John Donald AWMM

Desmond AWMM

J. D. Desmond AWMM

Vietnam 675217 AWMM

Male AWMM

6 September 1932 AWMM

1963 AWMM Single/Malaya AWMM

• Vietnam War, 1961-1975 AWMM
• Malaya, 1960-1964 AWMM
• Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960 AWMM

Army AWMM

Vietnam 675217 AWMM

British Empire Medal (BEM) (Military) AWMM
NZ Gazette Number 39 dated 22 June 1967 (QB Honours 1967): Warrant Officer Desmond enlisted into the New Zealand Army in 1952 as a clerk. Following a period of basic training he qualified as an infantry instructor and was posted to the New Zealand Special Air Service Squadron. He served with this unit until 1957 when he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and posted to Headquarters New Zealand Division as a clerk. He saw active service in Malaysia with the Special Air Service Squadron in 1955 and again with the New Zealand Infantry Battalion from 1961 to 1963. On return to New Zealand he was posted as a Recruiting Non-commissioned Officer and Assistant Instructor at the School of Army Administration. On 11 June 1965 he was again posted to active service in the appointment of Chief Clerk Headquarters New Zealand V Force, Saigon. During his service in Vietnam Warrant Officer Desmond has diligently carried out his duties as Chief Clerk with a degree of skill, efficiency and dispatch rarely seen in his contemporaries. He rapidly established his office, trained and integrated his junior staff and established excellent support with the staffs of other nations. In December 1965 due to the death of the Paymaster he immediately took over this appointment together with that of Imprestee. Through force of circumstances he has continued to hold these additional appointments and has carried them out with skill and exactitude. The scope of his activities in these tasks has required a wide-ranging knowledge, a keen mind and a great capacity to remember detail. By cheerfully working unusually long hours under trying conditions Warrant Officer Desmond has displayed all these attributes and attained for him a very high reputation with all segments of this complex organisation. Warrant Officer Desmond’s professional competence, loyalty and untiring dedication to duty have reflected great credit upon himself, New Zealand V Force and the New Zealand Army as a whole. AWMM

• Malaya Corporal/Military SAS (R21234079) New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) SAS (R21234079) British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve AWMM
• Malaya New Zealand Regiment, 2 Battalion NZMA
  2nd Embarkation AWMM
• Vietnam Warrant Officer Class 2 Ministry for Culture and Heritage Headquarters Vietnam Force (HQ V Force) AWMM
  3rd Embarkation AWMM

• Malaya 1963 AWMM Staff Sergeant 1NZIR Repatriation Lists R22435565
  New Zealand Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion 1NZIR Repatriation Lists R22435565
• Malaya 1963 AWMM Corporal/Military 1NZIR Repatriation Lists R22435607
  New Zealand Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion 1NZIR Repatriation Lists R22435607

21 August 1976 NZMVA

Taita Lawn Cemetery Northern end Rimu Street Naenae Lower Hutt New Zealand AWMM RSA Soldiers Burial, Block 11, Row AA, Plot 06 AWMM

• New Zealand's Vietnam War Veterans. Personal page
  http://www.vietnamwar.govt.nz/veteran/wo2-jd-desmond
  Sources Used
• Memories of New Zealand and the Vietnam War. New Zealand History online website.
  http://www.vietnamwar.govt.nz/
  Further Reference
• Australia's Vietnam War
  https://vietnam.unsw.adfa.edu.au/
  Further Reference

• Subritsky, M. (Ed). (1995). The Vietnam scrapbook: The second ANZAC adventure. Papakura, N.Z.: Three Feathers Publishing Co. AWMM
• Hall, C. (2014). No front line : inside stories of New Zealand's Vietnam War. Auckland, New Zealand : Penguin Books. AWMM
• This record was created from data kindly provided by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. AWMM
• Last Post - New Zealand Malaya Veterans Association AWMM
• 1NZR Roll 1961-1963 - Bill Russell, Malayan Veterans Association Scrapbook – 40th Anniversary edition. AWMM
• DECEASED, 1 NZ Regiment, 1961-63 – Internet resource. AWMM
• This record was partially created from Cemetery research completed by Carol Foster (2021). AWMM
• Organisation - New Zealand Army Force - FARELF [Far East Land Forces] - Organisation and formation - [Malaya] [Malaya 1960-1964 1NZIR Repatriation Lists]. Archives New Zealand Wellington, AAYS 8638 AD1/1120 (R22435552) AWMM
  List is intended to post personnel of 1NZ Regt on their retrun to NZ with a range of factors in mind. AWMM
• Fry, P., & New Zealand. Army. Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. Battalion, 1st. (1983). The First Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment : Journal / [P.J. Fry, editor] (25th anniversary commemorative ed.). Singapore: The Regiment. AWMM
• Special Air Service (SAS) Squadron - Malaya - Nominal roll (persons returns from overseas) [1957], Archives New Zealand, CAJN 41/3/6 [R21234079] AWMM