Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver

The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver is the lesser of two classes of a South African civil decoration for acts of bravery. It replaced the King's Medal for Bravery, Silver and Queen's Medal for Bravery, Silver, the award of which was discontinued in South Africa in 1961.

Institution
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1970, by Warrant of 20 May 1970, published in Government Gazette no. 2718 dated 29 May 1970. The Warrant was amended twice, on 11 November 1971 and 30 May 1973, to expand the eligibility for award.

It is the lesser of two classes of South Africa's highest civilian decoration for bravery and it replaced and ranked on par with the King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver, the award of which was discontinued upon the establishment of the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961.

The decoration was named in memory of Wolraad Woltemade, an elderly servant of the Dutch East India Company, who gave his life while rescuing shipwrecked sailors in Table Bay on 1 June 1773. The ship De Jonge Thomas broke anchor in a gale force Northwestern and was driven ashore in the Salt River Mouth. Woltemade rode his horse into the sea seven times and brought surviving sailors ashore each time, but on the eighth excursion Woltemade and his exhausted horse were overladen by panic-stricken sailors and drowned.

Award criteria
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver could be awarded to South African citizens who performed acts of conspicuous bravery within or beyond the borders of the Republic of South Africa. The eligibility for award was subsequently expanded to non-citizens who have distinguished themselves in this manner in the Republic or in territories belonging to or administered by the Republic, or who elsewhere and in the face of extreme danger have saved the lives of South African citizens or protected property belonging to the Republic, or endeavoured to do so.

The decoration was, like the earlier King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver, mainly intended for civilians and its award to members of the uniformed services was restricted to acts of gallantry for which the decorations of the services are not normally awarded.

Order of wear
The position of the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver in the official national order of precedence was revised three times after 1990 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration process of 1994, again when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory para-military forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again with the institution of new sets of awards in 2002 and 2003, but it remained unchanged on all three occasions.
 * Preceded by the Louw Wepener Decoration (LWD).
 * Succeeded by the South African Police Cross for Bravery (PCF).

Description
The decoration was struck in silver and is 38 millimetres in diameter with a raised rim and a large ring suspender. The obverse depicts Wolraad Woltemade on his horse in the waves, with the words "FOR BRAVERY • VIR DAPPERHEID" around the perimeter at the top. This was the same design as used on the earlier King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Silver.
 * Obverse

The reverse depicts the crest of the South African Coat of Arms, a lion holding four staves to represent the four provinces of the Republic of South Africa. The crest is encircled by a wreath of proteas which is, in turn, encircled by the inscription "REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA" above and "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA" below.
 * Reverse

The ribbon is 44 millimetres wide and violet with 4 millimetres wide light orange edges. The same ribbon was used for the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Gold.
 * Ribbon

Discontinuation
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was discontinued in 1988, when it was replaced by the Woltemade Cross for Bravery, Silver (WDS).

Recipients
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver was awarded 44 times, the first recipient, in 1973, being Johannes le Roux.
 * Johan le Roux (1973), posthumously, for saving two children when a school bus was struck by a train at Henley on Klip on 28 January 1970.
 * Captain J.P. (Hans) Kolver, for rescuing Tom Yssel who had been caught by a crocodile in the Sabie River near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park on 21 November 1976.
 * Louis Olivier, for rescuing Tom Yssel who had been caught by a crocodile in the Sabie River near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park on 21 November 1976.
 * Pieter Koen (1985), posthumously, for rescuing children from a submerged bus during the Westdene dam disaster on 27 March 1985.
 * Danie Theron (1985), for rescuing children from a submerged bus during the Westdene dam disaster on 27 March 1985.