NATIONAL RESISTANCE MEDAL
Instituted on 22 December 1948 the Medal commemorates Nation Resistance during the Second World War. It was awarded in one class and bestowed upon those who had actively served in, or had been of assistance to Greek National Resistance Organisations in their struggle against occupying Italo-German forces between 1941 and 1945. The Medal is a bronze medallion, the obverse of which depicts an armed Greek Resistance Fighter planting the National Flag on a rock. The reverse bears the inscription 'National Resistance, 1941 - 1945' in Greek. The medal is pendent on a riband of dark blue with a wide grey center stripe. Some examples include a small bronze bar bearing the year of service on the riband (Romanoff, 1987).
New Zealanders who served with the British Special Operations Executive Military Mission to Greece as part of Force 133, 266, or 399 are eligible for the award. As are escaped prisoners of war who joined Greek Resistance organisations. To date Major Jordan is the only confirmed recipient. Other eligible recipients are listed by many did not recieve the award.
CONFIRMED RECIPIENTS
2627 Major William Sydney JORDAN
New Zealand Divisional Cavalry attached to attached to Special Operations Executive. Parachuted into occupied Greece 17 December 1942 and served with Greek guerrillas until 24 February 1944. Award not published in London Gazette. Later Major Jordan MBE MC Mid, attached Special Operations Executive France from June to September 1944.
[Medal Group]
ELIGIBLE BUT UNCONFIRMED
38289 Lieutenant Colonel Cecil Edward BARNES
New Zealand
Engineers attached to Special Operations Executive and parachuted into
occupied Greece 1 October 1941 serving with Greek guerrillas. Later Lieutenant Colonel Edmonds DSO MC Mid. Accidently killed Victoria Australia 22 June 1952.
Major J.W.C CRAIG
22 Battalion, New Zealand Infantry, escaped prisoner of war who volunteered for service with British Speical Operations Executive in Crete and Greece. Later Major Craig MC and bar.
20444 Lieutenant Colonel Arthur EDMONDS
New Zealand
Engineers attached to Special Operations Executive and parachuted into
occupied Greece 1 October 1941 serving with Greek guerrillas. Later
Lieutenant Colonel Edmonds MC Mid.
Major A.H. EMPSON
18 Battalion, New Zealand Infantry, escaped prisoner of war who volunteered for service with British Military Mission to Greek Resistance Army. Later Major Empson MM. Died of sickness in Greece 6 April 1946.
Sergeant Richard A. HOOPER
New Zealand Medical Corps, escaped POW in Greece who joined British Military Mission to Greek Resistance Army in 1943. Later Sergeant Hooper MM.
20475 Lieutenant Wilfred Arthur HUBBARD
New Zealand Divisional Cavalry, Member British Military Mission to Greek Resistance Army. Murdered by ELAS guerrillas October 1943. Buried Phaleron War Cemetery, Athens, Greece.
Captain Donald George McNAB
New Zealand Engineers, escaped prisoner of war who ran an intelligence operation in Greece in 1941. Drafted for Special Service with the British Special Operations Executive in Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece from 1942 to 1943 and again from 1944 to 1945. Post war Squadron Leader McNab MC DCM, RNZAF.
Staff Sergeant Tom MOIR
New Zeland Artillery, escaped prisoner of war who volunteered for service with the British Special Operations Executive. He participated in a number of operations until being captured during an operation on Crete in 1943 and was held as a POW in Austria until 1945. Later Staff Sergeant Moir DCM MM.
Sergeant Robert McDonald MORTON
New Zealand Artillery, escaped prisoner of war who volunteered for Service with British Special Operations Executive in Greece in 1943. Later Captain Morton MC DCM, Member Z Special Force, Borneo 1944 to 1945.
Major John Alan Edward MULGAN
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. New Zealand born Rhodes Scholar to Oxford. Attached British Special Operations Executive and member British Military Mission to Greek Resistance Army 1943 to 1945. Later Lieutenant Colonel Mulgan MC. Committed suicide Cairo 1945.
Corporal Charles MUTCH
New Zealand Army Service Corps, escaped POW in Greece who joined British Military Mission to Greek Resistance Army in 1943. Later Sergeant Mutch MM.
Warrant Officer Class Two Lou N. NORTHOVER
19 Battalion, New Zealand Infantry, escaped POW in Greece who joined British Military Mission to Greek Resistance Army in 1943. Later WOII Northover MM.
Sergeant Dudley Churchill PERKINS
New Zealand Artillery, escaped prisoner of war who volunteered to return to Crete with the British Special Operatins Executive to organise the resistance and find other escaped prisoners. Killed in an ambush on Crete February 1944. Recommended for Victoria Cross by Major Xan Fielding but awarded a mention in despatches instead.
Warrant Officer Class Two John Alexander REDPATH
New Zealand Engineers, escaped prisoner of war who volunteered for service with British Special Operations Executive in Crete and Greece. Recaptured and POW whilst on operations in May 1942, escaped and returned to allied lines in November 1943. Served with SOE in the Aegean Sea in support of British SBS. Later Captain Redpath DCM MM.
Major Donald John STOTT
New Zealand Artillery, escaped prisoner of war who volunteered for Service with British Special Operations Executive in Greece in 1943. Later Major Stott DSO and bar, member Z Special Force Borneo 1944 to 1945. Missing believed drowned off Borneo Coast March 1945.