simultaneously, the other being the Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve, often referred to as either the Royal Naval Reserve Officers' Decoration or the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration. The badges of these two decorations are identical and both initially hung from the same all-green ribbon, until a new ribbon was introduced for the Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1919. The decoration was also awarded by several countries in the British Empire. South Africa adopted it in 1915, two years after the South African Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was established on 1 July 1913. New Zealand adopted it in 1925 when the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (New Zealand) was established. Canada adopted it as the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve Officers' Decoration in 1938, when the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve was stablished. Until c. 1947, recipients were entitled to use the post-nominal letters VD, the same as those for the Volunteer Officers' Decoration and the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration, approved by Royal Warrants dated 9 May 1925. The post-nominal letters were changed to VRD c. 1947. The decoration was first awarded to Lieutenant Charles Alfred Jones on 9 November 1909. Award criteria The decoration could be awarded to part-time Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officers after twenty years of commissioned service, not necessarily continuous, as an efficient and thoroughly capable officer. Wartime service counted as double time, while half of the time served as a rating or in the ranks could be reckoned as qualifying service for the decoration. In any event, a minimum of seven years had to have been served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in any capacity before becoming eligible for the award of the decoration. An Officer who had previously been awarded the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for service as a rating, could subsequently be awarded the decoration and still wear the medal, provided both periods of qualifying service had been completed. Officers serving on the active list on or after 1 June 1954, became eligible for the award of a clasp to the decoration after completing ten years of additional reckonable service, provided that no service could under any circumstances count double for the assessment of the additional ten years. Description The decoration is an oval skeletal design and was struck in silver, with parts of the obverse