South Africa: Castle of Good Hope Decoration

[Megan]

Casteel de Goede Hoop-Dekorasie

The Castle of Good Hope Decoration was instituted on 6 April 1952 as a substitute for the Victoria Cross, for which South Africans had previously been eligible. It was given formal approval by Queen Elizabeth II on 26 January 1953.

It was to be awarded for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy in wartime, the requirement for ‘wartime’ being removed in 1986 to permit for its award in other operations, although no awards were ever made. It was discontinued on 27 April 2003, being replaced by the Nkwe ya Gauta.

Worn on a plain green neck ribbon, the decoration consisted of a pentagonal gold medal, based on the outline of the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town. The obverse depicts three ships sailing into Table Bay in 1652 surrounded by a band of proteus flowers and the title of the decoration in English and Afrikaans. The reverse shows the 1910-pattern South African coat of arms, and specimens struck before the country became a republic in 1961 also have Queen Elizabeth's royal cipher (E II R).