Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver

Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver
Awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India
Country  UK South Africa South Africa
Type Civil decoration for bravery
Eligibility South African citizens
Awarded for Acts of conspicuous bravery
Status Discontinued in 1952
Statistics
Established 1939
Total awarded 34
British & South African orders of wear
Next (higher)
UK precedence:
SA precedence:
Equivalent Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver
Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver
Next (lower)
UK succession:
SA succession:

Ribbon bar

The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver is the lesser of two classes of a South African civil decoration for acts of bravery that was in use from 1939 to 1952, when the country was a constitutional monarchy in the British Commonwealth. The medal was instituted by King George VI on 23 June 1939.[1][2]

Institution

The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver, the lesser of two classes of South Africa's highest civilian decoration for bravery, was instituted by Royal Warrant of 23 June 1939, published in Government Gazette no. 2671 dated 25 August 1939, and amended by Royal Warrants of 18 February 1947, 24 October 1949 and 17 October 1950.[1]

Award criteria

The medal was awarded to recognise gallantry performed in the face of imminent and obvious peril by those residents of the Union of South Africa or its dependent territories who endangered their own lives in the act of saving, or endeavouring to save, the lives of others.[1]

Although it was primarily a civilian award, it was also granted to military personnel for non-combatant acts of gallantry during the Second World War.[2][3]

Order of wear

In the British order of precedence, the Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver ranks as a third level decoration, equivalent to the Queen's Gallantry Medal. It is preceded by the Indian Distinguished Service Medal and succeeded by the Distinguished Service Medal.[4]

In South Africa, the medal is ranked as a second level decoration and, despite its status, it has no post-nominal letters. It is preceded by the Louw Wepener Decoration and succeeded by the South African Police Cross for Bravery.[5]

Description

Obverse

The decoration is struck in silver and is a disk, 38 millimetres in diameter with a raised rim and a large ring suspender. The obverse depicts the crowned effigy of King George VI, facing left, surrounded by the words "GEORGIVS VI REX ET IMPERATOR".

Reverse

A public competition was held to find a suitable design for the reverse of the medal. The winning entry, by Miss Renee Joubert, depicts the 18th-century Cape hero Wolraad Woltemade on his horse, rescuing shipwreck survivors from a stormy sea. As a result, the medal became commonly referred to as the Woltemade Medal. The image is circumscribed with the words "FOR BRAVERY • VIR DAPPERHEID" around the top.[1][3]

Ribbon

The ribbon is 44 millimetres wide and dark blue with 4½ millimetres wide orange edges.[1]

Discontinuation

Upon the accession to the British Throne of Queen Elizabeth II on 15 December 1952, the Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver was discontinued and replaced by the Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver.[1]

Recipients

The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver was awarded to altogether thirty-four individuals, of whom eighteen were military personnel.[1][2]

Title/
Rank		 Name Gazette
date		 Action cited for
1 Mr Dalling, William Tweeddale 29 Dec 1939 Tried to save a black man in a rock-burst, Rose Deep Mine
2 Mr Nourse, Dennis 9 Aug 1940 Saved a man from being savaged by a shark, Warner Beach, Natal
3 Mr Moubray, Robert John 31 Jan 1941 Jumped down a 50 feet waterfall near Tzaneen to save a friend, who had fallen and struck his head, from drowning in the pool below
4 Mr Van den Berg, Michael Adriaan 4 Apr 1941 Saved an injured miner despite ignited dynamite fuses, Venterspost Gold Mine
5 Mr Givana, son of Siqwayini 4 Apr 1941 Assisted Mr. M.A. van den Berg in the aforementioned rescue, Venterspost Gold Mine
6 Mr Snell, Hendrik 28 Aug 1942 Tried to save the pilot in a crashed and burning aircraft, Landsdowne Road, Cape Town
7 Lt Rabe, Arnold (SAAF) 30 Jul 1943 Saved a pilot from a burning aircraft
8 T/F Sgt Brady, Martin Wilson Taylor Bellingham (SAAF) 17 Dec 1943 Saved a pilot from a burning aircraft, Youngsfield Base, Cape Town
9 Pupil Pilot De Jong, Daniel Nicholaas (SAAF) 4 Feb 1944 Saved his instructor from a burning aircraft, Standerton
10 T/2 Lt Fowles, Geoffrey Turner (SAAF) 4 Feb 1944 Saved a pilot from a burning aircraft, Pietersburg
11 A/M Botes, Rudolph Daniel (SAAF) 4 Feb 1944 Attempted to save the crew of a burning aircraft, Wingfield, Cape Town
12 Mr Mpotu 6 Apr 1944 Saved a miner in the face of exploding dynamite, Venterspost Gold Mine
13 A/Cpl Saul, Joseph Pick (SAAF) 21 Apr 1944 Tried to save a man overcome by fumes in the fuel tank of a Catalina aircraft
14 T/Capt Fisher, H.S. (UDF) 14 Sep 1945 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945 at the Grand Magazine, Pretoria
15 T/Capt Warner, A.L.H. (UDF) 14 Sep 1945 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
16 T/Lt Solomon, H.I. (UDF) 14 Sep 1945 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
17 T/WO2 Bruyns, H.C. (UDF) 14 Sep 1945 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
18 WO2 Murcia, L. (UDF) 14 Sep 1945 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
19 T/S Sgt Du Plessis, P.F. (UDF) 14 Sep 1945 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
20 Sgt Pentz, C. (UDF) 14 Sep 1945 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
21 L Cpl Seholi, Peter (UDF) 7 Dec 1945 Rescued two men, gassed in a sewer, Maitland, Cape Town
22 Sgt Ferreira, I.M. (UDF) 8 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
23 Sgt Bronkhost, N.J. (UDF) 8 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
24 T/Cpl Breet, W.S. (UDF) 8 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
25 Mr Theron, Marthinus Jacobus 15 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
26 Mr Hall, John Bassett 15 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
27 Mr Sehlogo, Andries 15 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
28 Mr Nel, Frederick 15 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
29 Mr Clark, Edward George 15 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
30 Mr Snyder, Erle Snider 15 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
31 Mr Mpye, Amos 15 Feb 1946 Gallantry displayed on the occasion of an explosion on 14 March 1945
32 AB Adlam, H.S.J. (SANF (V)) 12 Apr 1946 Saved a black man from the sea and sharks, Durban
33 Mr Lewis, Peter Thomas 23 Jan 1948 Saved a child from the path of a railway locomotive, Pretoria
34 Master Hart, Jack Jacobus 22 Oct 1948 At age 14, rescued a child from a burning garden hut, Johannesburg

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Monick, S (1990). South African Civil Awards. South African National Museum of Military History. pp. 89–93.
  2. 1 2 3 South African Medal Website - Union of South Africa (Accessed 1 May 2015)
  3. 1 2 Abbott, P.E. and Tamplin, J.M.A. (1971). British Gallantry Awards. Guinness Superlatives.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56878. p. 3351. 17 March 2003.
  5. ↑ Government Gazette of the Republic of South Africa No 27376 (11 March 2005)
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