I posted this years ago on a NZ Military forum, but it may be of interest as it explains the origins of the NZANS badge.-
After the outbreak of WW1 the NZ Government offered the British Government a quota of 50 Nurses for service in Egypt or wherever the NZ troops may be stationed.
Nursing volunteers were requested to submit their names to their local area nursing association. These would be narrowed down to approx 15 names (for each of the regional areas) which were to be forwarded to Miss H. Maclean, matron in chief of the Defence department, Wellington.
Miss Maclean narrowed these names to the 50 that would make up the quota.
Interesting, the NZANS was slow to receive official sanction due to a technical defect in the Defence Act, which, according to the decision of the Crown Law Officers, made no provision for women. An amendment to the Act was required to enable the corps to be put on a proper footing, and thus bring NZ into line with the system in the Commonwealth.
It is worth mentioning when the NZANS was being formed, a design and specimen of a new badge for the corps was forwarded to the Minister of Defence the Hon J Allen.
The Minister of Defence decided to put this badge aside and made a public request (20th February 1915) of the NZ public who feel so inclined to send in designs in order that the badge shall be of a distinctly NZ character, representing the best that New Zealanders can do in that particular line.
“These nurses, he pointed out, are the beginning of a formation of a New Zealand Army Nursing Service, and it would be only fitting that the badge they wear should be a design selected as the outcome of competition among New Zealanders.”
The criteria for the competition was –
It must not be larger than a florin, must have on it the letters NZANS, may be in silver or some other metal, and must not exceed in cost 5s or £25 a hundred. Suggested designs must reach Miss Maclean, Matron-in-Chief of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, Health Department, Wellington, not later than 1st March.
143 designs were sent in, these were inturn submitted to a board consisting of Mr A. D. Riley, Mrs S. Hannah and Mrs E. M. Kendall, who forwarded a final four designs to the Minister of Defence the Hon. J. Allen for final selection.
The 4 designs were from –
Mr T. W. Clayton of the Valuation Department.
Mr Frank Grady, Jeweller, Wellington.
Mr Laurenson for Messrs. White, Jewellers.
Mr Eric Reeves, Wellington.
The Draughtsman of the Defence Department, which incorporated features from the designs submitted, did the final design. It is said that the final design was very similar to one submitted by Mr S. S. Stubberfield of Christchurch.
Tenders were then asked to be submitted for the manufacturing of the first 60 badges.
The Defence Department accepted the tender from Mr C. M. Bay of Willis Street.
The following is a description taken at the first award ceremony of the badge (7th April 1915) –
“Surmounted by the Royal Arms, the badge is bordered with a fern leaf in silver, and inside that portion of the design is the Red Cross, with the lettering N.Z.A.N.S. underneath in silver on a blue enamel ground. "That will show where we come from," said one of the nurses, "and it will also let anyone know who we are in case of accident, because each one bears an identification number.”
The nurses wore their uniforms of grey with red collars and piping on the overcoats, and a row of brass buttons down the front of the upper garment, the red and grey shoulder straps adding a military touch. Those present at the ceremony included the Right Hon. W. F. and Mrs. Massey the Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence), the Hon. R. H. Rhodes (Minister of Public Health), Mrs. H. D. Bell, and Mrs. F. M. B. Fisher. Miss Maclean, matron in charge of the contingent, called up the nurses one by one, and they were invested with the insignia of Dominion nursing royalty by Mrs. Massey and the Hon. J. Allen. At the conclusion of that part of the ceremony, Mr. Massey said he desired to express the appreciation, not only of the Government, but of the people of New Zealand as a whole, of the fact that those present had offered their services to the Empire and to the country to which they belonged in the very serious crisis through which we are passing. He was quite certain that their services would be thoroughly appreciated by our men at the front — those who are there now and those who may go there in future. He desired to compliment them particularly on their healthy and sturdy appearance, as far as looks went and in every other respect he was quite certain they would be a credit to New Zealand. He could only wish them a pleasant voyage and a safe return.”
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