Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver

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Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver
TypeCivil decoration for bravery
Awarded forActs of conspicuous bravery
Country South Africa
Presented bythe State President
EligibilitySouth African citizens
StatusDiscontinued in 1988
Established1970
First awarded1973
Last awarded1985
Total3
Ribbon bar
Pre-1994 & post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)
Pre-1994 precedence:
Post-2002 precedence:
Equivalent Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, Silver
Union of South Africa Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver
Next (lower)
Pre-1994 succession:
Post-2002 succession:

The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver is the lesser of two classes of a South African civil decoration for acts of bravery. It replaced the King's Medal for Bravery, Silver and Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver, the award of which was discontinued in South Africa in 1961.[1]

Institution[edit]

The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1970, by Warrant of 20 May 1970, published in Government Gazette no. 2718 dated 29 May 1970. The Warrant was amended twice, on 11 November 1971 and 30 May 1973, to expand the eligibility for award.[1][2]

It is the lesser of two classes of South Africa's highest civilian decoration for bravery and it replaced and ranked on par with the King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver, the award of which was discontinued upon the establishment of the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961.[3]

The decoration was named in memory of Wolraad Woltemade, an elderly servant of the Dutch East India Company, who gave his life while rescuing shipwrecked sailors in Table Bay on 1 June 1773. The ship De Jonge Thomas broke anchor in a gale force Northwestern and was driven ashore in the Salt River Mouth. Woltemade rode his horse into the sea seven times and brought surviving sailors ashore each time, but on the eighth excursion Woltemade and his exhausted horse were overladen by panic-stricken sailors and drowned.[2]

Award criteria[edit]

The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver could be awarded to South African citizens who performed acts of conspicuous bravery within or beyond the borders of the Republic of South Africa. The eligibility for award was subsequently expanded to non-citizens who have distinguished themselves in this manner in the Republic or in territories belonging to or administered by the Republic, or who elsewhere and in the face of extreme danger have saved the lives of South African citizens or protected property belonging to the Republic or endeavoured to do so.[1][2]

The decoration was, like the earlier King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver, mainly intended for civilians and its award to members of the uniformed services was restricted to acts of gallantry for which the decorations of the services are not normally awarded.[2]

Order of wear[edit]

The position of the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver in the official national order of precedence was revised three times after 1990 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration process of 1994, again when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory para-military forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again with the institution of new sets of awards in 2002 and 2003, but it remained unchanged on all three occasions.[3]

Description[edit]

Obverse
The decoration was struck in silver and is 38 millimetres in diameter with a raised rim and a large ring suspender. The obverse depicts Wolraad Woltemade on his horse in the waves, with the words "FOR BRAVERY • VIR DAPPERHEID" around the perimeter at the top. This was the same design as used on the earlier King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver.[1][2]
Reverse
The reverse depicts the crest of the South African Coat of Arms, a lion holding four staves to represent the four provinces of the Republic of South Africa. The crest is encircled by a wreath of proteas which is, in turn, encircled by the inscription "REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA" above and "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA" below.[1]
Ribbon
The ribbon is 44 millimetres wide and blue with 4 millimetres wide light orange edges. The same ribbon was used for the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Gold.[1]

Discontinuation[edit]

The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was discontinued in 1988, when it was replaced by the Woltemade Cross for Bravery, Silver (WDS).[2]

Recipients[edit]

The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was awarded 44 times.

1973 (1 award)

  • Le Roux, Johannes Lodewikus (posthumously)[5] — died helping two fellow schoolchildren to escape from a bus trapped in the path of an oncoming train at Henley on Klip (28 January 1970)

1978 (2 awards)

  • Kolver, Johannes Petrus[5] — rescued a man from the jaws of a crocodile in the Kruger National Park (21 November 1976)[6]
  • Olivier, Louis Pieter[5] — rescued a man from the jaws of a crocodile in the Kruger National Park (21 November 1976)[6]

1982 (2 awards)

  • Marais, Andries Josephus[5] — saved someone from a shark attack
  • Taylor, Wendy Lorraine[5] — saved two children from drowning in the sea at Glenmore Beach (23 January 1981)[7]

1985 (27 awards)

1986 (3 awards)

  • April, James[5]
  • Du Plessis, Andrew John[5] — saved a woman from drowning in the sea at Llandudno (18 February 1984)[9]
  • Hutchison, Jonathan Roger[5] — saved a child from drowning in the sea at Ballito bay (8 November 1985)[9]

1987 (9 awards)

  • Anthony, James John Rodger (posthumously)[5] — died trying to save Rene and Karin Idas from drowning at Silwerstroom Beach (January 1987)[10]
  • Idas, Rene Edwina[5] — saved her sister Karin, and tried to save Rodger Anthony, from drowning at Silwerstroom Beach (January 1987)[10]
  • Idas Karin Belinda[5] — saved her sister Rene, and tried to save Rodger Anthony, from drowning at Silwerstroom Beach (January 1987)[10]
  • Canfield, Shahied[5] — rescued a baby from a burning house in Bonteheuwel (November 1986)[10]
  • Klein, Yolande Anushka (aged 10)[5] — saved her younger brother from electrocution (June 1986)[10]
  • Nkabinde, Goodwill[5] — rescued four handicapped children from a burning bus in Johannesburg (1986)[10]
  • Oelofse, Nicolaas Jacobus[5] — rescued two children from a burning car near Ventersdorp (October 1986)[10]
  • Crous, Derek[5] — rescued two children from a burning car near Ventersdorp (October 1986)[10]
  • Hattingh, Barry Arnold[5] — rescued a woman from a burning car seconds before it exploded (May 1986)[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f South African Medal Website - Republic of South Africa: 1967-2002 (Accessed 1 May 2015)
  2. ^ a b c d e f Monick, S (1990). South African Civil Awards. South African National Museum of Military History. pp. 97–98.
  3. ^ a b Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981
  4. ^ Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar Philatelic Services and Intersapa (1989). National Orders of South Africa
  6. ^ a b Siyabona Africa - Kruger National Park - Wrestling a Crocodile For a Friend (Accessed 29 May 2015)
  7. ^ Alexander, E.G.M., Barron, G.K.B., Bateman, A.J. (1986). South African Orders, Decorations and Medals
  8. ^ a b c d e 'Five heroes of oil disaster receive bravery decoration' in Cape Argus (3 June 1985).
  9. ^ a b 'Woltemade Award for six brave people' in The Citizen (28 November 1986).
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i 'Children feature on Woltemade bravery award list' in Cape Argus (30 October 1987).
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