Honoris Crux Silver

This article is about the Honoris Crux Silver. For other uses, see Honoris Crux.

Honoris Crux Silver
Type	Military decoration for bravery
Awarded for	Exceptional bravery in great danger
Country	South Africa
Presented by	the State President and, from 1994, the President
Eligibility	All Ranks
Post-nominals	HCS
Campaign(s)	1966-1989 Border War
Status	Discontinued in 2003
Established	1975
First awarded	1976
Last awarded	1992
Total	27
Ribbon bar
SADF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)	SADF precedence: Honoris Crux (1952) SANDF precedence: Honoris Crux (1952)
Next (lower)	SADF succession: Van Riebeeck Decoration SANDF succession: Van Riebeeck Decoration

The Honoris Crux Silver (Silver Cross of Honour), post-nominal letters HCS, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for exceptional acts of bravery while in great danger. The Honoris Crux Silver was the third most senior in a set of four classes of Honoris Crux decorations, which together replaced the discontinued Honoris Crux of 1952. ^[1]

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). ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Institution

The Honoris Crux Silver (Silver Cross of Honour), post-nominal letters HCS, was instituted by the State President on 1 July 1975. ^{[3] [4]}

Award criteria

The decoration was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for exceptional acts of bravery in action, while in great danger. A Bar could be awarded for a further similar deed of bravery. It was the third most senior of a set of four classes of Honoris Crux decorations, the Honoris Crux Diamond, Honoris Crux Gold, Honoris Crux Silver and Honoris Crux, which replaced the discontinued Honoris Crux of 1952. ^[3]

Order of wear

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

The position of the Honoris Crux 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, but it remained unchanged on both occasions. ^{[5] [6]}

Official SANDF order of precedence

• Preceded by the Honoris Crux (1952) (HC) of the Republic of South Africa.
• Succeeded by the Van Riebeeck Decoration (DVR) of the Republic of South Africa. ^{[5] [6]}

Official national order of precedence

• Preceded by the Honoris Crux (1952) (HC) of the Republic of South Africa.
• Succeeded by the Van Riebeeck Decoration (DVR) of the Republic of South Africa. ^{[5] [6]}

Description

Obverse

The Honoris Crux Silver is a silver Maltese cross which fits in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter, with two swords in saltire surmounted by a circular protea wreath, the arms of the cross in green enamel, with a roundel in the centre, tierced horizontally in the orange, white and blue bands of the national flag, framed in a double silver circle containing 24 stones. ^[7] It is identical to the Honoris Crux of 1975 in all respects, except the colour of the enamel on the arms of the cross.

Reverse

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number impressed above and the silver hallmark below. ^[7]

Bar

The bar is of silver, with a miniature replica of the Maltese cross embossed in the centre.

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and orange, with two 1 millimetre wide white bands in the centre, spaced 4 millimetres apart. ^[7]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when the Honoris Crux Silver was replaced by the new Nkwe ya Selefera (NS). ^[3]

Recipients

In respect of those recipients about whom it is available, the actions they were cited for follow below the table.

Name	Rank	HCS no.	Date of action	Unit	Service Arm
Swanepoel, Pieter Arnoldus	Cpl	005 [8]	11 Nov 1975	2 SAI BN	SA Army
Van Niekerk, Hermanus	2 Lt	001 [8]	23 Nov 1975	14 Fd Rgt	SA Army
Wannenburg, Frederick Gerhardus   †	2 Lt	003 [8]	7 Dec 1975	1 Recce Rgt	SA Army
Piccione, Kevin Bruce	Tpr	006 [8]	26 Dec 1975	1 SSB	SA Army
Rawlins, Vincent R.	Cpl	004 [8]	3 Jan 1976	3 SAI BN	SA Army
Ward, William James Harold	S Sgt	002 [8]	10 Mar 1976	2 Recce Rgt	SA Army
Childs, Perry James	Lt	007 [8]	27 Mar 1976	17 Sqn	SAAF
Meerholz, Cornelius Alwyn Johannes	Capt	009 [8]	28 Oct 1977	1 Recce Rgt	SA Army
Hogan, Leo Anthony	Rfn	008 [8]	9 Nov 1977	3 Para Bn	SA Army
Costa, Feliciano [lower-alpha 1]	Rfn	010 [8]	23 Apr 1979	32 Bn	SA Army
Breytenbach, Cornelius Noël	Cmdt	011 [8]	1 Sep 1979	19 Sqn	SAAF
Stannard, Richard John [lower-alpha 2]	Lt	012 [8]	28 Jan 1981	1 Recce Rgt	SA Army
Lewer, Richard Campbell McNeillie [lower-alpha 3]	Maj	019 [8]	23 Aug 1981	8 Sqn	SAAF
Botes, Christo Wilhelm [lower-alpha 4]	Sgt	015 [8]	29 Dec 1981	AFB Ondangwa	SAAF
Barnes, Leslie Edward [lower-alpha 5]	Sgt	015 [8]	20 May 1983	MRU	SAAF
Bantjes, Alexander Petrus	Cpl	016 [8]	19 Mar 1984	MRU	SAAF
Hashomwenda, Dawie	Rfn	017 [8]	6 Feb 1985	101 Bn	SA Army
Van Zyl, Hendrik Gideon	Lt	018 [8]	11 Feb 1985	Spec Serv HQ	SAMS
Diedericks, André HC	Maj	019 [8] [11]	1 Jun 1985	Spec Forces HQ	SA Army
Steyn, Jacobus Frederik	Maj	025 [8]	1 Jan 1987	NC Command	SA Army
Roux, Anton Louis	L Cpl	021 [8]	28 Feb 1987	10 Med Gp	SAMS
Venter, Johannes Antonie	L Cpl	102 [8]	6 Sep 1987	44 Bde Mil Int	SA Army
De Gouveia, J.H. (Johnny)	Sgt	023 [8]	20 Sep 1987	1 Recce Rgt	SA Army
Badenhorst, Johannes Jacobus	Spr	024 [8]	23 Apr 1988	13 Fd Eng Regt	SA Army
Slade, Alan Mark	Capt	104 [8]	1 Apr 1989	22 Sqn	SAAF
Frederikson, Theodore Kurt	Sgt	105 [8]	1 Apr 1989	31 Sqn	SAAF
Scoular, Gary Ian [lower-alpha 6]	LS	116 [8]	4 Aug 1991	SAS Scorpion	SAN
Greeff, J.deV. (Jack) [lower-alpha 7]	S Sgt	032 [13]	1 Jan 1981	1 RR	SA Army

Note 1:   † denotes a posthumous award.

Actions cited for

1. Costa, Feliciano: Awarded for action with enemy insurgents 16 km north of the Angolan border, during a succession of interlinked firefights, where Rifleman Costa repeatedly attacked and killed enemy insurgents using grenades after his RPD had been damaged by enemy fire. He was the first member of the SADF to be presented with the HCS at a medal parade in the operational area. ^[9] "The patrol commenced on the late afternoon of Sunday 22 April 1979. Just before sundown we made brief contact, about 5 km north of the cutline, with a small SWAPO group infiltrating into SWA. The series of ongoing contacts for which Feliciano received his Honoris Crux, took place the following day, Monday 23 April. The contact commenced at approximately first light and continued throughout the day until SAAF Impalas were able to 'bomb' a safe zone, which allowed the Puma Choppers to land and uplift us. To this day the body of our fallen Brother in Arms, Rfn Alfredo Tichondo, remains behind in Angola in an unmarked grave. May His Soul Forevermore RIP. This skirmish marked the first contact of the then fledgling 32Bn Recce Grp."
2. Stannard, Richard John: During a special forces operation conducted at night in an urban area, a hand grenade exploded, seriously wounding a four-man team. Stannard and his two team members came to the assistance of the four wounded operators from the first team. The explosion had caused a fire which then ignited further grenades, carried in the webbing of the injured. Stannard and his team remained with the wounded and returned enemy fire, allowing the wounded to be extracted and ensuring the eventual success of the mission. Stannard was awarded the HCS, while the two members of his team, Staff Sergeant A.L. Johnston and Corporal M.A. Smith, who assisted in the rescue, were awarded the HC. ^{[8] : 77}
3. Lewer, Richard Campbell McNeillie (Dick): Awarded for close air support to an ambushed 31 Battalion company, close to Xangongo, which was deployed as a stopper group for the opening of Operation Protea. Major Lewer repeatedly attacked a large force of SWAPO/FAPLA elements who had pinned down the SADF company. Operating alone and at night in his single-seat Impala Mk II, his continued attacks allowed the company to withdraw to safety. ^{[10] : 21–22}
4. Botes, Christo Wilhelm: Sergeant Botes was the flight engineer on the second helicopter mission for which Capt Arthur Walker HCG and Bar SM was decorated. He was awarded the HCS for his life-threatening actions when they landed their helicopter whilst under intense enemy fire, to rescue the crew of a downed Alouette III helicopter, Lieutenant Serge Bovy and Sergeant Dolf van Rensburg. ^{[10] : 21–22}
5. Barnes, Leslie Edward: Awarded for his actions after a bomb explosion at SAAF Headquarters, Pretoria. Sergeant Barnes was in a parked vehicle behind the vehicle which contained the bomb and was severely burned in the explosion. Despite his injuries, Barnes rescued an unconscious colleague from his vehicle and carried her to safety. He then returned to the burning vehicle and rescued a second colleague from the vehicle. Immediately after rescuing the second SAAF officer, the vehicle in which they had been trapped, exploded as its fuel tank ignited. ^[8]
6. Scoular, Gary Ian: Awarded for his action to search for possibly trapped passengers in the listing and sinking ship MTS Oceanos off the Transkei Wild Coast on 4 August 1991. ^[12]
7. Major Greeff was clearly awarded the HCS but General Order 120/82 got it wrong, listing his name with HC awardees instead of HCS awardees. This has just (19 May 2023) been corrected with an announcement from the SA Special Forces Association sent to all members along with the supporting documentation. The form DD792 (available in the State Archives) shows that the medal was recommended and endorsed at all levels as an HCS. This is confirmed by Major Greeff's clearing out form. His full group is

References

1. South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters (Retrieved 28 April 2015)
2. South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1952-1975 (Retrieved 30 April 2015)
3. South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1975-2003 (Retrieved 30 April 2015)
4. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
5. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
6. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC   72827981
7. Monick, S (1988). South African Military Awards 1912–1987. South African National Museum of Military History. p. 49.
8. Uys, Ian (1992). Cross of Honour. Uys Publishers. p. 183. ISBN   0-9583173-2-1.
9. "Honoris Crux". Rifleman Feliciano Costa.
10. Bagshawe, Peter (1990). Warriors of the Sky. Johannesburg: Ashanti. ISBN   978-1-874800-11-8
11. Diedericks, André (2007). Journey Without Boundaries (2nd ed.). Durban, South Africa: Just Done Productions Publishing (published 23 June 2007). ISBN   978-1-920169-58-9. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
12. "Dié helde word met medaljes vereer". Die Burger. 31 August 1991. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014.
13. Greef, Jack (2008). A Greater Share of Honour (2nd ed.). Durban, South Africa: Just Done Productions Publishing (published 17 July 2008). ISBN   978-1-920315-06-1. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.