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medal, campaign

On display
human history
  • Other Name

    War Medal 1939-45, WW2 (descriptive name)

    Lieutenant Donald Cameron, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR) (associated name)

  • Description

    War Medal 1939-45, WW2

    Part of medal set of Lieutenant Donald Cameron, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR)

    cupronickel disk, 36 mm diameter, ring suspension, with ribbon

    obverse: King George IV's effigy with words encircling it GEOGIVS VI D:G:BR. OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP.

    reverse: The reverse shows a lion standing wanton on the body of a double-headed dragon. At the top, just to the right of centre are the years "1939" and "1945" in two lines.

    ribbon: grosgrain, 32mm wide, colours - bed band, blue band and white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a thin red band

    markings obverse: HP

    markings reverse: E.C.R.P. (Edward Carter Preston)

  • Place
  • Accession Number
    2001.25.140.7
  • Accession Date
    15 Aug 2001
  • Other Id

    Spink: 163 (Spink 1988)

  • Department
  • Display Room
War Medal 1939-45, 2001.25.140.7

Images and documents

Images

Artefact

  • Display location

    Pou Maumahara drawer bank 6, drawer B, medal position 75

  • Credit Line
    Collection of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, 2001.25.140.7
    Brent Mackrell Collection
  • Collection
  • Primary Maker

     Thomas Humphrey Paget (Medallist)

     Edward Carter Preston (Medallist)

  • Place
  • Date
    [1945]
  • Associated Notes

    War Medal 1939-45

    Medal issued to Lieut. Donald Cameron, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR), WW2

    Lieutenant (A) D. Cameron, RNZNVR, m.i.d.; born Christchurch, 23 Jul 1922; salesman.

    Served: WW2: Fleet Air Arm UK, Middle East, Pacific. Only NZer to be a POW to Japan & Germany. Son-in-law of Leonard Young MM who served at Mons during WW1

    "Late that night press correspondents returned from a visit to the Yokohama area with two prisoners of war released from a camp at Ofuna, about eight miles from Yokosuka. They were Lieutenant (A) Donald Cameron, RNZNVR,1 of 1834 Squadron, HMS Victorious, whose aircraft had been shot down over the Sakishima Gunto on 9 May 1945, and Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist H. E. G. Newman of HMS Exeter, which was sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea on 1 March 1942. They were suffering from the effects of ill-treatment and malnutrition, and from their statements it was apparent that Ofuna, which was not registered as a prisoner-of-war camp, was a ‘nasty little hell-hole’. There remained in the camp three other ratings from British ships sunk in the Java Sea and ninety-nine American airmen. The ratings were brought in next day, arrangements being made for a recovery team to look after the Americans. Incidentally, that was Lieutenant Cameron's second experience of a prisoner-of-war camp. As a Seafire pilot of 880 Squadron, HMS Stalker, he was flying over Salerno, Italy, during the landing operations there in September 1943 when his engine failed and he made a forced landing on a beach. He was taken prisoner by the Germans, but escaped five days later when he was being transferred from one camp to another. After an arduous and perilous tramp of more than two weeks, including a crossing of the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, he remained in hiding with Italians for some time. He was found by a Royal Marines commando when Naples was captured. For his ‘enterprise and devotion to duty’ he was awarded a mention in despatches."

    From: SD Waters, The Royal New Zealand Navy, 1956, Historical Publications Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, p 401

  • Associated Event
    WW2; 1939-1945
  • Associated Person
  • Associated Date
    (03 Sep 1939)-02 Sep 1945
  • Period
  • Signature/marks

    H.P. (medallist's initials)

    E.CR.P. (medallist's initials)

  • Media
  • Measurement Description
    medal: 36mm diameter
    ribbon: 32mm wide
    set (H x W) : 100x172mm
  • Measurement Reading

    36mm

    32mm

    96mm

  • Subject Category
  • Classification
  • Media/Materials Notes

    medal

    ribbon

  • Last Update
    19 Mar 2024
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