The Most Honourable Order of the Bath
Overview
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British Order of Knights, first instituted in 1399 and revived by King George I in 1725, to recognise exemplary service by civilians and senior military personnel. The order has three classes of members: Knight and Dame Grand Cross (GCB), Knight and Dame Commander (KCB and DCB), and Companion (CB).
Captain George Grey, Governor of New Zealand, became the first New Zealand resident to receive the honour when he was appointed Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1848.
Description
The neck badge of the KCB is a Maltese cross of eight points each tipped with a gold ball. Between each angle of the cross is a gold lion. The central design shows the three flowers that represent the United Kingdom (a rose, a thistle, and a shamrock). They are joined and connected by a central sceptre surrounded by three crowns. Around the edge there is the Latin phrase TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO which means ‘Three As One’. This is surrounded by branches of laurel with a scroll below and with the German phrase ICH DIEN, “I Serve”.
The badge is suspended on a crimson ribbon.
Eligibility
Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His Majesty's Government.
Queries & requests
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Wearing this honour
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is worn with Orders of Chivalry and Other Orders in the New Zealand Order of Wear.
For more information on how to wear and care for honours, medals, and awards:
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Nominating someone for this honour
Since the institution of the New Zealand Order of Merit on 30 May 1996, New Zealand no longer recommends individuals for the various British State Orders of Chivalry (e.g. Orders of the Bath, St Michael and St George and British Empire) and Orders (e.g. the Order of the Companions of Honour), and the honour of Knight Bachelor.
For further information, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has provided a history of the New Zealand Honours System(external link).
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Checking if this honour was awarded
Honours, medals, and awards bestowed on an individual for service in the New Zealand Armed Forces are recorded in their individual service record. NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals holds a collection of about 1.5 million service records relating to 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in New Zealand’s Military Forces after the First World War.
Service records are not currently digitised, but we can locate it and find the information you might be looking for or help you book a time for you to see the records in Trentham by completing the form on the Service Record page.