| Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces | |
| Presenter: | the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Type: | Military marksmanship medal |
| Eligibility: | All ranks |
| Status: | Current |
| Clasps: | Displaying year of award |
| Established: | 1958 |
| Firstawarded: | 1955 |
| Precedence Label: | Order of wear |
| Higher: | Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines |
| Lower: | Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces |
| Related: | Naval Good Shooting Medal |
The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces was retrospectively instituted for New Zealand in 1958, the first medal having already been awarded in 1955. The medal is a Naval counterpart of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces. One medal can be awarded annually to the champion shot of a small-arms marksmanship competition held by the Royal New Zealand Navy.[1] [2]
The reverse of the medal and the ribbon are identical to those of the Naval Good Shooting Medal, instituted by King Edward VII in 1902 as an award for outstanding naval gunnery and discontinued in 1914. In 1966 the same medal design and ribbon were to be used again for the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.[1] [3] [4]
The Medal for the Best Shot in the British Army, Infantry, was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1869 and was awarded from 1870 to 1882 to the best shot of the annual Army shooting competition. In 1923 the medal was re-introduced by King George V and designated the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces. This was followed by the institution of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The two medals were awarded to the champions of annual Army and Air Force small-arms marksmanship competitions respectively, at central meetings in the United Kingdom and some countries of the British Commonwealth.[5] [6] [7]
The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces was first awarded in New Zealand in 1955 and was retrospectively instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 April 1958.[1] [8]
Every medal is awarded with a clasp, inscribed with the year of award and attached to the medal's suspension bar. Holders of the medal who qualify for a subsequent award, are awarded a clasp only, to be worn on the ribbon of the original medal and attached to the original or previous clasp. When medals are not worn, the award of second or further clasps are denoted on the ribbon bar by a silver rosette to denote the award of each additional clasp.[1] [8] [9]
The annual competition for the medal takes place under service rifle championship conditions and the medal is awarded to the winner of the Naval Rifle Championship at that meeting. All competitors must be actual serving members of the Royal New Zealand Navy, or of the Reserve or Auxiliary Naval Forces of New Zealand.[1] [8] [10] [11]
In the order of wear prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces takes precedence after the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and before the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces.[1] [2]
The medal was struck in silver and is a disk, 36mm in diameter, with a raised rim on each side and suspended from a straight silver bar.[2] [10]
The first Naval Rifle Championship to compete for the medal took place in 1955 and the first medal was won by Chief Ordnance Artificer K.W.P. Southwell, while the record holder for the most championship victories is ten times champion shot Lieutenant Commander (Wardmaster) Neville Peach. The championship took place annually from 1955, except in 1966 and 1981, when no competition was held. The table below lists the known recipients of the medal.[13]
| Year | Rank | Initials | Surname | Squadron or Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Chief Ordnance Artificer | K.W.P. | Southwell | |
| 1956 | Lieutenant | J.G. | Naylor | RNZNVR |
| 1957 | Lieutenant | J.G. | Naylor (2) | RNZNVR |
| 1958 | Sick Berth Petty Officer | J.G. | Peach | |
| 1959 | Sick Berth Petty Officer | J.G. | Peach (2) | |
| 1960 | Sick Berth Petty Officer | J.G. | Peach (3) | |
| 1961 | A/Wardmaster Sub Lieutenant | J.G. | Peach (4) | RNZN |
| 1962 | Wardmaster Sub Lieutenant | J.G. | Peach (5) | RNZN |
| 1963 | Wardmaster Sub Lieutenant | J.G. | Peach (6) | RNZN |
| 1964 | Wardmaster Lieutenant | J.G. | Peach (7) | RNZN |
| 1965 | Wardmaster Lieutenant | J.G. | Peach (8) | RNZN |
| 1967 | Radio Electrical Mechanic | R.L. | Brader | |
| 1968 | Chief Petty Officer | C.A. | Cain | |
| 1969 | Lieutenant Commander | F.E.J. | Mason | RNZN |
| 1970 | Lieutenant Commander (Wardmaster) | J.G. | Peach (9) | RNZN |
| 1971 | Leading Writer | R.C. | Nawisielski | HMNZS Philomel |
| 1972 | Warrant Officer | C.A. | Cain (2) | |
| 1973 | Lieutenant Commander (Wardmaster) | J.G. | Peach (10) | RNZN |
| 1974 | Petty Officer Writer | R.C. | Nawisielski (2) | HMNZS Tamaki |
| 1975 | Chief Petty Officer | J.L. | Carter | |
| 1976 | Lieutenant Commander | R.L. | Clough | RNZN |
| 1977 | Stores Petty Officer | R.C.W. | Marshall | HMNZS Irirangi |
| 1978 | Lieutenant Commander | L.P. | Mason | RNZN |
| 1979 | Commander | L.P. | Mason (2) | RNZN |
| 1980 | Chief Weapons Electrical Artificer | G.F. | Smeaton | |
| 1982 | Chief Petty Officer Writer | R.C. | Nawisielski (3) | HMNZS Tamaki |
| 1983 | PORM | D. | Tonkin | HMNZS Irirangi |
| 1984 | WORM | R. | Hudson | HMNZS Irirangi |
| 1985 | Sub Lieutenant | P. | Gibson | RNZVR HMNZS Ngapona |
| 1986 | POREA | D. | Tonkin (2) | HMNZS Waikato |
| 1987 | Sub Lieutenant | P. | Gibson (2) | RNZVR HMNZS Ngapona |
| 1988 | WORM | R. | Hudson (2) | HMNZS Irirangi |
| 1989 | CPOREA | D. | Tonkin (3) | HMNZS Irirangi |