Honoris Crux (1952)

The Honoris Crux (Cross of Honour) of 1952, post-nominal letters HC, is a military decoration for bravery that was instituted by the Union of South Africa in 1952. It was in use from 1952 to 1975 and was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for gallantry in action against the enemy in the field. It was discontinued on 1 July 1975, when it was replaced by a new set of four Honoris Crux decorations in four classes.

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 Honoris Crux of 1952
The Honoris Crux of 1952, post-nominal letters HC, was awarded for gallantry in action against the enemy in the field. Only five awards were made, the first in 1973 and the others in 1974 and 1975, all to helicopter commanders and flight engineers of the South African Air Force. The first decoration was awarded to Captain A.P. (Aap) Möller.

Order of precedence
The position of the Honoris Crux of 1952 in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1975 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 Louw Wepener Decoration (LWD).
 * Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS).


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the South African Railways Police Cross for Valour.
 * Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS).


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Gallantry Cross, Gold (GCG) of the Republic of Venda.
 * Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS).


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the South African Railways Police Cross for Valour.
 * Succeeded by the Honoris Crux Silver (HCS).

The position of the Honoris Crux of 1952 in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted on 27 April 2003.

Description
The Honoris Crux of 1952 is a silver-gilt Maltese cross that fits in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter, with the arms of the cross in green enamel and with four eagles between the arms, with a roundel in the centre tierced horizontally in the orange, white and blue bands of the national flag framed in a decorated gold circle. The cross is suspended from a laurel wreath in the form of a circular ribbon hanger.
 * Obverse

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number underneath. Specimens that were minted before South Africa became a republic in 1961 would have had Queen Elizabeth's royal cipher (E II R) above the Coat of Arms.
 * Reverse

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 3 millimetres wide red band, a 2 millimetres wide white band, a 22 millimetres wide dark green band, a 2 millimetres wide white band and a 3 millimetres wide red band.
 * Ribbon

Discontinuation
The conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 1 July 1975, when the Honoris Crux of 1952 was replaced by a new set of four Honoris Crux decorations in four classes.