Efficiency Decoration (South Africa)

The Efficiency Decoration was a distinctive award to recognise long and meritorious service of at least twenty years as an officer in the volunteer Army and Air Force Citizen Force of the Union of South Africa. It was instituted by a Royal Warrant dated 29 December 1939, and was extended to the South African Naval Forces from 1942.

Description
The medal consisted of a silver oak wreath, tied with gold, with the Royal Crown and Cypher in the centre suspended from a silver bar-brooch by a 38 mm dark green ribbon with a 8 cm central yellow stripe. The bar-brooch bears the words UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA – UNIE VAN SUID-AFRIKA.

Wearing of ED and EM
An officer was permitted to wear both the ED and the EM, providing he had completed the service periods prescribed for both awards, i.e. a total of 32 years' service. War service, subject to certain conditions, was counted as double time.

Further service
Further awards of this decoration were denoted by a silver rose emblem.

This decoration was replaced in 1952 by the John Chard Decoration which was awarded to both officers and men alike.