General Service Medal (South Africa)

The General Service Medal is a military campaign medal that was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force from 1 January 1983 for operational service inside South Africa in the prevention or suppression of terrorism or internal disorder, or the preservation of life, health or property, or the maintenance of essential services and law and order, or crime prevention.

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).

Orders, decorations and medals
In April 1952 a series of military decorations and medals was instituted, consisting of substitutes for many of the British and Commonwealth awards which had earlier been used. More decorations and medals as well as an emblem for being mentioned in dispatches were added between 1953 and 1970. In July 1975 the military decorations and medals of the Republic were revised. Some decorations and medals were carried over from the earlier series of 1952-1975 and new awards were instituted, followed by more between 1987 and 1991. Finally, all but one of these earlier awards were discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when a new set of nine decorations and medals was instituted to replace them.

Fount of Honour
Until 1958 the top three awards were reserved for conferment by the Queen while the rest were awarded by the Governor-General, but in 1958 the Governor-General was authorised to also award the top three. In 1961 the State President became the Fount of Honour, and in 1994 the President.

Award criteria for the General Service Medal
The General Service Medal was awarded from 1 January 1983 to serving members of all ranks of the South African Defence Force for operational service inside South Africa in the prevention or suppression of terrorism or internal disorder, or the preservation of life, health or property, or the maintenance of essential services and law and order, or crime prevention. In effect it also served as a campaign medal for the State of Emergency operations against Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) from 1985 to 1990.

Order of precedence
The position of the General Service Medal in the official order of precedence was revised twice 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.


 * South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
 * Official SADF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Southern Africa Medal.
 * Succeeded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the United Kingdom.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Southern Africa Medal.
 * Succeeded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the United Kingdom.


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Southern Africa Medal of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the Defence Medal of the Republic of Ciskei.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Southern Africa Medal of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the Defence Medal of the Republic of Ciskei.

The position of the General Service Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.

Description
The General Service Medal is a medallion struck in nickel silver, 3 millimetres thick and 38 millimetres in diameter, depicting the castle emblem of the South African Defence Force, partly surrounded by a wreath of leaves.
 * Obverse

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms with the words "GENERAL SERVICE" at left and "ALGEMENE DIENS" at right around the perimeter, with the medal number stamped underneath the Coat of Arms.
 * Reverse

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide with a 6 millimetres wide dark blue band, a 2 millimetres wide white band and a 7 millimetres wide orange band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 2 millimetres wide dark blue band in the centre.
 * Ribbon

The first batch of medals had a rough frosted-like surface, while the later version had a more traditional and more attractive smooth surface.
 * Versions

Mentioned in dispatches
A recipient of the General Service Medal that was mentioned in dispatches during such operational service inside South Africa was entitled to wear a miniature Coat of Arms on the medal ribbon.

Discontinuation
The conferment of the medal was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003.