Sth.Africa - Top Bravery Award

[Mervyn Mitton]

The Award I am showing here is the top Police Bravery for South Africa - anything higher would

have been a Government Decoration. However, it was only for the period 1989 to 1994 - and

was therefore an Award of the old Government.

The Police Cross has always been the top South African Police Decoration for Bravery - and the

changed design was introduced in 1989. There were Bronze and Silver - and a Gold breast Star.

Only 5 of these were awarded and one was postumous.

Above all of these was the SAP Cross for Bravery - the Gold neck decoration. You will see from the

pictures that is was suspended around the neck and had a slight variation in the enamel from the Gold

Breast Star. This is an original. From the weight it could be a number of possible metals - I wonder if any

of our members have any information on it's composition ?

I don't know the exact number awarded - but, if it was 5 for the Gold Star, then the Neck Decoration could

be even fewer.

After 1994 the ANC Government changed all of the Awards - so this is now an historical item.

[Mervyn Mitton]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2012/post-6209-0-65341600-1339080549.jpgCLICK TO ENLARGE

[Mervyn Mitton]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2012/post-6209-0-83032700-1339080708.jpgCLICK TO ENLARGE

[Mervyn Mitton]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2012/post-6209-0-01787900-1339080866.jpgCLICK TO ENLARGE

[Mervyn Mitton]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2012/post-6209-0-90534200-1339081014.jpgCLICK TO ENLARGE

Wording is in Afrkaans and English

[Arthur R]

I've always thought this a very impressive decoration, both in its insignia and in the criteria for award. This is the original version of the SA Police Cross for Bravery, introduced in 1963 and replaced in 1989 by the smaller gold, silver and 'lower-grade silver" versions which are worn on the chest. I'm under the impression that the cross was made of solid gold.

There were 11 or 12 awards of the neck decoration, most of them posthumous. Quite a few were awarded for saving, or attempting to save, lives.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Arthur - thankyou for adding that valuable information - particularly the numbers and the circumstances of their issue. Mervyn

[Arthur R]

Here are the names of the recipients :

- Sgt J.R. Nienaber (1964) - died trying to save someone from drowning.

- Lt J.E. Trollip (1973) - killed while trying to arrest an armed criminal.

- Lt N.J. Slabber (1973) - climbed down a ravine in the dark to rescue a colleague who had fallen down and was hanging from a tree.

- Const H. Cloete (1981) - died trying to save someone from drowning.

- Const A. Schreuder (1981) - drew enemy fire onto himself to save colleagues pinned down during a contact (Border War).

- Sgt G.W. van den Berg (1981) - died trying to save someone from drowning.

- Const A. Delport (1983/84) - stormed an enemy position during a contact, saving several colleagues' lives (Border War).

- Const W. Vermaak (1985) - helped rescue children from a school bus that had plunged into a dam.

- Const G.C. Vermeulen (1985) - ditto.

- Const D.C. Cronje (1985) - ditto.

- Capt N.J. Koch (1988) - twice continued to direct operations under fire, despite being seriously wounded (Border War).

Reportedly also awarded to Maj Eugene de Kock (1985), in connection with a raid into Lesotho, and revoked after his conviction for police death squad atrocities.

[Strapper]

Hee Hee, death Squads...just a figment of the ANC's imagination. C'est la Guerre.

[Megan]

Although no longer awarded it still features in the current Table of Precedence of 11 March 2005.

Mervyn, is there any chance that you'd permit me to use your images on my website (with acknowledgement, of course)? I've never seen pictures of the actual badge before, just sketches in S. Monick's Awards of the South African Uniformed Public Services 1922-87.