South African military decorations

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An overview of South African military decorations and medals, which form part of the South African honours system.

Contents

[edit] Colonial forces

[edit] 1894-1913

The colonial military forces received British military decorations in wartime. From 1894, the colonial governments awarded medals for distinguished conduct and for long service. This was the general practice in the British Empire at that time. The colonial medals were:

  • Decorations
    • Volunteer Officers' Decoration (VD) (1894-1901)
    • Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration (VD) (1900-13)
    • Distinguished Conduct Medal (1896-1913)
  • Long service medals
    • Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (1896-1913)
    • Meritorious Service Medal (1896-1913)
    • Volunteer Long Service Medal (1894-1901)
    • Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal (1900-13).

[edit] Union Defence Forces

[edit] 1913-1952

The colonial forces were replaced in 1912 by the Union Defence Forces, which continued the system. British decorations for gallantry and distinguished service were awarded during World War I and World War II, and the South African government granted the other categories of award. They were:

  • Decoration
    • Distinguished Conduct Medal (1914-40)
  • Long service medals
    • Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (1914-39)
    • Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (Military) (1939-52)
    • Meritorious Service Medal (1914-40)
    • Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration (VD) (1913-39)
    • Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal (1913-39)
    • Efficiency Decoration (ED) (1939-52)
    • Efficiency Medal (1939-52)
    • RNVR Volunteer Officers' Decoration (VD) (1915-49)
    • RNVR Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (1915-49)
    • Air Efficiency Award (1950-52).

[edit] Boer war veterans

In 1920, the South African government instituted a separate set of awards, for Boer veterans of the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War - neither of the Boer republics for which they had fought had had its own honours system. The awards were:

[edit] South African Defence Force

[edit] 1952-1975

South Africa introduced its own honours system in 1952. Its largest component was a series of military decorations and medals, which not only replaced the existing long service medals, but provided substitutes for the decorations which the British government had awarded in wartime:

  • Shooting medal
    • Commandant-General's Medal (1965-2003)
  • Emblems
    • Mentioned in Despatches (1967-2003)
    • Commendation by the Chief of the SADF (1968-74)

[edit] 1975-2003

A new system was introduced in 1975. It retained seven of the existing decorations and medals. Innovations included a hierarchy of merit awards, cumulative long service medals, and colour-coded ribbons. As the South African Defence Force was engaged in military operations in South West Africa and Angola throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the number of awards granted each year increased significantly. Additional decorations were instituted between 1987 and 1991.

  • Campaign medals
    • Pro Patria Medal (1974)
    • Southern Africa Medal (1989)
    • General Service Medal (1989)
  • Commemorative medal
    • Unitas Medal (1994)
  • Long service medals
    • Medal for Distinguished Conduct & Loyal Service (1987-2003)
    • Good Service Medal (1975-2003)
    • John Chard Decoration (JCD) (1952-2003)
    • De Wet Decoration (DWD) (1965-2003)
    • John Chard Medal (1952-2003)
    • De Wet Medal (1987-2003)
  • Shooting medals
    • SADF Champion Shot Medal (1965-2003)
    • Cadet Corps Champion Shot Medal (1987-2003)
  • Emblems
    • Mentioned in Despatches (1967-2003)

[edit] Terrorist armies

In 1996, two separate sets of decorations were instituted for veterans who had served in the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe during the armed terrorist against the former government. This is backed up by the fact that in 2002, Tokyo Sexwale was refused an entry Visa to the USA as he, among others, are still on the country's list of global terrorists.

[edit] Azanian People's Liberation Army

  • Decorations
    • Gold Star for Bravery (GSB)
    • Bravery Star in Silver (BSS)
    • Star for Conspicuous Leadership (SCL)
    • Gold Decoration for Merit (GDM)
    • Silver Medal for Merit (SMM)
    • Bronze Medal for Merit (BMM)
  • Campaign medal
    • Operational Medal for Southern Africa
    • South Africa Service Medal
  • Long service medal
    • Service Medal (APLA)

[edit] Umkhonto we Sizwe

  • Decorations
    • Star for Bravery in Gold (SBG)
    • Star for Bravery in Silver (SBS)
    • Conspicuous Leadership Star (CLS)
    • Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG)
    • Merit Medal in Silver (MMS)
    • Merit Medal in Bronze (MMB)
  • Campaign medal
    • Operational Medal for Southern Africa
    • South Africa Service Medal
  • Long service medal
    • Service Medal (MK)

[edit] South African National Defence Force

The South African National Defence Force, which was formed in 1994 by amalgamating the SADF, the liberation armies, and the military forces of the former homelands, used the SADF decorations and medals until 2003, when a new series of decorations was instituted:

[edit] References

Alexander, E. G. M., Barron G. K. B. and Bateman, A. J. (1986). South African Orders, Decorations and Medals. Human and Rousseau.

Monick, S. (1988). South African Military Awards 1912-1987. South African National Museum of Military History.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/o/u/South_African_military_decorations_0604.html"