New Zealand War Medal, awarded to Colour Sergeant Edwin Bezar, 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment

Circular, silver medal with, on the obverse, a portrait of Queen Victoria wearing diadem and veil, with the inscription, 'Victoria D: G: Britt: Reg: F:D:'; on the reverse, a laurel wreath and the inscription, 'New Zealand' and 'Virtutis Honor' (Honour of valour). The medal is suspended from a ribbon with a red vertical stripe flanked by dark blue vertical stripes.

This medal was authorised in 1869 for British and colonial military personnel who had served in the Maori Wars between 1845 and 1866. Edwin Bezar was born 1838, and died in New Zealand 1936.

Bezar was one of many British soldiers who chose to stay on in New Zealand or Australia after taking their discharge. He married a local woman and raised a family. His descendants still live in Christchurch.