8 November 2007

Victoria Cross Winners honoured by War Veterans

	Corporal Willie Apiata VC

The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association is to posthumously award its highest honour, the Badge in Gold to the 21 members of New Zealand’s armed forces awarded the Victoria Cross during the New Zealand Wars, the South African War of 1899-1902 and the two World Wars. A single symbolic Badge in Gold in a larger form of the original NZRSA badge will be displayed with portraits of the country’s military heroes in the Gallipoli Room at RNZRSA Headquarters in ANZAC House.

The Association will also present the Badge in Gold and Life Membership to Corporal Willie Apiata VC in recognition of his gallantry, courage and leadership in Afghanistan in 2004.

His Excellency the Governor General and Commander–in-Chief, the Hon Anand Satyanand PCNZM, QSO, will unveil the badge for the deceased awardees and present the Badge in Gold to Corporal Apiata on Armistice Day, Sunday, 11 November 2007.

The first recipient of the Badge in Gold, instituted in 1920, was the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII). Since then the list of distinguished recipients has grown to include King George VI and the current Queen’s Consort HRH Prince Philip, nine Governors-General, two New Zealand Prime Ministers and British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, famous military commanders, including Allenby, Birdwood, Freyberg, Godley, Kippenberger, Montgomery, Park, and Russell, as well as many RSA members from the ranks who have rendered signal service to the Association and the veteran community in general. There are currently six living recipients of the Badge in Gold, the last awarded being to saboteur, resistance organiser and fighter Nancy Wake, known to the Gestapo as the “White Mouse”.