South African military decorations order of wearing

The Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910 in terms of the South Africa Act, 1909, enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In terms of Section 17 of the Act the command-in-chief of the naval and military forces within the Union was vested in the British monarch or in the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa as his representative. The Union Defence Forces were established in 1912 in terms of the Union Defence Act, no. 13 of 1912, enacted by the Parliament of the Union of South Africa. The UDF were renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 the SADF was integrated with six other independent South African military and para-military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The seven constituent forces of the SANDF were: • The South African Defence Force (SADF). • The Transkei Defence Force (TDF). • The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF). • The Venda Defence Force (VDF). • The Ciskei Defence Force (CDF). • Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC). • The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). ==Orders, decorations and medals==

Until 31 May 1961 the Fount of Honour was the British monarch. In 1961 the State President of South Africa became the Fount of Honour. In the TBVC states, established between 1976 and 1981, the Founts of Honour were the respective State Presidents. On 27 April 1994 the President of South Africa became the Fount of Honour for all military orders, decorations and medals. The TBVC group Between 1976 and 1981 the four independent republics of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei, known collectively as the TBVC states, were established within South Africa. Each of them instituted a set of military decorations and medals for award to members of their respective defence forces. The MK and APLA group On 27 April 1994 South Africa became a fully representative republic. In 1996 a set of decorations and medals were instituted for award to members and veterans of MK and APLA. The 2003 group 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. ==Order of wear==

Until 5 April 1952 all South African, other Commonwealth and foreign orders, decorations and medals awarded to South Africans were worn in the order of wear as prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. With effect from 6 April 1952 the aforementioned awards continued to be worn in the order of wear as prescribed on 5 April 1952 but, with one exception, took precedence after all South African orders, decorations and medals awarded to South Africans on or after that date. The exception was the Victoria Cross which, if awarded to a South African before 6 April 1952, still took precedence before all other awards. ;Notes • ♠ In respect of recipients of the Emblem for Reserve Force Service only, indicating "Reserve Distinction". • Use of the post-nominal MSM was restricted to awards for acts of gallantry during the First World War. • ♣ Use of the post-nominal AE was restricted to officers only. ==Errors and exclusions==

The official order of wear of 2005 contains the caveat that, in the absence of full information on some awards, there may be among the awards listed for the TBVC states some which were never awarded. The official list contains minor errors, one of these being the post-nominal letters "VRD" instead of "DVR" for the Van Riebeeck Decoration. The post-nominal letters "VRD" are used for the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration. The following decorations and medals are excluded from the table: • Civil, police, prisons and other non-military decorations and medals. • Military decorations which, while officially instituted, were never awarded and now never will be. These include: • The Castle of Good Hope Decoration (CGH) (South Africa). • The Honoris Crux Diamond (HCD) (South Africa). • The Pro Virtute Medal (PVM) (South Africa). • The Cross for Valour (CCV) (Ciskei). • The Cross for Gallantry (CCG) (Ciskei). • The Cross for Bravery (CCB) (Ciskei). • The Pro Merito Decoration (PMD) (Ciskei). ==References==