Fleet Reserve Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1928L00031 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1928. No. 31.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NAVAL DEFENCE ACT 1910-1918.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations, under the Naval Defence Act 1910-1918, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this twenty-fourth day of April, 1928.

STONEHAVEN,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

T. W .GLASGOW,

Minister of State for Defence.

 

Amendment of Fleet Reserve Regulations.

(Statutory Rules 1926, No. 61, as amended to present date.),

(Second Amendment.)

After Regulation 64 the following regulations are added:—

Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

“65. A member of the Fleet Reserve who was serving in the Reserve on or after 1st April, 1920, or who served in the Great War, and who has not been awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is eligible for the award of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal provided he—

(a) has completed at least 15 years’ service in His Majesty’s Fleet and Royal Australian Fleet Reserve combined or in His Majesty’s Fleet and both Royal Fleet Reserve and Royal Australian Fleet Reserve;

For the purposes of this paragraph H M. Fleet embraces Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Australian Navy.

(b) has satisfactorily carried out the prescribed training;

(c) has obtained a character not below ‘V.G.’ during the 15 years preceding the award and not below ‘Good’ during any year of his service from the age of 18, except as prescribed in regulation 66.

519.—Price 3d.


(d) is in possession of the maximum number of good conduct badges for which he could have qualified during his period of active service; and

(e) is recommended for the award of the medal by the Registrar of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve.

66.(1) A member whose character was assessed below ‘Good’ during the first five years of his active service from the age of 18 may be specially considered for the award of the Medal either:—

(a) on the ground of having displayed heroism or gallantly in action; or having rendered some special service in time of emergency; subsequent to the assessment of character below “Good” or

(b) on the ground of having 18 years’ service with continuous ‘V.G.’ character subsequent to that assessment.

(2) The conditions prescribed in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (e) of regulation 65 shall apply to all members. Desertion at any time shall render a member ineligible for the award of the medal, except in special circumstances where a member can show the necessary period of service with continuous ‘V. G.’ character commencing from the date of recovery from desertion.

(3) The provisions of the King’s Regulations and Admiralty Instructions regarding the effect of reduction to the second class for conduct on eligibility for the award of the Active Service Good Conduct Medal shall also apply to the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal;

67.(1) A member in possession of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal who subsequently re-enters the Royal Australian Navy and qualifies for the award of the Active Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal shall be required to surrender the Reserve Medal on being awarded the Active Service Medal.

(2) This condition shall also apply to a man, formerly of the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, who subsequent to the award of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve Long, Service and Good Conduct Medal rejoins the Royal Navy or Royal Marines and qualifies for the award of the Active Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

68. When the conduct of any member after he has been awarded the Medal is considered to be such as to disqualify him from wearing it, he may be deprived of it by the Naval Board.

69. A minimum of three years’ ‘Very Good’ conduct shall be required before a member who has been deprived of the Medal may have it restored to him, and a Medal which has been forfeited for misconduct may be restored on the member’s discharge from the Reserve, at the discretion of the Naval Board, provided the above conditions have been fulfilled. Should the member, however, complete 5 years’ ‘Very Good’ conduct before he is discharged, the medal may be restored on completion of that period, at the discretion of the Naval Board.


70. When it is desired to replace a medal which has been accidently lost, the member to whom the medal belonged shall make a statutory declaration stating the circumstances in which the loss occurred, together with his name, rating, class, number in the Reserve and Royal Navy, Royal Marine, or Royal Australian Navy Official Number. This declaration shall be sent to the Naval Board through the Registrar of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve and the medal will be replaced on payment if the explanation as to its loss is considered satisfactory.”

 

By Authority: H. J. Green, Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Statutory Rules of 1928, No. 31, under the Naval Defence Act 1910-1918, introduce amendments to the Fleet Reserve Regulations. This legislative instrument was enacted to address the need for updated regulations governing the eligibility and conditions for the award of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The regulations were made by the Governor-General in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting on the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The policy objective of these regulations is to establish clear criteria and conditions for the awarding of the medal to members of the Fleet Reserve who meet specific service and conduct requirements, ensuring that the recognition reflects their dedication and service to the naval forces.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Naval Defence Act 1910-1918, specifically detailed in Statutory Rules 1928, No. 31, apply to members of the Fleet Reserve who meet specific criteria concerning their service and conduct. This legislation pertains to individuals who have served in the Reserve on or after April 1, 1920, or those who participated in the Great War and meet the eligibility requirements for the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The regulations outline stringent conditions for award eligibility, including minimum service duration, satisfactory completion of prescribed training, and maintaining a specific character assessment over the years of service. Additionally, the regulations govern the circumstances under which the medal can be surrendered, forfeited, or restored, and provide for the replacement of lost medals under certain conditions. The scope of this legislation is national, extending across the Commonwealth of Australia, and it is administered by the Naval Board, with the Registrar of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve playing a key role in the application process.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Regulations under the Naval Defence Act 1910-1918, as amended by Statutory Rules 1928, No. 31, pertain to the award of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Specifically, Regulation 65 outlines the eligibility criteria for the award, which include a minimum of 15 years of service, satisfactory completion of prescribed training, and maintaining a character assessment of at least ‘V.G.’ for 15 years, and ‘Good’ in any year from the age of 18, with exceptions as detailed in Regulation 66. Regulation 66 provides further conditions, including special considerations for members whose character was assessed below ‘Good’ during the first five years of active service, and stipulates the requirements for the medal's restoration or surrender upon re-entry into active naval service. Regulation 68 and Regulation 69 address the conditions under which a member may be deprived of the medal and the circumstances for its restoration, while Regulation 70 sets out the process for replacing a lost medal. The Regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved, particularly members of the Fleet Reserve who are eligible for the award. These obligations include maintaining a minimum standard of conduct over the specified service period, satisfying training requirements, and obtaining recommendations from the Registrar of the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve. Members are also required to surrender their medal upon qualifying for the Active Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal if they re-enter active service in the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Navy, or Royal Marines. Additionally, if a member is deprived of the medal due to misconduct, they must fulfil the conditions specified in Regulation 69 to have it restored. The Regulations also detail the consequences for breaches of the provisions. Regulation 68 allows for the deprivation of the medal by the Naval Board if a member's conduct after being awarded the medal is deemed disqualifying. Regulation 69 sets out the conditions for the restoration of a deprived medal, which must be at the discretion of the Naval Board and typically requires a minimum of three years’ ‘Very Good’ conduct, or five years if the member completes this period before discharge. Failure to adhere to these provisions may result in the permanent loss of the medal unless the Naval Board decides to restore it. There are no specified penalties for these breaches; however, the consequences are centred around the loss or restoration of the medal.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.