Honoris Crux (1975)

The Honoris Crux (Cross of Honour) of 1975, post-nominal letters HC, is a military decoration for bravery that was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. The decoration was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for bravery in dangerous circumstances. It was the junior in a set of four Honoris Crux decorations in four classes that together replaced the discontinued Honoris Crux of 1952.

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 1975
The Honoris Crux of 1975, post-nominal letters HC, was awarded for bravery in dangerous circumstances. It was the junior of four classes of Honoris Crux decorations, the Honoris Crux Diamond, Honoris Crux Gold, Honoris Crux Silver and Honoris Crux, that together replaced the discontinued Honoris Crux of 1952.

Altogether 201 Honoris Crux decorations were awarded between 1976 and 2004. Most of the awards were won in action, but some were awarded for bravery in non-combat situations. Upon the institution of the Army Cross, Air Force Cross, Navy Cross and Medical Service Cross in 1987, the award criteria were amended to restrict the awarding of the Honoris Crux to deeds of bravery in action while in mortal danger facing the enemy.

The South African military units that were awarded the most Honoris Crux decorations are the Special Forces of the South African Reconnaissance Commandos, whose operators were awarded a total of forty-six Honoris Crux Decorations in three of the four classes during the 1966-1989 Border War.

Order of precedence
The position of the Honoris Crux of 1975 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 Van Riebeeck Decoration (DVR).
 * Succeeded by the Pro Virtute Decoration (PVD).


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the King's/Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry or Distinguished Service (KPM/QPM).
 * Succeeded by the Correctional Services Cross for Valour, Ruby (CPF).


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Van Riebeeck Decoration (DVR) of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the Gallantry Cross, Silver (GCS) of the Republic of Venda.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the King's/Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry or Distinguished Service (KPM/QPM) of the United Kingdom.
 * Succeeded by the Correctional Services Cross for Valour, Ruby (CPF) of the Republic of South Africa.

The position of the Honoris Crux of 1975 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 1975 is a silver Maltese cross that fits in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter, with two swords in saltire surmounted by a circular protea wreath, the arms of the cross in white enamel, with a roundel in the centre tierced horizontally in the orange, white and blue bands of the national flag, framed in a double silver circle containing 24 stones.
 * Obverse

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number underneath.
 * Reverse

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 2½ millimetres wide white band, a 3 millimetres wide orange band and a 1 millimetre wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 19 millimetres wide orange band in the centre.
 * Ribbon

Discontinuation
The conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when the Honoris Crux of 1975 was replaced by the new Nkwe ya Selefera (NS).

Recipients
Note 1: denotes a posthumous award. Note 2: ♦ denotes a non-combat or non-operational act of bravery. Note 3: ♥ Diedericks was also awarded the HCS in 1985.