SMITH Michael
K88214, Leading Aircraftman, Royal New Zealand Air Force
3997, Lieutenant, Legion of Frontiersmen, New Zealand
AWARDS
New Zealand Defence Service Medal [2011]
Regular
New Zealand Legion Pioneer Axe [2017]
International Year of the Volunteer Medal [2001]
New Zealand Legion Long Service & Efficiency Medal [2009]
bar [2021]
New Zealand Legion Service Star [2003]
New Zealand Legion, Command Centennial Medal [2011]
Saltire Decoration [Scotland] [2018]
Australian Legion Service Medal [2009]
Annand Frontiersmen Service Cross - For Merit [2007]
Metcalf Cross of Honour [Canada]. [2015]
6th Para Regt Medal of Honor - Silver [2018]
Centennial of the Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade Citation [2013]
Co-awarded the Frontiersman of the Year trophy [2012]
New Zealand Legion Meritorious Service Medal [2025]
NOTES
Born 1956, Hamilton, New Zealand
Died 14 September 2025
Enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force 30 May 1977
Discharged at own request from Royal New Zealand Air Force 23 October 1988
Joined Legion of Frontiersmen 13 October 1995
Born in, and educated in, the Waikato region of New Zealand during the 1960's & early 70s. He managed to get a little bored with life on the farm and after six years living in town he enlisted into the Royal New Zealand Air Force on 30 May 1977 through to the end of October 1988 in the Communications, Driving and Administrative trades serving around most of New Zealand and gaining a passion for military history in the process. This passion he carried on into his service upon enlisting into the Legion as a Frontiersman on 13 October 1995.
During his many years since, in the Legion, most of his time was spent amassing a collection of badges and medals and the like, as well as obsolete publications relating to the Legion of Frontiersmen's history in New Zealand.
WRITTEN WORKS
- Soldiers of the Empire - History of the New Zealand Command, Legion of Frontiersmen [2011]
- Smoke Eaters - Centennial publication of the Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade [2014]
- Subritzky Saga - The heraldic history of the Subritzky family [2015]
- The Vietnam Scrapbook, [50th Anniversary Edition] - History of New Zealand's involvement in the Vietnam War [2016]
- Spirit of ANZAC - Rewrite of this limited edition volume of War Poetry [2018]