General Service Medal (Rhodesia)

The General Service Medal was Rhodesia's most widely awarded military decoration, awarded to members of the security forces and British South Africa Police for service on operations undertaken for the purpose of combating terrorists or enemy incursions into Rhodesia.

Institution
The medal was instituted in 1968. The medals appear to have been last issued in June 1980, although in 2002 the Zimbabwe National Army advertised their intention to dispose of 9,000 unclaimed medals, and invited recipients to claim them.

Medal
The medal was struck in cupro-nickel by Matthews Manufacturing of Bulawayo, and bore a relief portrait of Cecil Rhodes on the obverse and the arms of Rhodesia on the reverse. The ribbon of the medal represented the British South Africa Police (central stripes of Oxford blue and old gold); the Rhodesian Army (guardsman red) and the Rhodesian Air Force (Cambridge blue). The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name, rank and service number on the rim.

Recipients
"Tens of thousands" of Rhodesian General Service Medals were issued. Awards were not gazetted, and no full roll of recipients has ever been published.

It was known familiarly as the "First Street Medal" (after the main street in the capital city) as it was so widely awarded.

The Rhodesia General Service Medal Roll to the British South Africa Police (Regulars) - 13,845 members of the British South Africa Police (Regulars) By Carl S. Keith. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3nZfqM_fjg0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

The Rhodesia General Service Medal Roll to the British South Africa Police (Reserves) - 14,595 members of the British South Africa Police (Reserves), and includes members of the National Service Branch, Auxiliary Branch, Field Reserve and Special Reserve By Brian M. Keith & Carl S. Keith. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QEqjQUQI1OcC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Zimbabwe
The General Service Medal was superseded in 1982 by the Zimbabwe Service Medal, which is awarded to members or former members of the armed forces of Zimbabwe on completion of ten years' service.