Good Service Medal, Silver

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Good Service Medal, Silver
File:Medal for Good Service (Silver).jpg
TypeMilitary long service medal
CountrySouth Africa  South Africa
EligibilityAll ranks
StatusDiscontinued in 2003
Established1975
File:MTDS lint PF.jpg File:MTDS lint CF.jpg File:MTDS lint Commandos.jpg
Original PF, CF and Commando ribbon bars
Ribbon bar from 1993
Precedence
Next (higher)
SADF precedence:[1]
SANDF precedence:[2]
Next (lower)
SADF succession:[1]
SANDF succession:[2]

The Good Service Medal, Silver, originally named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Silver, is the middle member of a set of three military medals that was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was initially awarded to members of all elements of the South African Defence Force for twenty years of exemplary service, but was restricted to Permanent Force personnel from 1993.[3]

The South African military

The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).[4]

Orders, decorations and medals

In April 1952 a series of military decorations and medals was instituted, consisting of substitutes for many of the British and Commonwealth awards which had earlier been used. More decorations and medals, as well as an emblem for being mentioned in dispatches, were added between 1953 and 1970. In July 1975 the military decorations and medals of the Republic were revised. Some decorations and medals were carried over from the earlier series of 1952-1975 and new awards were instituted, followed by more between 1987 and 1991. Finally, all but one of these earlier awards were discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when a new set of nine decorations and medals was instituted to replace them.[3][4][5][6][7]

Fount of Honour

Until 1958 the top three awards were reserved for conferment by the Queen while the rest were awarded by the Governor-General, but in 1958 the Governor-General was authorised to also award the top three. In 1961 the State President became the Fount of Honour, and in 1994 the President.[4]

Minting

Initially all South African military orders, decorations and medals were minted by the South African Mint, but with effect from c. 1980 the manufacturing of all new awards as well as the further production of older awards were put out to tender by private enterprises. Since the tooling of the older awards was retained by the Mint, private manufacturers had to manufacture their own tooling, which resulted in several variations in appearance and quality.

Award criteria for the Good Service Medal, Silver

The Good Service Medal, Silver was instituted on 1 July 1975 and was named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Silver until 1993. It was initially awarded to Permanent Force, Citizen Force and Commando members of the South African Defence Force for twenty years of good service, but was restricted to Permanent Force personnel from 1993. The medal is the middle member of a set of three military medals for good service, along with the Good Service Medal, Gold for thirty years of good service and the Good Service Medal, Bronze for ten.[3]

Order of precedence

Main article: South African military decorations order of precedence § Order of precedence

The position of the Good Service Medal, Silver in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1975 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994 and again with the institution of a new set of awards in 2003.

South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994
  • Official national order of precedence:
South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

The position of the Good Service Medal, Silver in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted on 27 April 2003.[2]

Description

Obverse

The Good Service Medal, Silver is a medallion struck in silver with a scalloped edge and a raised rim, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the rim, depicting the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. The ribbon suspender is decorated with proteas and leaves. The obverse is identical to that of the Permanent Force Good Service Medal of 1961.[8]

Reverse

The reverse is inscribed "VIR TROUE DIENS" and "FOR GOOD SERVICE" and the original medals, minted by the South African Mint, have a raised rim and decorated ribbon suspender similar to those of the obverse. The medals and ribbon suspenders were minted separately and soldered together. The medal number was stamped at the bottom on the rim.[8]

With effect from c. 1980 further production of the medal was put out to tender by private enterprises. Poor quality control and cost cutting by manufacturers resulted in the acceptance and award of a large number of medals that were only 2 millimetres thick with no raised rim and an undecorated ribbon suspender on the reverse, such as the one depicted.[8]

Medals minted from 1991 were once again compliant with the description in the warrant in terms of which the medal was instituted, but they were struck in one piece with the ribbon suspenders. The suspenders were shaped slightly different than before and the bottom arms of the suspender met the medal inside two of the scalloped valleys on the rim, instead of on two of the apexes as before.[9]

Ribbons

When it was instituted as the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Silver for award to all elements of the South African Defence Force, three separate ribbons were used for the three elements of the Force. They were all 32 millimetres wide and green with two 1 millimetre wide bands, 2 millimetres from each side and spaced 1 millimetre apart, in white to indicate Permanent Force service, in dark blue to indicate Citizen Force service or in orange to indicate Commando service. Orange, white and blue are the colours of the pre-1994 national flag.[3]

These three ribbons were replaced by a single new ribbon in 1993, when the award of the medal was restricted to Permanent Force personnel and it was renamed the Good Service Medal, Silver. The new ribbon was 32 millimetres wide and white with two dark green bands in the centre, each 6 millimetres wide and spaced 6 millimetres apart.[8]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Good Service Medal, Silver was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003.[7][10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
  2. ^ a b c d e Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981
  3. ^ a b c d South African Medals Website - SA Defence Force : 1975-2003
  4. ^ a b c South African Medals Website - SA Defence Force : 1952-1975
  5. ^ Suid-Afrikaanse militêre dekorasies: 1952-1975
  6. ^ Suid-Afrikaanse militêre dekorasies: 1975-2003
  7. ^ a b Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
  8. ^ a b c d Good Service Medal, Bronze
  9. ^ Good Service Medal, Gold
  10. ^ Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 26778, Pretoria, 17 September 2004
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