thomas, our longest serving case manager, will be leaving us for the sun, surf and sand in the Bay of Plenty. Lyn commenced with the War Pensions Office in Hamilton in 1999 becoming a War Pensions Officer in 2006. A career in case management followed as well as a move to VA’s Wellington premises in 2013. Word of Lyn’s impending retirement has made it to the many veterans on her caseload, and many have sent messages such as this one: ‘Lyn has been exceptional in her role as case manager. In her own unique, quiet way she has just got on with her job and made many veterans thankful that somebody cares. She is meticulous at following things up and makes regular contact with those under her portfolio. I, for one, just want to add my voice to those who wish Lyn well for the future’. We wish our departing staff well as they head on to new adventures. Whilst we have staff leaving, we are also welcoming new staff who are joining us. One of these is WO1 Mario Ropitini, who is on secondment to Veterans’ Affairs from Ngati Tūmātauenga (New Zealand Army). Mario is our new Manager Rehabilitation and Case Management Services. A veteran in his own right, he brings a number of insights that we know will serve Veterans’ Affairs and our veteran community well. Until next time, thank you all for your patience as we continue to work through your claims and your enquiries. Please continue to take care of yourselves and your mates and we look forward to serving you again in 2024. Meri Kirihimete ki a koe me te whānau – we wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy Christmas season. Bernadine Mackenzie Head of Veterans’ Affairs
3 VETERANS’ AFFAIRS ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023
Lighting the Lamp of Remembrance
The Lamp of Remembrance was lit for the very first time on Sunday 15 October at St David’s Memorial Church in central Auckland by Brigadier Rose King, Deputy Chief of Army.
Cover image: The Lamp of Remembrance, Brigadier Rose King, Deputy Chief of Army. Top image: The Lamp of Remembrance. Photos: Jessica Chole Photography
The Lamp honours all current and retired members of the New Zealand Defence Force. It is now illuminated every day – and will remain illuminated always. “It’s about letting veterans from all wars and peace-keeping missions know that we value them, day in and day out, and that this sanctuary in central Auckland is here for them” says Paul Baragwanath, Director of the charitable trust that owns St David’s. The Lamp also commemorates the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers, known as the Sappers. The 15th of October marked the RNZE’s 121st Sappers’ Day, a St David’s tradition that reaches back 96 years as both WW1 and WW2 Sappers are memorialised.
The St David’s foundation stone was laid on Anzac Day 1927 and dedicated as the Soldiers’ Memorial Church. It has been home to the Royal New Zealand Engineers ever since. St David’s would like to reach out to veterans everywhere. “It’s early days, but in addition to the free lunchtime drop-ins that will be run by volunteers, we are also exploring special rates for veterans for events such as weddings and funerals. It’s here for you.” says Baragwanath. You can learn more about the memorial by visiting SaintDavidsFriends.org.nz
4
Meri Kirihimete, Merry Christmas
Veterans’ Affairs has had another busy year supporting our veteran community and their whānau, collaborating with other agencies on health and wellbeing, and commemorating service. We’ve had a number of veteran ceremonies, anniversaries and commemorations in 2023, including: a rededication and unveiling of unmarked veteran graves at Mt View Cemetery in Marton; the 70th Anniversary of the Korean Armistice; Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals 100th anniversary attended by The Princess Royal, Princess Anne; 60 years since New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam conflict; and 50 years since the Mururoa deployments. These commemorations are an important reminder for us to take the time to reflect on these defining times in our history.
Veterans also attended a Veterans’ Day Service in Malaysia, to mark the 57th anniversary of Malaysia-Indonesia Peace Agreement. You can read more about this event in this issue from Bill Russell who attended the event. A prominent focus for Veterans’ Affairs this year has been work to reduce waiting times for decisions on claims. There has been some good progress made, however there are a number of veterans waiting an extended time for a decision. I have been assured that the veteran community will be regularly kept up to date with progress made in this area. Another priority for us in the coming months will be working alongside our new Minister for Veterans. We look forward to supporting the Minister on their priorities for the portfolio. I wish you and your whānau a safe and restful Christmas break and all the very best for the New Year. Ko tātou hei Mana mō Aotearoa – We are a Force for New Zealand.
Air Marshal Kevin Short Chief of Defence Force
5 VETERANS’ AFFAIRS ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023
NZDF listens to experiences of Māori military veterans at tribunal hearings
The New Zealand Defence Force is continuing to listen to the experiences of veterans through the Wai 2500 Military Veterans Kaupapa Inquiry into all claims involving past Māori military service. The Waitangi Tribunal inquiry extends to all types of military service, whether operational or routine, in time of war or peace, and at home or abroad; undertaken directly for, or on behalf, of the Crown of New Zealand or the Imperial Crown in New Zealand. The purposes of the inquiry, in addition to determining the Treaty of Waitangi consistency of Crown conduct, is also to prepare an official narrative that will put Māori experiences of military service for the Crown on public record, and consider how to improve support for veterans and current serving personnel.
This is the second phase of hearings after oral evidence was heard in 2016. The first hearing week was opened by Tā Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies, the last surviving member of the 28 (Māori) Battalion, in Rotorua in June. Witnesses called by claimants gave evidence in respect of service in Malaya, Korea, Vietnam, South East Asia, Operation Grapple nuclear testing, and Antarctica. Each hearing began with relevant technical evidence contained in the Tribunal commissioned reports, followed by claimant evidence, prioritising the lived experiences of veteran witnesses. Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Kevin Short, and a number of senior Defence Force personnel attended the hearing to demonstrate clearly the importance the NZDF attaches to this Kaupapa Inquiry.
“It’s crucial we support this opportunity for our veterans and their whānau, acknowledge them and their stories, explain what the Crown knew at the time and what it knows now,” AM Short said. “This enables us to not only consider how we can effectively support all of our veterans who have left the services, but those who are currently serving too.” AM Short said the Kaupapa Inquiry can inform the current implementation of veterans’ and service people’s support measures. “We are listening, engaging and acknowledging our past to inform and protect our future.” Further witnesses’ evidence will be heard in later hearings throughout Aotearoa over the coming months. The NZDF is continuing to research its history to appropriately inform the inquiry.
6
Bill Russell
Veteran of the Malayan Campaign From beginning his career with NZ Post to initiating a veteran stamp series, and from installing a radio system for the NZ Army and then joining up, Bill Russell’s life is one of crossing paths of his past and his present. Bill took an early interest in radio. At school he built his first radio, and to receive global signals he used some ingenuity. “I wanted my radio to join up on the world-wide network of receivers, but I discovered that the aerial wasn’t big enough, so I tied it to mum’s clothes line and that solved the problem.” Bill continued to build increasingly more sophisticated radios and tuned into ‘Ham’ radio frequencies including those that used Morse Code. He learnt Morse by tuning to the Navy radio station which at that time transmitted Morse for training purposes. Following school Bill joined the New Zealand Post and Telegraph (P&T) as a radio technician, first in Auckland and then at the Himatangi Radio station, near Foxton. There he was also asked to set-up a transmitter for the NZ Army at Waiouru and then for HMNZS Irirangi. Unfortunately his pay wasn’t covering his board and the cost of running his Model A, so in a significant career change, he became a freezing worker in Makarewa, Invercargill. Bill and friends were soon discussing their next step. Bill was keen to work somewhere warmer. A friend knew of someone who had joined the army and was in Malaya (Malaysia).
Motivated by the promise of warmer climes, Bill joined in May 1961. He began his army career at Burnham Camp where the 1st Battalion NZ Regt was reforming to travel to Malaya. He was assigned to Delta Coy, put into 14 platoon for basic training and then transferred to the signals platoon. As per his southern wish for warmth he was selected for Malaya. Travelling from Burnham to Malaya was an adventure back then. It meant a train to Lyttleton, a ferry to Wellington, an overnight train to Auckland and then across to Whenupai. Their plane refuelled in Brisbane, then took off for Darwin, but encountered mechanical problems and they had to wait there for a replacement engine to be flown in. They eventually arrived in Singapore before embarking upon the final leg to Malacca, Malaya. After further training in Malacca, his Battalion was relocated to Alor Setar, a town close to the Thai border. Bill was attached to D Coy and was the OC’s signaller. For 6 weeks they stayed there, patrolling and sweeping areas. Sometimes Bill would be on the patrol and at other times behind with the OC if he had a SITREP to send or receive. Patrols usually meant sweeping from one track through to another looking for evidence of human presence. It was on one of those sweeps that Bill came across a small dump, consisting of a kerosene type tin full of documents and a small amount of ammunition. The find was triumphantly collected and whisked back to Bn HQ for intel to have a look, but they never heard if it was of any value or otherwise.
Patrolling was heavy work for Bill. He had on a 30kg Bergen backpack and a radio transmitter and spare batteries. He tried to convince his patrol mates to share the load. “Pleas to the rest of the platoon to carry some of the heavy spare batteries were dismissed, claiming their packs were heavy and full too.” They moved to Grik Camp near Sungei Petani Kedah, in northern Malaya. At Grik they met a British Army signals unit. “They seemed friendly enough other than they were nursing severe hangovers from the previous night.” One signaller was having trouble sending a Morse message, possibly due to his hangover, so Bill offered to send it on his behalf. But was Bill any better? “After 2 minutes of sending, back came the message “ZBM2” which in radio parlance means put a competent operator on! I was replaced immediately.” Bill spent 2 years in Malaya. He had intended to re-sign, but changed his mind, and so in May 1964 Lance Corporal Russell left Burnham for the civilian life.
The Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency (1948– 60) was a conflict between the Malayan Communist Party and the British colonial administration of Malaya. About 4,000 New Zealand servicemen served in Malaya between 1948 and 1966. Twenty lost their lives on operational service, three of those as a result of enemy action.
7 VETERANS’ AFFAIRS ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023
Photo top: New Zealand Veterans in the Flag Party are (from front to back): Peter Pangari, Tony Downer, Ray Marshall Rtd. RSM and Eddie Chuah. [Thanks to Tony for sending this to us. Ed.] Photo credit: First published in The Borneo Post, photo by Roystein Emmor. Photo middle: Bill in the jungle sending a message by morse. On his knee is a radio battery and he’s holding a morse code sending key. Photo bottom: Bill on the Thai Border, after Bill had found a kerosene tin containing documents and ammunition (Photo: Auckland Star).
Return to Malaya/ Malaysia, 2023
The Veterans Stamp Series
Bill Russell and his fellow Malaya Vets attended the 57th anniversary of the signing of the Malaysia-Indonesia Peace Agreement which brought an end to the Indonesia/Malaya conflict.
In 2019 Bill Russell approached Veterans’ Affairs and NZ Post with the idea of a series of stamps acknowledging veterans. We would like to thank Bill Russell for this initiative. The Veterans Stamp series will be released in March 2024.
They attended a commemoration service at the Sarawak Heroes Memorial Park, Kuching – featuring the New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia, Pam Chong Dunn. The next day the party marched (all of the New Zealand veterans were over the age of 80) in the Independence Day Merdeka Parade, Kuala Lumpur, where they saluted the King and Queen of Malaysia. The New Zealand veterans also travelled to Malacca to see the camp that many of them spent time in.
8
The New Zealand Remembrance Army Yes I want to clean and restore graves of service people, but my aim is for all of New Zealand to have an ongoing remembrance relationship with their people who gave everything for our country. The Remembrance Army is about their stories, it is about remembrance.
Photo Credit: Stuff Limited.
I began to uncover a lost generation of New Zealanders. The men who came back from World War I, many broken physically and or mentally. Some died without families. You can’t tell who they are or identify their family ties. This isn’t right. The very country these men served, isn’t affording them the dignity and respect they deserve.
Established in June 2018 by former NZ Army Major Simon Strombom, the New Zealand Remembrance Army (NZRA) is now a nationwide volunteer network committed to remembering the people who served and to the restoration all graves and memorials of those people. The following is an abridged speech given by Simon to the Wellington Club in 2021 for Remembrance Day. Several years ago, I cleaned an overgrown grave for a forgotten soldier. It was in a neglected part of the Porirua cemetery. I was there because of a social media post from Porirua War Stories. Their post featured Private John McGeehan. A proud, strong, young soldier who suffered shell shock at Courtney’s Post, Gallipoli. He returned to New Zealand, but like so many veterans, he was never the same. He died at his own hands in the Porirua Sanatorium in 1926.
His story resonated with me. I’d visited Gallipoli in 2004 while serving with the NZ Army, and saw first-hand the scale of the battlefield and I could easily imagine the hardships that the Anzacs had endured. Private McGeehan’s grave was covered in moss and lichen, and lay forgotten. I’ve been to the pristine commonwealth war graves of El Alamein, Kantara and also those in Israel. I thought that his neglected grave was an indictment of our society. I started to clean it, and as I looked around the cemetery, I realised that his grave wasn’t the only one that had been forgotten. This was the beginning of the New Zealand Remembrance Army. There are thousands of service graves across New Zealand. Some date back to the land wars. These are the graves of ordinary men and woman, living in extraordinary times, doing extraordinary things for their country and for many, we have forgotten their stories. I want to remember them, hear their stories and honour them by ensuring that their grave is cared for.
There is an old saying that you die twice, once when you die, and once when the last person says your name. When we restore their graves and learn their stories, the Remembrance Army is saying their name once again. We have some amazing stories that need to be told. Corporal Mose, buried in Porirua, epitomises our young nation and the courage showed by our young men going to fight in WW1. From Rarotonga, he moved to New Zealand when he was 17, and later joined the 6th reinforcements for the Wellington Regiment. He served at Gallipoli, before being transferred to the Māori Pioneers in France and fought in the major New Zealand campaigns of 1917. Promoted to Corporal, he was sent to the Sinai specifically to the Rarotongan Company. His descendants live in New Zealand, but he is well known in the Cook Islands where his great grand-daughter recently published a book on his life. There are forgotten gems throughout New Zealand. Bernard Diamond VC lies in a quiet area of Masterton cemetery. He won his VC in the Indian Munity in 1856, and tragically, lying next to him is his son who was killed on the slopes of Gallipoli.
9 VETERANS’ AFFAIRS ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023
There are also the memorial graves. They are for the sons that were killed overseas and they appear on their parent’s graves. In Johnsonville, Wellington, there appears to be two graves, but on closer inspection, they’re not graves but memorials to two sons. One was killed on Chunuk Bair, and the other in France. That family has gone to great effort to remember their lost sons. We cleaned and restored the marble, it’s the least we can do. Yet sadly there are hundreds of these kinds of graves throughout New Zealand. The anguish of mothers and fathers lies forgotten. In some cases, it’s an only child commemorated on a parent’s grave. The family line ended by a war. It makes a council’s argument somewhat redundant about gaining family consent to restore a grave. Our research also uncovered graves with medallic recognition that the service person never received, but there are many more instances where a decorated service person is buried without the proper recognition of their bravery awards. Frederick Goldsmith was a long-term employee of the Porirua Hospital. He fought in the Sinai Palestine campaign with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and returned with a Military Medal for bravery under fire. He was a local identity and died in 1948 without any recognition on his grave. In 2018 the Remembrance Army and Porirua War Stories conducted a simple ceremony, and a plaque was placed on his grave befitting his courage. We’ve also discovered many unmarked veterans’ graves. We re-dedicated 8 soldiers’ graves in Porirua. Seven were patients of the old Porirua Sanatorium and one a victim of the Influenza epidemic in 1918. There were another 30 unmarked graves at Lake View Cemetery, Marton – soldiers who died while at the Lake Alice Hospital. There are many more, all across New Zealand. By researching and publishing stories from Boer War to Afghanistan the Remembrance Army aims to help New Zealanders understand what those who served in these conflicts went through, and how their bravely and sometimes sacrifice helped shaped our nation.
So, what now for war graves in New Zealand? The responsibility for the upkeep of these graves is spread across a number of organisations, depending on the veteran and where they are buried. There is not one body responsible for these graves for those that returned or memorials for those that died overseas. I’m advocating for an organisation similar to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to be established. An organisation that focuses on the management of all service graves and memorials. My vision is that it would provide a standardized level of grave and memorial maintenance, be a force for remembrance, and overcome the inconsistent local body management of these cemeteries. Tired, unreadable and lost to all. We aren’t honouring the legacy of our soldiers, and this shouldn’t be reliant on the decision of a council employee, it should be the responsibility of a nation. As the former NZ Army padre from Tologa Bay said to me. “Soldiers stand in straight lines, and their uniforms reflect their pride. Their bearing and dress is immaculate. Yet in their final resting places over New Zealand, they lie in lines overgrown, unkempt and neglected.” At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them. If you would like to join the Remembrance Army on one of their restoration projects, check out their Facebook page facebook.com/ NZRemembranceArmy and/or email newzealandwgc@gmail.com
Veterans’ Affairs and the NZ Remembrance Army Veterans’ Affairs and the Remembrance Army meet regularly to discuss the maintenance of service graves, to support each other on projects and to explore further opportunities for joint projects. Veterans’ Affairs is responsible for providing plaques and memorials for the graves of qualifying veterans, and for inspecting and maintaining services cemeteries to a consistent national standard, and can provide commemorative funding for projects, including those identified by the Remembrance Army. With Veterans’ Affairs’ assistance the Remembrance Army has installed and unveiled headstones and service plaques for 120 unmarked graves, two new memorials and worked together to recognise East Timor, Peacekeeping operations and Afghanistan deployments on memorials across New Zealand.
Achievements | Paetae of the NZ Remembrance Army • Over 150,000 graves restored • Over 200,000 volunteer hours • Over 3,000 historical stories recorded • Over 5,000 volunteers, 57 regional teams established • Restoration of war graves in 80 cemeteries • 60 unmarked graves given headstones • 40 war memorials restored or built
10
The New Zealand Liberation Museum
Te Arawhata The New Zealanders chose not to fire over the town’s ramparts, to preserve the civilian lives within. While there were Kiwi casualties fighting for the liberation of Le Quesnoy, not one citizen of the town died in the battle. This was New Zealand’s last major action in the war. To this day, the town of Le Quesnoy continues to mark the important role that New Zealand played in its history. Streets are named after New Zealand places, there is a New Zealand memorial and a primary school that bears the name of a Kiwi soldier.
On 11 October 2023, in Le Quesnoy, a small town in northern France, the New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata, was opened by the Rt Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae and Marie-Sophie Lesne, the Mayor of Le Quesnoy.
Photo credit top: NZMMT-LQ Anna Birchall. Photo credit right: Wetā Workshop.
Present at the opening were descendants of Kiwi soldiers who liberated Le Quesnoy in World War 1, and those who gave to the $15 million project. Le Quesnoy was held for almost the entirety of the Great War by the Germans. It was occupied from August 1914 through to its dramatic liberation on 4 November 1918, when Kiwi soldiers scaled a ladder set against the ancient walls of the town and took the occupying Germans as prisoners. The liberation of the walled town by ladder was a feat so unusual it even made the New York Times.
Te Arawhata means ‘the ladder’ – referencing the way Kiwi soldiers used ladders to climb over the wall. At the centre of the museum is a 7.4 metre high ladder that extends up through the museum’s stairwell. One feature is the immersive visitor experience created by Wētā Workshop. It includes a large-scale, hyper-realistic soldier, which is one of the first figures that visitors see when they enter. Following the war, most of the allies built their own museums and visitor centres on the Western Front, but New Zealand didn’t, until now. It’s taken more than a century and a lot of hard work, but with this museum, New Zealand can now join its allies and have a place of its own to honour the fallen.
11 VETERANS’ AFFAIRS ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023
One feature is the immersive visitor experience created by Wētā Workshop. It includes a largescale, hyper-realistic soldier, which is one of the first figures that visitors see when they enter.
12
Invictus Games The 2023 Invictus Games, held in Düsseldorf, ended on 16 September after eight days of competition. Over 550 competitors from more than 20 nations were at the games. It is the only international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured and ill from active duty. It aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery and to support rehabilitation. The New Zealand team had 21 athletes (comprising of serving and ex-serving members).
Gold for 100m sprint Jack Church, Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Leading Physical Training Instructor.
Silvers in discus and indoor rowing Stacey Adam, Royal New Zealand Air Force Flight Sergeant
Silver for power lifting Melissa Hansen, NZ Army Staff Sergeant
Bronze for table tennis Paulette Doctor, RNZN Able Communication Warfare Specialist
The New Zealand Team was sponsored by Fulton Hogan, Dynasty Sport, The Ranfurly Veterans’ Trust, Sudima Hotels and supported by Veterans’ Affairs. Photo: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with members from the New Zealand Team.
13 VETERANS’ AFFAIRS ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023
Can serving people have Qualifying Operational Service? Flight Sergeant Wai-O-Rahiri Paenga, Missions Manager
Wai-O-Rahiri Paenga’s deployments have given her Qualifying Operational Service. Wai deployed on Op KORU (TG MANU 3/4) in Timor Leste between October 2007 and March 2008, in charge of the ADF/RNZAF Fuel team. That team was made up of ADF petroleum operators, ground crew and RNZAF Aviation Refuellers refuelling ADF Blackhawk and RNZAF Iroquois helicopters. She then deployed on Op ARIKI (TG CRIB 14) in Afghanistan from April to October 2009. There Wai was the sole refueller deployed to Bamiyan to manage the fuel farm and fuel Coalition aircraft. If you are still serving, it’s worth checking to see if you have Qualifying Operational Service (QOS). It is related to the deployment/s that you have been on. While you are still in service the NZDF will provide you with primary health care, wellbeing support, and injury cover under the NZDF Accredited Employer Partnership (AEP) programme, but when you leave NZDF you may be able to access support for service-related conditions from Veterans’ Affairs. You are eligible to receive an annual health assessment by your GP for the first three years. veteransaffairs.mil.nz/check
About Qualifying Service
This coverage has more recently been provided by the NZDF Accredited Employer Partnership (AEP) programme.
Veterans’ Affairs can support exservice personnel with Qualifying Routine Service or Qualifying Operational Service.
Before and after 1 April 1974, service personnel who deployed on operations covered by a Ministerial Declaration of Qualifying Service, gained Qualifying Operational Service. Declarations made under the previous legislation now come under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014.
Those with Qualifying Routine Service (QRS) served in the NZ Armed Forces before 1 April 1974 – either in New Zealand or overseas. Qualifying Routine Service recognises that before 1 April 1974, service members were not covered for work-related injuries or illnesses. Because of this, we provide support to all those that served in the NZ Armed Forces during this time. QRS stopped on 1 April 1974 with the introduction of ACC which supports all New Zealanders who suffer work-related injuries.
To make a declaration, the Minister for Veterans must be satisfied that the deployment poses a significant risk of harm. The Directorate of Strategic Commitments, NZDF, provides the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) with information with information about the likely risk posed to those deployed, and then the CDF briefs the Minister. Veterans’ Affairs doesn’t make that determination.
14
British Nuclear Test Veterans Medal In November 2022, the Government of the United Kingdom announced it would be awarding medals to all Commonwealth Armed Forces – or next of kin – involved in the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Test Programme between 1952 and 1967. This medal is an additional entitlement to the New Zealand Government’s Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing) that has been awarded for the same service. Most of the 600 New Zealanders who would be eligible for this British medal will be naval staff serving on HMNZS Pukaki and Rotoiti on specific dates between 15 May 1957 and 23 Sep 1958. Service on the frigates that went to Mururoa during French nuclear testing, is not covered by this award. Full eligibility to receive a British Nuclear Test Medal can be seen here: www.gov.uk/government/news/callfor-veterans-and-civilian-staff-fromacross-the-commonwealth-to-claimcommemorative-nuclear-test-medals Applications for the medal can be submitted by completing the British Ministry of Defence medal form at this link www.gov.uk/government/ publications/applying-for-medals
The British Nuclear Test Medal is now being issued to veterans, starting with the oldest, with deliveries to New Zealand and Australian based veterans already being received. The medal’s design features an atom surrounded by olive branches, with the words ‘Nuclear Test Medal’, and bears an image of His Majesty King Charles III on the reverse. The medal’s ribbon colours are white, yellow, black and red, including a lighter blue for the sky and ocean to represent the Pacific – where the tests were conducted. The Montebello Islands, Christmas Island, Malden Island and Maralinga and Emu Field, South Australia, were where the British OP GRAPPLE nuclear tests were carried out. For most New Zealand veterans, they will have served in the Malden Island or Christmas Island test series, with only a small number of New Zealand observers present at Maralinga. Veterans, civilian staff and next of kin can apply for a medal free of charge and it will also be awarded posthumously.
To apply for medals or to ask about medals Please email NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals (PAMs) at nzdf.pam@nzdf.mil.nz NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals (PAMs) issues war, operational, and service medals to NZDF former and current service members. Within the limits of the Privacy Act 2020, they can also provide advice about which medals NZDF former and current service members might be entitled to, and information about which medals have already been issued to them. For more information go to this page on the NZDF website www.nzdf.mil.nz/defence-andwhanau/medals-and-servicerecords/medal-applications/
15 VETERANS’ AFFAIRS ISSUE 44 DECEMBER 2023
Kiwibank’s Local Hero Medallist – Te Pou Toko o te Tau Willie Apiata VC
Photo: Corporal Willie Apiata VC (right) and Royal New Zealand Navy Warrant Officer Lance Graham at the memorabilia auction fundraising for Tairāwhiti after Cyclone Gabrielle in February.
Under the leadership of Willie Apiata VC, a group of former New Zealand Defence Force personnel raised over $200,000 for a Tai Rāwhiti iwi impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. The silent auction included Willie Apiata’s Victoria Cross medallion, a copy of Queen Elizabeth’s II funeral programme signed by Victoria Cross recipients, and a special air service book and brooch. Apiata expressed his desire to give back to the community that raised him, and emphasised the ongoing need to support the East Coast and its people as they work towards sustainable recovery. For more information about the awards check out this website nzawards.org.nz/local-heroes
NGAPONA
HMNZS Ngapona Association If you are a former member of HMNZS Ngapona or of the RNZNVR the HMNZS Ngapona Association would love to hear from you. They aim to promote comradeship amongst serving and former members of the RNZNVR. You can read more about the Association on their website ngapona.org.nz or email their secretary at Secretary@ngapona.org.nz
16
Processing times for claims Update
Veterans’ Affairs has been able to reduce the backlog of claims waiting on decisions, but we acknowledge that we have more to do. We are sorry for these delays and will continue to focus on completing these claims, and we will continue to enhance our systems to improve the processing times.
1,046
claims processed
1,436
new claims received [Between 1 January and 30 June 2023]
Why processing times vary
How you can reduce your wait time
Some claims, like those related to hearing loss or funeral expenses, are relatively simple and are generally processed quickly. However, more complicated claims take longer for us to process. Those claims might:
The most effective step that you can take to shorten the processing time for your claim is to provide all the information that we require when you send in your claim.
• include complex conditions
• having your GP or specialist confirm your diagnosis
• need further information from medical specialists. The average time that it takes to obtain the additional information required for a claim is currently 168 days.
Requesting information from health specialists can take some time Some examples include: • Information requested from an Optometrist on 1 September 2022 was received on 15 February 2023 (167 days). • An Orthopaedic Specialist was asked for more information on 13 October 2022, and that was received on 2 May 2023 (201 days). • Another request to an Orthopaedic Specialist took 164 days before they got back to us.
This means:
• sending us all the documents we ask for on the claim form. Use the checklist on the claim form to see what steps to take and what documents to include. If we don’t have everything we need to process your claim, we will have to ask you or your GP or specialist for the missing information. Please contact us if you’re not sure what documents you need to support your claim. For more information about processing times and help to complete a claim please have a look at our website
veteransaffairs.mil.nz