Circular bronze medal on laterally pierced cylinder suspension; the face with a winged figure of Victory; the reverse inscribed ‘THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION 1914-1919’ within a circular laurel wreath; attributed on the edge to ‘57114 PTE. D. MARSHALL/ N. Z. E. F.’; age-toned, especially on the reverse; on replaced correct ribbon. The idea of an inter-allied medal to commemorate victory in what was termed ‘The Great War for Civilisation’ is credited to the French Field-Marshal Foch. It was agreed that each of the Allies should issue a medal to their nationals featuring a figure representing ‘Victory’ on the front and have a symmetric double rainbow ribbon with red, the colour of courage and sacrifice at the centre, representing the colours of the allies flags and presenting an allegory of calm after storm. The British medal was instituted on 1 September 1919 to be awarded to all those who served in a theatre of operations between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. It was awarded also to all British Empire military, except those of South Africa, whose government issued their own variant. Additionally, it was awarded to those British servicemen active in the Hejaz and Aden after the end of the European war, for post-war mine clearance operations and for the Royal Navy mission to Russia, hence the latter date of 1919. On 4 August 1914 the New Zealand government send a telegram to London offering to send an expeditionary force to support the ‘Mother Country’. The offer was immediately accepted and a brigade of infantry, a mounted rifle brigade, a field artillery brigade and support troops were recruited, together with a pioneer battalion of Maori troops. On 16 October 1914, a force of 8,500 men set out for Egypt where they joined with two Australian brigades to form the famed ‘ANZAC’ force which fought with great bravery at Gallipoli. In 1916, supplemented by two further infantry brigades and two field artillery brigades, most of the New Zealand force was sent to France. By the end of the war, some 124,211 men had served in the N. Z. E. F., of whom 100,444 were sent overseas. The Force suffered 59,483 casualties, of whom 18,166 died, underlining New Zealand’s great contribution to the war effort. Private David Marshall survived the war and returned to New Zealand where he died on 23 October 1922.
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