Southern Cross Medal
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| Southern Cross Medal - 1st Type | |
|---|---|
 Ribbon: 32mm, dark blue with an orange/white centre band |
|
| Awarded by South African Defence Force | |
| Type | Medal |
| Awarded for | Outstanding devotion to duty |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Statistics | |
| First awarded | 1960 |
| Last awarded | 1975 |
| Total awarded | 536 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Star of South Africa |
The Southern Cross Medal was a South African military decoration that was in use from 1952 to 2003. There were two distinct versions.
The first type, introduced on 6 April 1952, was awarded for outstanding devotion to duty. It was originally open to all ranks, but after the Pro Merito Medal was introduced in 1967, it was restricted to officers.
The medal is silver, displaying the stars of the Southern Cross against a dark blue background framed in a circle of oak leaves. The reverse displays the 1910-pattern South African coat of arms, and specimens struck before the country became a republic in 1961 also have Queen Elizabeth's royal cipher (E II R). The ribbon is dark blue, with an orange-white centre panel (the colours of the national flag at that time).
The first awards were made on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Union of South Africa in 1960.
| Southern Cross Medal - 2nd Type | |
|---|---|
 Ribbon: 32mm, dark blue white edges and two white lines down the centre |
|
| Awarded by South African Defence Force | |
| Type | Medal |
| Awarded for | Exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Statistics | |
| First awarded | 1976 |
| Last awarded | 2003? |
| Total awarded | ? |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Southern Cross Decoration |
The second type, introduced on 1 July 1975, was awarded to officers for exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty. It was superseded by the iPhrothiya yeSiliva decoration on 27 April 2003.
In practice, it was generally a requirement that recipients must already have received the Military Merit Medal.
The medal is silver, and displays the stars of the Southern Cross on a dark blue roundel in the centre of a starburst of radiating points. The reverse displays the 1910-pattern South African coat of arms. The ribbon is that of the Southern Cross Decoration with the addition of white stripes down the edges.
The equivalent award for "other ranks" (enlisted men) was the Pro Merito Medal.
[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.
