Distinguished Service Medal, Silver

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Distinguished Service Medal, Silver
Distinguished Service Medal, Silver of the VDF.jpg
TypeMilitary decoration for merit
Awarded forOutstanding service and devotion to duty
Country Flag of Venda (1973-1994).svg Venda
Presented bythe President
EligibilityAll Ranks
StatusDiscontinued in 1994
Established1985
Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Silver.png
Ribbon bar
VDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)
SANDF precedence:
Next (lower)
VDF succession:
SANDF succession:

The Distinguished Service Medal, Silver was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for outstanding service and devotion to duty. [1] [2]

Contents

The Venda Defence Force

The 900 member Venda Defence Force (VDF) was established upon that country's independence on 13 September 1979. The Republic of Venda ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Venda Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). [3] [4] [5]

Institution

The Distinguished Service Medal, Silver was instituted by the President of Venda in 1985. It is the middle award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the Distinguished Service Medal, Gold and the Venda Defence Force Medal. [1] [2]

Venda's military decorations and medals were modeled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Southern Cross Decoration and Pro Merito Decoration, the Southern Cross Medal (1975) and Pro Merito Medal (1975), and the Military Merit Medal. [1]

Award criteria

The medal could be awarded to all ranks for outstanding service and devotion to duty. [1]

Order of wear

Since the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. [1]

Venda Defence Force until 26 April 1994

Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Gold.png Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Silver.png Ribbon - Venda Defence Force Medal.png

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

PMM1lint.gif Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Silver.png SM2lint.gif

The position of the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1994, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first in April 1996 when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged on both occasions. [1]

The Distinguished Service Medal, Silver is, in effect, Venda's equivalent of the South African Southern Cross Medal (1975) and Pro Merito Medal (1975). It would appear, therefore, as though the position of the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver, instituted in 1985, in the official order of precedence was allocated in error. According to their dates of institution, it should have taken precedence after the Pro Merito Medal (1975) and not after the Pro Merito Medal (1967). Its correct position in the order of wear would therefore be after Bophuthatswana's Defence Force Merit Medal of 1982 and before Ciskei's Sandile Medal of 1988.

Description

Obverse

The Distinguished Service Medal, Silver is a medallion, struck in silver, 38 millimetres in diameter, with the letter V above two interlaced rings. [2] [6]

Reverse

The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Venda and, around the perimeter beneath, the words "MENDELE WA TSHUVELO KWAYO".

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 3 millimetres wide green band, a 2 millimetres wide brown band and a 9 millimetres wide blue band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 4 millimetres wide white band. [6]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver was discontinued when the Republic of Venda ceased to exist on 27 April 1994. [5]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence Force Commendation Medal</span> Award

The Defence Force Commendation Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1982. It could be awarded to all ranks for service of a high standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence Force Merit Medal</span> Award

The Defence Force Merit Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1982, for award to all ranks for extraordinarily excellent service and particular devotion to duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence Force Merit Decoration</span> Award

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallantry Cross, Gold</span> Award

The Gallantry Cross, Gold was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for extreme courage or supreme bravery or valour beyond the normal call of duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallantry Cross, Silver</span> Award

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Distinguished Service Medal, Gold</span> Award

The Distinguished Service Medal, Gold was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venda Defence Force Medal</span> Award

The Venda Defence Force Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1984, for award to all ranks for service of a high standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Service Medal (Venda)</span> Award

The General Service Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for service in defence of Venda or in the prevention or suppression of terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Service Medal, Gold</span> Award

The Long Service Medal, Gold was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for thirty years exemplary service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Service Medal, Silver</span> Award

The Long Service Medal, Silver was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for twenty years exemplary service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Service Medal, Bronze</span> Award

The Long Service Medal, Bronze was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for ten years exemplary service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandile Decoration</span> Award

The Sandile Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1988, for award to all ranks for meritorious service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandile Medal</span> Award

The Sandile Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1988, for award to all ranks for meritorious service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal</span> Award

The Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1992, for award to all ranks for service commended by the Chief of the Ciskei Defence Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merit Medal in Silver</span> Award

The Merit Medal in Silver, post-nominal letters MMS, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, who had distinguished themselves during the "struggle" by exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC   72827981
  2. 1 2 3 South African Medal Website - Venda Defence Force (Accessed 30 April 2015)
  3. South Africa Homeland Militaries, May 1996 (Accessed 1 May 2015)
  4. Peled, Alon (1998), A Question of Loyalty: Military Manpower Policy in Multiethnic States , Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp.  50f, ISBN   0-8014-3239-1
  5. 1 2 Warrant of the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of the "UNITAS MEDAL-UNITAS-MEDALJE", Gazette no. 16087 dated 25 November 1994.
  6. 1 2 Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Venda Defence Force (BDF)